Search

The prevalence of misinformation has spurred various interested parties—regulators, the media, and competing firms—to debunk false claims in the marketplace. This research examines whether such debunking messages provided by these parties can impact consumer purchase behavior. If so, does debunking effectively correct consumers' misinformed beliefs—an ideal outcome from a policy maker's perspective—or does it merely reinforce correct beliefs, as predicted by biased belief updating? With theory providing contradictory predictions, the authors design and implement a conjoint experiment that enables measurement of willingness to pay under exposure to real-world misinformation and debunking messages. Focusing on three ingredients in product categories where misinformation is prevalent (aluminum in deodorant, fluoride in toothpaste, and genetically modified organisms in food), the authors find that debunking plays an important role in mitigating the impact of misinformation. More specifically, debunking can attenuate the decrease in willingness to pay caused by misinformation by correcting misbeliefs, a promising finding for policy makers. The authors discuss the incentives for firms to debunk misinformation or to introduce new products that conform to misinformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owners value heritage goods, items that connect them to a shared past, whether through their alma mater or their family history. This research considers the impact of heritage on owners who wish to sell such goods. In five studies, the authors demonstrate that sellers have a lower willingness to accept when selling heritage goods to buyers with a shared heritage connection relative to buyers without this connection (i.e., a heritage discount). This heritage discount cannot be explained by ingroup favoritism, sentimental value, or appropriateness of buyer usage and persists even when sellers perceive that the buyer has a higher willingness to pay. The authors provide process evidence that the effect of the buyer's identity on the seller's willingness to accept is driven by concerns about heritage loss. The findings contribute to literatures on sharing, sentimental goods, psychological ownership, and the endowment effect and have marketing implications for consumer goods (e.g., collectibles) that derive product value by connecting consumers to meaningful history and traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are flame retardants and plasticizers used in consumer products. OPEs are found ubiquitously throughout the environment with high concentrations in indoor house dust. Exposure to individual OPEs is associated with immune dysfunction, particularly in macrophages. However, OPEs exist as complex mixtures and the effects of environmentally relevant mixtures on the immune system have not been investigated. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the toxicity of an environmentally relevant mixture of OPEs that models Canadian house dust on macrophages using phenotypic and functional assessments in vitro. METHODS: High-content live-cell fluorescent imaging for phenotypic biomarkers of toxicity in THP-1 macrophages treated with the OPE mixture was undertaken. We used confocal microscopy and cholesterol analysis to validate and expand on the observed OPE-induced lipid phenotype. Then, we used flow cytometry and live-cell imaging to conduct functional tests and uncover mechanisms of OPE-induced phagocytic suppression. Finally, we validated our THP-1 findings in human primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMC) derived macrophages. RESULTS: Exposure to non-cytotoxic dilutions of the OPE mixture resulted in higher oxidative stress and disrupted lysosome and lipid homeostasis in THP-1 and primary macrophages. We further observed that phagocytosis of apoptotic cells in THP-1 and primary macrophages was lower in OPEexposed cells vs. controls. In THP-1 macrophages, phagocytosis of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was also lower in OPE-exposed cells vs. controls. Additionally, the OPE mixture altered the expression of phagocytic receptors linked to the recognition of phosphatidylserine and pathogen-associated molecular patterns. DISCUSSION: The results of this in vitro study suggested that exposure to an environmentally relevant mixture of OPEs resulted in higher lipid retention in macrophages and poor efferocytic response. These effects could translate to enhanced foam cell generation resulting in higher cardiovascular mortality. Furthermore, bacterial phagocytosis was lower in OPE-exposed macrophages in an in vitro setting, which may indicate the potential for reduced bacterial clearance in models of infections. Taken together, our data provide strong evidence that mixtures of OPEs can influence the biology of macrophages and offer new mechanistic insights into the impact of OPE mixtures on the immune system. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13869, Introduction Manufacturers use organophosphate esters (OPEs), the most prominent class of flame retardants,in consumer and commercial products to prevent or reduce the spread of fire. (1,2) The use of OPEs [...]

This research investigates how a price promotion on a fast-moving consumer good influences the sales of substitute products in a retail shelf or online display. An analysis of supermarket yogurt data finds that when nonpromoted products are strong substitutes for the promoted product, a 1% decrease in the price of the promoted product results in a.25% decrease in the sales of proximal products but no change in the sales of distal products—a negative promotion-proximity effect. However, when nonpromoted products are weak substitutes for the promoted product, a 1% decrease in the price of the promoted product results in a.10% increase in the sales of proximal products but no change in sales for distal products—a positive promotion-proximity effect. Subsequent studies show that these effects occur because a proximal strong substitute is more likely to enter a consideration set with the promoted product (negative promotion-proximity effect) and a proximal weak substitute is more likely to be seen and considered by a consumer who is not interested in the promoted product (positive promotion-proximity effect). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of decision-making for companies buying transportation services has increased due to the presence of more options and pricing schedules for transportation. Many companies make transportation and inventory decisions in an uncoordinated way and select only one transportation mode, missing opportunities for logistics cost savings. The experimental study in this paper is based on a real-world decision problem faced by a Scandinavian company that distributes fast-moving consumer goods and wants to determine its transportation strategy. We propose a novel multi-mode lot-sizing model with dynamic deterministic demand to illustrate the cost impact of accurately modelling piecewise-linear transportation costs and allowing a more flexible usage of transportation modes when planning order replenishments. We compare three transportation strategies with increasing degrees of flexibility: two single mode strategies, where one strategy is more flexible than the other, and a multi-mode strategy. We conclude that managers can significantly reduce costs by increasing the flexibility of mode selection in transportation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work on the material culture of the eighteenth century has shown that light was more than a metaphor. The everyday social practise of the Enlightenment reposed on a contrast between light and dark. There was a growing emphasis on brightness in clothing and furnishings, and elite homes, social venues, fashionable shops, and even the main streets were more brightly lit. Fireworks displays became more frequent and more spectacular. Furthermore, in many Enlightenment practices, such as theater, Freemason lodges, salons, and coffeehouses, light was not simply a practical necessity, but was central to the meaning of the activity. However, this growing use of light (and of heating in the colder months) came with a dark side, for it greatly increased the risk of fire. It led to many blazes, especially in theaters but also in other public venues and in private homes. Fireworks caused explosions and dangerous fires. The danger was further increased by some of the consumer goods that accompanied elite social practices, including tallow and oils, furnishings, clothing, and sugar. They were all flammable, and many of them were dangerous to manufacture and to store. The material culture and sociability of Enlightenment thus created new fire risks, particularly in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting the response of complex fluids to different flow conditions has been the focal point of rheology and is generally done via constitutive relations. There are, nonetheless, scenarios in which not much is known from the material mathematically, while data collection from samples is elusive, resource-intensive, or both. In such cases, meta-modeling of observables using a parametric surrogate model called multi-fidelity neural networks (MFNNs) may obviate the constitutive equation development step by leveraging only a handful of high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) data collected from experiments (or high-resolution simulations) and an abundance of low-fidelity (Lo-Fi) data generated synthetically to compensate for Hi-Fi data scarcity. To this end, MFNNs are employed to meta-model the material responses of a thermo-viscoelastic (TVE) fluid, consumer product Johnson's® Baby Shampoo, under four flow protocols: steady shear, step growth, oscillatory, and small/large amplitude oscillatory shear (S/LAOS). In addition, the time–temperature superposition (TTS) of the material response and MFNN predictions are explored. By applying simple linear regression (without induction of any constitutive equation) on log-spaced Hi-Fi data, a series of Lo-Fi data were generated and found sufficient to obtain accurate material response recovery in terms of either interpolation or extrapolation for all flow protocols except for S/LAOS. This insufficiency is resolved by informing the MFNN platform with a linear constitutive model (Maxwell viscoelastic) resulting in simultaneous interpolation and extrapolation capabilities in S/LAOS material response recovery. The roles of data volume, flow type, and deformation range are discussed in detail, providing a practical pathway to multifidelity meta-modeling of different complex fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the pattern and degree of marketisation in the DPRK by drawing on sources from within that society. In doing so it creates a point of departure from most conventional analyses of the DPRK economy, which prioritise defector accounts. The conventional view, informed by these accounts, is that jangmadang (quasi-free markets) have been created by ordinary people to meet their basic needs. In this view, 'marketisation from below' started when the Public Distribution System broke down due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, upon which the DPRK economy had depended. It is also claimed that as the economy has failed to recover from its prolonged crisis, the State has become dependent upon these markets. However, a careful review of materials produced inside the DPRK indicates that marketisation started 'from above' in the early 1980s, with Kim Il Sung's directives to assuage the chronic shortages of consumer goods. As such, this article contends that marketisation in the DPRK began and has proceeded in accordance with the State's control and influence. The country's complete closure of its borders to prevent COVID-19 in the early 2020s confirmed that markets play only a limited role in DPRK society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to test the relationship and impact between the counterfeit products via the Internet and behavior of the Iraqi consumer, as the Iraqi market suffers from the spread and increase of counterfeit products. The study is different in that it dealt with the aspect of trading counterfeit products via the Internet and during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, which witnessed an increase in the demand for purchasing products via the Internet during the period of the pandemic. The study was based on the electronic questionnaire as a data collection tool. The data of (469) individuals were randomly selected from users of consumer goods (electrical appliances) in the Iraqi environment. The data collection period lasted from 11-12-2021 until 1-2-2022. The analytical approach was adopted. Descriptive In analyzing the answers of the sample, the results of the research showed that the Internet and social networking sites have contributed to the spread of counterfeit products during the pandemic period. The study also showed that the behavior of the Iraqi consumer towards these products is viewed as a suitable, low-cost alternative ready to buy them as long as they serve the required purpose and do not cause harm. What has helped the spread of counterfeit products in the Iraqi market is the weakness of government control, and websites and social networks have contributed to its expansion, especially during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory of consumption values (TCV) as marketing theory provides insights related to consumer consumption behavior through consumption values. This study reviews the last 30 years' literature (120 articles) from 1991 to 2022 through content analysis and bibliometrics citation analysis. Additionally, the seven research streams are identified in the literature: (1) TCV and consumer behavior toward digital consumer products and services, (2) TCV and consumer behavior toward brands, (3) TCV and consumer behavior toward information technology, (4) TCV and consumer behavior towards green products and sustainable development, (5) TCV and consumer behavior towards tourism and hospitality industry, (6) TCV and consumer behavior towards durable and non-durable goods, and (7) TCV and consumer behavior toward educational industry. This review presents the taxonomy of TCV in marketing research, influential aspects of literature, and future research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines successful and intensive free-trade policies in Estonia and Latvia, which exist despite the low-levels of domestic welfare in these countries. In contrast to the conventional elite-centric approach, this study uses a survey experiment to explore rationales for positive public opinion toward free trade policy. The results reveal that an individual exposed to the stimulus of a strategic security issue or consumer consideration tends to support free trade. These effects are evident among Latvians and highly-educated Estonians. Furthermore, the favorable international environment enhances the positive public opinion of free trade in Estonia and Latvia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Digitalization and automation represent potential sources of disruption to the organization and practice of research and development (R&D). Digitalization has the potential to revolutionize future R&D, as digitalized R&D may improve efficiency and minimize risk thus reducing cycle and development times. However, companies expect organizational challenges in their R&D organization when they start to implement and work with digital technologies. Through an in‐depth case analysis, we investigate these organizational challenges at Unilever, one of the world's leading fast‐moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies. Three challenges were identified: (1) managerial challenges; (2) behavioral challenges; and (3) digital technology skills challenges. Based on the identified challenges within the context of digitalizing an R&D center, our study provides some practical advice to R&D managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeMethodology/approachFindingsResearch implicationsPractical implicationsOriginality/value/contributionAlthough economists and strategy theorists have extensively researched market entry barriers in the Western industrial market and post-entry barriers in the e-commerce market, few studies have focused on entry barriers in the context of the unique challenges in China’s business landscape. In this study, a survey was conducted with 139 Chinese marketing executives of consumer goods e-commerce firms to elucidate the dimensions and relative importance of market entry barriers in China. Specifically, this study aims to explore the barriers to entry that exist in the Chinese consumer goods e-commerce market, determine their importance, and identify potential dimensions through factor analysis.This study employed an in-depth interview with nine marketing executives from China consumer goods e-commerce firms, and the instrument was revised accordingly. Then questionnaire adopted a simple random sampling method to select 300 enterprises as survey respondents. In total, 195 firms completed and returned the questionnaires by the deadline, resulting in 139 valid responses being collected.This study explores 33 entry barriers and reveals seven dimensions of China’s consumer goods e-commerce market, highlighting incumbents with an absolute cost advantage barrier as the most significant barrier, and the cost of establishing a branch office as the least significant barrier, as perceived by Chinese business executives.Extant literature has mostly confirmed the value and practical significance of market entry barriers in Western markets or industrial markets. However, there are few studies on entry barriers in China’s e-commerce market, particularly in the consumer goods e-commerce market. Our research attempts to provide a theoretical basis for China’s consumer goods e-commerce market entry barriers.Studying market entry barriers can help firms better adapt to market changes, optimize their operational modes according to market demands and norms, and enhance their competitiveness. The exploration of this research could be utilized by e-commerce businesses to become more successful or avoid failure.This study complements the existing research on market entry barriers in China and the West. It complements barriers to entry into the consumer e-commerce market based on the Chinese economic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-phthalate plasticizers are being increasingly used in commercial and consumer products, to replace phthalates. Among major non-phthalate plasticizer groups, we chose five alternative plasticizers of DEHA, DINCH, DEHTP, ATBC, and TOTM, and conducted a systematic literature review for current knowledge on their use and occurrences in major sources, and their exposure and endocrine outcomes in humans. Relevant articles published between January 2000 and December 2022 were identified from PubMed and Scopus search and analyzed. For occurrence, biomonitoring, and endocrine-related outcomes, 79, 73, and 14 studies were finally identified, respectively. The alternative plasticizers were widely used in food packaging, children's products, hygiene products, medical devices, and construction materials, and frequently detected in indoor dust. Food packaging materials and children's products were major sources of direct exposure to humans. Human exposure to alternative plasticizers is reported mostly via biomonitoring of urine. Urinary levels of DEHTP and DINCH metabolites were higher among infants, children, and pregnant women than in general adults. In humans, DEHTP, DINCH, or ATBC exposure were associated with sex hormone disruption and reproductive outcomes, but these associations varied by sex and age. This review showed that the use of and exposure to these alternative plasticizers have increased over time. Their potential health implications, especially among susceptible humans, warrant greater attention and further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In 2021-2022, a decade's worth of disruptions battered material supply chains, establishing them as a permanent factor. COVID-19 caused labour shortages, rising fertiliser costs altered farming, Europe faced energy crises, USA-China tensions grew, and the Ukraine-Russia war escalated. Extreme weather and policy shifts worsened global supply chains, leading to bare shelves and crippled businesses. Just-in-time delivery failed, and traditional supply chains no longer ensure business continuity. This article aims to prove the inefficiencies of traditional supply chains and offer an approach to creating an end-to-end model with better visibility, service, and cost control for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) manufacturing plants. During the research phase, 12 European Pet food production plants were visited, analysing their supply chains via People/Systems/Process lenses. Risks, synchronisation needs, system requirements and training gaps were identified. Preliminary research findings are presented in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maximization-well-being relationship has been extensively studied at the person level, but rarely at the day level. Based on an event reconstruction method, daily data from 200 South Korean adults across 14 days were obtained to examine associations between maximization dimensions (i.e. maximization goal and strategy) and well-being, and the moderating effects of choice domains and characteristics. Results of multilevel analyses indicated that at the day level, maximization goal was significantly associated with well-being, while maximization strategy was not. Choice domain moderated the relationship between maximization goal and well-being; significant positive associations were shown in time use and life decisions but not in consumer goods. Finally, choice irreversibility was the only significant moderator among choice characteristics; it strengthened the positive association between maximization goal and well-being and weakened the negative association between maximization strategy and well-being. Theoretical implications, study limitations and future directions for research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outsourcing manufacturing to a contract manufacturer is a growing practice that has gained global prominence since the turn of the century. This business practice is common in pharmaceutical and electronics industries, and has now also become common practice in consumer product supply chains. This practice has many challenges; in most cases it does not achieve its intended objectives, with a number of contract manufacturing companies (CMCs) in South Africa going out of business. Research and the literature on contract manufacturing is predominantly focused on the aspects of contract manufacturing and its role and impact in the supply chain. However, there are very few, if any, scholarly articles on the factors that make CMCs in the consumer products supply chain in South Africa succeed and become sustainable businesses and strategic partners to their brand owner customers. This study aimed to fill this gap by identifying, through empirical research of experts in contract manufacturing, the factors that are critical for contract manufacturers to succeed and to be sustainable businesses that can contribute to the success of their clients. Several critical success factors were identified using a Delphi survey of experts who had experience working with CMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Using eye tracking technology, this study sought to determine if differences in hazard statement (HS) compliance based on design elements are attributable to attention maintenance (AM). Background: Recent empirical work has demonstrated counter-intuitive findings for HS designs embedded in procedures. Specifically, prevalent HS designs in procedures were associated with lower compliance. Method: The current study utilized eye tracking technology to determine whether participants are attending to HSs differently based on the inclusion or absence of visually distinct HS design elements typically used for consumer products. We used two different designs that previously yielded the largest gap in HS compliance. In a fully-crossed design, 33 participants completed four rounds of tasks using four procedures with embedded HSs. To assess AM, eye tracking was used to measure gaze and fixation duration. Results: The results indicated there are differences in AM between the two designs. The HSs that included elements traditionally considered effective in the consumer products literature elicited lower fixation duration times, and were associated with lower compliance. However, AM did not mediate the design effect on compliance. Conclusions: The study results suggest the design of HSs are impacting individuals as early as the AM stage of the C-HIP model. The absence of HS design-AM-compliance mediation suggests other C-HIP elements more directly explain the HS design-compliance effects. Application: These results provide more evidence that the communication of Health, Environment, and Safety information in procedures may need to be different from those on consumer products, suggesting design efficacy may be task dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoropolymers, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), have unique properties, which enable versatile applications in industry and make them useful for various consumer products. However, it is known that these polymers may degrade over time and form small particles with possible implications for the environment and health. Building on previous reports for the detection of fluorine (F) via inductively coupled plasma-tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) using a barium-based plasma modifier, this study presents a design of experiments approach (DoE), which optimised plasma parameters, ion optics, mass filtering and collision/reaction cell conditions systematically. The resulting method was capable to detect micro-scaled PTFE particles and to determine number concentrations as well as size distributions. Validation was carried out in two steps: first, micro-scaled PTFE standards were characterised via microscopy and Raman spectroscopy and second, carbon-selective single particle (SP) ICP-MS was employed to corroborate results obtained via the F-selective method. The developed F-selective method has a high utility to characterise the degradation of bulk PTFE into microplastics, which was demonstrated in a proof-of-concept. Here, bulk PTFE material was stirred in simulated seawater under UV-light illumination for 6 days. After this incubation period, a microplastic number concentration of 2.35 × 105 F-based particles per gram immersed bulk PTFE was detected. PTFE particles had a mean mass and size of 28 pg and 2.7 mm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I introduce the concept of “transcosmogenerationality” to emphasize the sustained and dynamic significance of Ancestral relationalities to particular Indigenous modernities. I draw on the case of certain Akha communities in Southeast Asia and southwest China who are channeling wealth from booms in cash crops, such as coffee, rubber, and tea, into the “ritual economy” bridging the parallel and mutually dependent worlds of Ancestors and descendants. These communities are further channeling their wealth into local and transregional efforts to sustain and vitalize their Ancestral Ways and cultivate a pan‐Akha identitarian movement. Their motivations are to ensure their Ancestors remain always living and thus close to and of moral significance for the living living, sustain their and their descendants' receipt of Ancestral geeqlanq or vital life‐giving energy, redistribute wealth, and promote the status of their families and clans. I emphasize that growing wealth and access to consumer goods among Akha has led not to the decline, but rather, an intensification of Ancestral relationalities, which they view as the very source of this wealth. I further argue that Akha rites of transcosmogenerational commensality are especially concrete and revealing of the co‐presence and conviviality between and among Ancestors, Elders, and descendants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non-linear integer programming formulation is developed to solve a production scheduling problem at an industrial consumer goods producer. Its production runs are assigned to pre-set time slots economically sized for long setups and changeovers. The mathematical model applies to a mix of backlogged, or not, sales orders involving multi-product, multi-stage production with finite capacity, material, and storage constraints. It aims at maximizing various strategic objectives (direct margin, resource utilization, and customer service) over rolling workday horizons. Real-life scheduling problems are solved to illustrate the efficiency and applicability of the proposed optimization framework. The results indicate that minimizing stockouts over a 40-workday period during peak season leads to absolute two-digit service level improvements compared to man-made schedules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Africa Spectrum is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

United States healthcare outcomes, including avoidable mortality rates, are among the worst of high-income countries despite the highest healthcare spending per capita. While community pharmacies contribute to chronic disease management and preventive medicine, they also offer consumer products that increase mortality risks and the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and depression. To resolve these contradictions, our perspective article describes opportunities for major pharmacy chains (e.g., CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens) to introduce digital health aisles dedicated to prescription and over-the-counter digital therapeutics (DTx), together with mobile apps and wearables that support disease self-management, wellness, and well-being. We provide an evidence-based rationale for digital health aisles to replace spaces devoted to sugar-sweetened beverages and other unhealthy commodities (alcohol, tobacco) that may increase risks for premature death. We discuss how digital health aisles can serve as marketing and patient education resources, informing customers about commercially available DTx and other technologies that support healthy lifestyles. Since pharmacy practice requires symbiotic balancing between profit margins and patient-centered, value-based care, replacing health-harming products with health-promoting technologies could positively impact prevention of chronic diseases, as well as the physical and mental health of patients and caregivers who visit neighborhood pharmacies in order to pick up medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates how corporate reputation communications, specifically, those that focus on corporate ability (CA) versus corporate social responsibility (CSR), impact consumer evaluations of flagship products and non‐flagship products. Across five studies utilizing different research methods (survey, eye‐tracking, and experiments), we demonstrate an asymmetric effect of corporate reputation communication on product evaluations, dependent on the product's flagship status in its company's product portfolio (i.e., all products owned and marketed by a company). Specifically, while CSR is more conducive to consumer evaluations of flagship products, CA is more beneficial for evaluations of non‐flagship products. Such effects are more prominent when consumers lack detailed product attribute information. Given the strategic importance of flagship products to a company, this work adds to the emerging body of research on CSR communication by highlighting its advantage in bolstering consumer evaluations of flagship products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the span of three generations, Vietnam's capital Hanoi, has transformed from a modest city grappling with food scarcity during the socialist subsidy era to a sprawling metropolis marked by gated communities and a widening wealth divide. Employing a child‐centric, multi‐generational family methodology, with members of 13 families across three generations, we explore the diverse childhood experiences shaped by these rapid urban transformations. Grandparents shared stories of unrestricted outdoor play despite challenging conditions, while parents noted a lack of academic pressures in their youth. Contemporary children enjoy access to new technology and consumer goods, but face important mobility restrictions due to parental and societal concerns. Our findings reveal that the Vietnamese context engendered distinctive childhood reflections for the two older generations, contrasting with childhoods in non‐socialist contexts during the same periods. Meanwhile, the contemporary Vietnamese state has crafted a 'social evils' discourse that shapes current childhood opportunities in specific ways. By being centered on urban Vietnam—a context vastly different from Global North‐dominated narratives in childhood studies—our study acts as a counterpoint that enriches the field with perspectives from a politically‐socialist state. Focusing on the unique childhood experiences within Hanoi's evolving socio‐spatial landscape, we advocate for more diverse understandings of childhood that respect varied realities across contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The late early modern period witnessed critical consumer transitions across Europe. Yet, while the explosion of the material world and the transition from an 'old luxury' material culture to a 'new luxury' model is well documented, our understanding of the underlying value systems of consumer goods is still under‐developed. Building on a database of eighteenth‐century advertisements for household auctions in the London‐based Daily Advertiser, this article maps the value systems that characterized elite secondary markets in London. We find the language of consumption growing in complexity and sophistication as the eighteenth century progressed, but historiographically, key concepts such as fashion and modernity played minor and sometimes unexpected roles. While silverware is traditionally perceived as a store of wealth and marker of status, and hence a textbook 'old luxury', in the auction advertisements it is often praised for its design value. Chinaware, often attributed a central role in forging an affordable yet fashion‐sensitive 'new luxury model', is paradoxically valued for its age and patina. In fact, the boundaries between 'new' and 'old' luxuries were never clear‐cut. The intrinsic value of material culture continued to matter, and the language of consumption continued to reproduce social inequalities, much as it did in previous centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What accounts for the common perception that women have contributed little to advances in entrepreneurship and innovation in Britain during the early industrial era? This paper empirically examines the role of gender diversity in inventive activity during the first and second industrial revolutions. The analysis of systematic data on patents and unpatentable innovations uniquely enables an evaluation of women's creativity within both the market and nonmarket sectors. British women inventors were significantly more likely than men to focus on unpatentable innovations in consumer final goods and design‐oriented products that spanned art and technology, and on uncommercialized improvements within the household. Conventional approaches that fail to account for nonmarket activity and for such incremental changes in consumer goods and design innovations therefore significantly underestimate women's contributions to household welfare and overall economic progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether the 'democratization' of consumption during the early modern period was specifically a characteristic of the European economic shift or observable in other parts of the world remains a central question in understanding the early roots of consumerism, as well as explaining pre‐industrial growth and divergence. However, the scarcity of quantitative evidence from the non‐Western world limits our ability to make comparisons and grasp the nature of changes that occurred in the material environment. Based on a sample of 380 probate inventories from the Ottoman town of Üsküdar, this paper examines the change in possession of domestic goods from 1700 to 1850. It reveals that, from the 1760s onwards, ordinary Ottomans in the town, who were neither wealthier nor better positioned in the social hierarchy compared with their ancestors in 1700, owned a greater quantity and variety of domestic goods. As a result, they enjoyed richer and more elaborate domestic interiors. The findings strongly suggest that democratization of consumer goods, a hallmark of the early modern consumer revolutions in Europe, was experienced in the Ottoman town of Üsküdar during the second half of the eighteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of advancing social modernization, the projected shortfall in the demand for renewable aromatic hydrocarbons is expected to widen, influenced by industries like high-end materials, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. Sustainable methods for aromatic production from alternative sources, particularly the methanol-to-aromatics (MTA) process using zeolite ZSM-5 and associated with the "methanol economy", have garnered widespread attention. To facilitate this transition, our project consolidates conventional strategies that impact aromatics selectivity—such as using hierarchical zeolites, metallic promoters, or altering zeolite physicochemical properties—into a unified study. Our findings demonstrate the beneficial impact of elongated crystal size and heightened zeolite hierarchy on preferential aromatics selectivity, albeit through distinct mechanisms involving the consumption of shorter olefins. While metallic promoters enhance MTA performance, crystal size, and hierarchy remain pivotal in achieving the maximized aromatics selectivity. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of achieving superior aromatics selectivity through physicochemical modifications in zeolite ZSM-5 during MTA catalysis, thereby advancing the field's comprehension of structure–reactivity relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Contamination of everyday goods with heavy metals such as nickel, cadmium, and lead known to be hazardous to the health of customers is an ongoing problem. Method: Here, a mass spectrometric screening method based on reactive desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) is presented for the analysis of metals in consumer goods such as jewelry, tableware, and paintings. The method detects oxidized species of lead, nickel, cadmium, copper, and iron from the surface of objects without sample preparation. Positively charged metal ions form singly and doubly negatively charged complexes with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid added to the DESI solvent, which are analyzed by a mass spectrometer. Results: Qualitative and quantitative performance of the method was elucidated with metal salt standards. Subsequently, authentic samples were analyzed qualitatively. Reactive DESI‐MS was able to detect lead and cadmium in eight out of nine consumer goods. For tableware, these heavy metals were found to be localized in the print as determined by reactive DESI imaging. In addition, mockup paintings generated from modern and historical pigments of Pb, Cu, Cd, and Fe in various media (acrylic binder, egg tempera, and linseed oil) were measured to show the suitability of the method for art authentication and conservation. Conclusion: The developed method expands the range of analytes accessible by DESI‐MS to metal ions. Hence, DESI becomes a suitable ionization technique for an increasing number of analyte classes, which are of interest in chemical screening of consumer goods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The L-PBF process belongs to the most modern methods of manufacturing complex-shaped parts. It is used especially in the automotive, aviation industries, and in the consumer products industry as well. Numerical simulation in the powder sintering process is a means of optimizing time efficiency, accuracy and predicting future errors. It is one of the means to optimize the L-PBF process, which makes it possible to investigate the influence of individual parameters on additive manufacturing. This research makes it possible to predict the correct orientation of a part based on selected criteria, which are assigned a weighting factor in the form of parameters with which the simulation software Simufact Additive can work. Based on these, three possible orientations of the part were analysed with respect to the area of the supporting material, the volume of the supporting material, the number of voxels, and the building risk. Finally, the results of a simulation and the results of the tensile test were compared. From the results of the static tensile test, as well as from the results of the numerical simulation, it was found that better characteristics were achieved for the orientation of part no. 1 compared to orientation of part No. 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before the advent of cheap, mass-produced (and largely cotton) textiles during the classic period of the Industrial Revolution (late eighteenth to mid-nineteenth centuries), clothing was relatively expensive and, because of the care it received, remarkably durable. Textiles often represented a substantial portion of the total assets held by early modern households. Drawing on over 900 after-death inventories of poor and lower middling Amsterdam burgher families registered by the Municipal Orphanage between 1740 and 1782, this article examines the role played by textiles as a "store of value." The retention of clothing designated as "old," "very old," or "old and poor" reveals understandings of the worth of possessions. Indeed, textile goods were for many poor households their main store of wealth, comprising a significant portion of their accumulated assets over a lifetime. Textile goods were also a key access point to new kinds of consumption (new fabrics sometimes from exotic locations and made up in new styles) despite the relative poverty of the population leaving children to the Municipal Orphanage, suggesting that such items also carried important symbolic value not easily captured by their financial value alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alloying seriously deteriorates the thermal conductivity of magnesium (Mg) alloys, thus, restricts their applications in the fields of computer, communication, and consumer products. In order to improve the thermal conductivity of Mg alloys, adding carbon nanotube (CNT) combined with aging treatment is proposed in this work, i.e. fabricating the D-CNT (a kind of dispersed CNT) reinforced ZK61 matrix composite via powder metallurgy, and conducting aging treatment to the composite. Results indicate the as-aged ZK61/0.6 wt.% D-CNT composite achieved an excellent thermal conductivity of 166 W/(mK), exhibiting 52.3% enhancement in comparison with matrix, as well as tensile yield strength of 321 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 354 of MPa, and elongation of 14%. The simultaneously enhanced thermal conductivity and mechanical performance are mainly attributed to: (1) the embedded interface of the D-CNT with matrix and (2) the coherent interface of precipitates with matrix. It is expected the current work can provide a clue for devising Mg matrix composites with integrated structural and functional performances, and enlarge the current restricted applications of Mg alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative economic growth is not only based on the development of technologies that ensure the growth of aggregate supply. This type of growth is impossible without constant innovation in consumer goods that drive growth in aggregate demand. At the same time, in modern economic theory, the attention of researchers focuses mainly on the development of engineering and technology and the role of innovation in the field of consumer goods has not been studied separately from technical and technological innovations. The article analyzes the special roles of production innovations and consumer innovations in economic growth. A methodology developed by the author is presented for measuring the technological level of consumption, as well as for comparing the production technological level and the consumption technological level in the national economy. Based on statistical data, technological levels of production and consumption were calculated for the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, and Kazakhstan. The results of analysis of the dynamics of the production and consumption technological levels are presented. The level of correspondence between the technological capabilities of production and consumption within the national economies of the countries under consideration is evaluated. Such an analysis allows us to anticipate possible threats to the development of countries occupying a catching-up position in innovative development, as well as to anticipate the danger of a slowdown in economic growth for countries that are leaders in innovative development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A decrease in sport-related injuries was observed in 2020, which has been attributed to COVID-19 and recommendations to suspend organized sports. In adult populations, increased injury rates have been noted in athletes returning to play after an extended period of reduced play, attributable to deconditioning. There is growing literature surrounding concern over increased injury risk after return to sport after the COVID-19 shutdowns. Hypothesis: Like adults, pediatric patients experience an increase in sport-related injuries after periods of "deconditioning," such as during the COVID-19 shutdown. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: The Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was queried to identify 13- to 18-year-old patients who sustained a sprain/strain type injury in 2019 or 2021 to an extremity, and involved sporting equipment for basketball, baseball/softball, soccer, and football. The control group was established as patients who sustained injury in 2019, and the post-COVID-19 group was established as those in 2021. Quantity of injuries sustained in these 2 groups were compared and analyzed by subgroup. Results: There was a significant difference in the total number of sport-related sprains/strains in 2019 versus 2021 (P = 0.01), with more injuries in 2019 (n = 151,067) than in 2021 (n = 104,041). There were more injuries in boys than in girls. Proportion of injuries by sports were similar in both time periods. There was a significant decrease in basketball-related injuries by 21% (P ≤ 0.01, relative risk ratio [rrr] = 0.7979) and a significant increase in football-related injuries by 14% (P = 0.01, rrr = 1.1404) and in soccer injuries by 14.2% (P = 0.03, rrr = 1.1422). Conclusion: There is significant heterogeneity in injury rates by sports, with no conclusive increase in injuries, contrary to expectations. Clinical Relevance: This study suggests that the relationship between deconditioning and injury may be less clear in the child-athlete, and gives recommendations for return to sport after extended breaks. Strength-of-Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT): Level 2c. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managers' attention to different risk factors conveys important information to investors. This paper examines the association between managers' risk attention allocation schemes and the performance of firms across different sectors. We innovatively use the text mining approach to measure the differentiation and decentralization of risk attention from textual risk disclosures reported in 65,878 10-K statements. The results show significant sector heterogeneity in managers' attention to different risk topics. For the consumer goods sector, managers with differentiated and decentralized topics can improve the company's profitability and solvency. In contrast, managers in the financial and healthcare sectors need to maintain topic attention concentration. In addition, we find that managers' attention to product approval, system security, and business impact has gradually increased over time to adapt to the internet economic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the concept of mass customization and its current status. It discusses the challenges faced by mass customization in the past and how new technologies, such as the internet, have helped overcome these obstacles. However, the article also acknowledges that mass customization has not scaled in many consumer markets due to resistance from established companies, a lack of real consumer demand, and difficulties in innovating business models. The article explores different types of customization and the role of influencers and distributed manufacturing in changing the landscape of mass customization. It also discusses the potential impact of mass customization on various industries, highlighting the use of AI, generative algorithms, flexible manufacturing, 3D printing, and smart products. The authors emphasize the need for companies to develop organizational capabilities to effectively implement mass customization. Overall, the article suggests that mass customization has the potential to bring together diverse communities and drive innovation and growth. [Extracted from the article]

Worldwide, counterfeit, illicit, and untaxed alcoholic spirits are responsible for problems with economy, labor, and public health. Estimations of counterfeit spirits range from 25% to 40% of total alcoholic spirits consumed globally. Including knock-on effects, these products cost the EU alone 23,400 lost jobs and at least €3B in lost revenue per year. Annually there is at least €1.2B in lost government revenue. Counterfeit products decrease legitimate sales, both by replacement sales, and by the erosion of consumer product trust and satisfaction of legitimate goods and decrease legitimate manufacturing jobs. We review the worldwide problem, scope, and scale of the spirits counterfeiting problem including specific health issues, and the international plight of reduced labor available resulting directly from production and sale of counterfeited liquor. In addition, we review a wide range of methods and technologies to analytically detect chemically adulterated or substituted products that have been published and group technologies into 4 functional areas highlighting economy, generality, and utility. Approaches to prevention are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigates whether a firm that has experienced an environmental accident (EA) is less likely to conduct a product recall. If true, it would indicate that EAs tempt firms to hide operational problems that need to be revealed. The logic is that both events are operational failures that damage a firm's reputation and share price. Following an EA, a firm may avoid a discretionary product recall to avoid providing additional evidence of operational incapability and social irresponsibility and thereby triggering amplified reputational and market penalties. Design/methodology/approach: The dataset is compiled from several public and private sources and includes 4,355 product recalls, 153 EAs and 120 firms from the industries that often recall products, including automotive, pharma, medical device, food and consumer products. The study timeframe is 2002–2013. Empirical models are evaluated using hazard modeling. Findings: Results show that EAs reduce the probability of a product recall by 32%, on average. Effect sizes are larger when accidents are more frequent or more severe and when recalls are less severe. Through post hoc analyses, the study finds support for the proposed mechanism that firms avoid recalls due to reputational concerns, provides evidence that EAs can have a lengthy impact on recall behavior, and shows that firms are more likely to avoid recalls managed by the CPSC and NHTSA than recalls managed by the FDA. Originality/value: Prior studies in operations management (OM) have not examined the impact of one negative event on another. This study finds that EAs tempt firms to hide operational problems that need to be revealed. While recalling fewer defective products is of concern to consumers and regulators, should EAs influence a broader set of discretionary operational decisions, such as closing/relocating a production facility, outsourcing production or conducting a layoff, study implications increase significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the effects of sharia governance on financial performance mediated by leverage. This study employs a quantitative methodology. The participants in this study obtained from Indonesia Exchange using 81 companies in the Primary Goods Consumer Sector. Purposive sampling was used, and there were 26 companies as the sample. The data analysis used SPSS and path analysis, with 78 observations from 2020-2022. The findings of this study indicate that Sharia governance does not have a significant effect on financial performance. However, sharia governance has a significant effect on leverage. Leverage also has a significant effect on financial performance. Leverage can mediate the link between Sharia governance and financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UWB has been in existence for several years, but it was only a few years ago that it transitioned from a specialized niche to more mainstream applications. Recent market data indicate a rapid increase in the popularity of UWB in consumer products, such as smartphones and smart home devices, as well as automotive and industrial real-time location systems. The challenge of achieving accurate positioning in indoor environments arises from various factors such as distance, location, beacon density, dynamic surroundings, and the density and type of obstacles. This research used MFi-certified UWB beacon chipsets and integrated them with a mobile application dedicated to iOS by implementing the near interaction accessory protocol. The analysis covers both static and dynamic cases. Thanks to the acquisition of measurements, two main candidates for indoor localization infrastructure were analyzed and compared in terms of accuracy, namely UWB and LIDAR, with the latter used as a reference system. The problem of achieving accurate positioning in various applications and environments was analyzed, and future solutions were proposed. The results show that the achieved accuracy is sufficient for tracking individuals and may serve as guidelines for achievable accuracy or may provide a basis for further research into a complex sensor fusion-based navigation system. This research provides several findings. Firstly, in dynamic conditions, LIDAR measurements showed higher accuracy than UWB beacons. Secondly, integrating data from multiple sensors could enhance localization accuracy in non-line-of-sight scenarios. Lastly, advancements in UWB technology may expand the availability of competitive hardware, facilitating a thorough evaluation of its accuracy and effectiveness in practical systems. These insights may be particularly useful in designing navigation systems for blind individuals in buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the spatial variation in variety of manufactured consumer goods to study how choice fades across space. We use data on 132 consumer goods and over 800 brands available from a purpose‐designed survey of fixed shops and periodic market stalls in towns and villages in Ethiopia. We find that local consumer choice fades, with fewer varieties in remoter villages. On average, these villages have approximately half the number of available items compared to their nearest market town. A fall in travel time of a half‐hour is associated with 4 extra goods and 9 brands. Variety also increases with inequality and market size. Furthermore, we estimate a model of heterogeneous consumers with a preference for variety and monopolistically competitive traders to disentangle the role of transport costs from the taste for variety, and to assess the consequences for prices. Our model estimates suggest that local consumer prices contain a markup of 8% above source town prices and transport costs. We demonstrate the significant costs to consumers from both low variety and high trade costs. Ignoring such costs means that poverty is underestimated in remote places. In turn, when infrastructure investments raise variety, the likely fall in poverty will be underestimated too. This paper is part of the Economica 100 Series. Economica, the LSE "house journal" is now 100 years old. To commemorate this achievement, we are publishing 100 papers by former students, as well as current and former faculty. Andualem Mengistu is a researcher at the IGC, LSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public procurement contracts (PPCs) of goods, services, and works are about one-tenth of the global gross domestic product. Much research has been conducted on government spending and its aggregate effects, but the evidence is scarce at the micro-level. We exploit sealed-bid PPC auctions of construction works, discontinuity in bidders' win margin, and firms' daily employment variation to provide a causal estimate of winning a PPC on firms' employment. Winning a PPC has a small positive impact on a firm's short-run employment. We investigate mechanisms and heterogeneity that can explain the small initial magnitudes. We find no compelling evidence in favor of political connections, an information leakage channel, or PPC size as explanations for the small magnitude. Our investigation of a longer period shows that the impact phases out in less than a year. The lack of a long-term impact is due to runners-up winning more PPCs and runners-up substituting for more market revenue in the year after closely losing a PPC. Finally, the impacts are concentrated in construction firms that conduct most contracted work in-house. The final estimation shows the effect is 3.7 new employees per PPC with a public cost per job created at €58,600 (€49,800–€65,100). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research aims to examine the factors that influence customers' product return intentions and proposes that YouTube product reviews can mitigate customers' desire to return a product. Design/methodology/approach: The proposed theoretical research model and hypothesized relationship were investigated using a quantitative process. This study used 302 data from Indonesian young adult respondents to examine the structural model, which was analyzed using the SmartPLS 3.2 software package. Findings: The results show that YouTube product reviews, product fit uncertainty and customer satisfaction are the key determinants of customers' product return intention. Furthermore, the results show that the credibility of YouTube product reviews has a major impact on customers' familiarity with a product, satisfaction and the likelihood of returning goods to sellers. Practical implications: In the e-commerce industry, increasing the use of YouTube product reviews will help businesses eliminate unnecessary product returns. Sellers are also encouraged to collaborate with YouTube producers to review specific products, which can benefit companies by raising brand awareness and gaining customer feedback. Furthermore, YouTube online product reviews can help consumers avoid having an unpleasant shopping experience that causes emotional reactions and lowers satisfaction. Originality/value: Most research has not considered antecedents in observing the product return phenomenon; this study observes a prerequisite of consumer product returns (i.e. information asymmetry and product familiarity) and investigates the relationships between YouTube product reviews, customer satisfaction and product return intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]