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This article discusses the author's view on the concepts of competition and antitrust. The author examines the nature of consumer decision making and behavior in relation to foremarket and aftermarket products. In his study, he finds that competitive marketing activities are affected by judicial remedies and outcomes of litigations. He identified various marketing concepts and theories, relevant to the antitrust assessment of aftermarkets. He also presents how the methods of market researchers inform their views of competition and consumers, and how it may be applied to antitrusts.

We propose here a conceptual framework that incorporates a model of individual consumer behaviour into a theory of dynamic market behaviour. We first formalize a set of propositions about consumer behaviour wherein the key concept of an affordance is introduced and conceptual links between product, person and purpose are explicated. These behavioural foundations are then employed in a conceptual framework in which we examine dynamic market behaviour from the point of view of strategic marketing decisions. The framework stresses that exchange relationships between consumers and producers are built out of actions that are adaptive and purposive and that reciprocal influences are created when both buyers and suppliers are guided by their respective considerations of feasibility and desirability. We indicate how many current marketing ideas fit into our framework and we discuss key managerial implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pretest marketing models are increasingly being used by consumer products firms for evaluating new products prior to test market. The reasons for tills are many, but include considerations of cost, risk, and fear of premature competitive disclosure. Allan Shocker and William Hall discuss the concept of a pretest market and assess its value. They contrast and critically evaluate four of the most frequently used models for projecting pretest market results. The strengths and limits of these models complement each other and provide useful additions w available methods for predicting new product performance and for refining marketing plans prior to test marketing. INSET: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on measurement of utilities in conjoint analysis in marketing research citing its implications on the scaling of utilities by several computer programs as discussed in the article "Conjoint Utility Limits as Affected by Conjoint Design and Estimating Program," by Karson and Mullet. Specific errors on different algorithms and numbers made by Karson and Mullet were considered which may lead to misleading answers in market research programs. Evidently, if one needs to compare utilities, one should never compare single values from different attributes, simulations of product preference is recommended in using utilities and permissible rescalings may be necessary to apply conjoint utilities.

One of the problems in developing a composite criterion is the weighting of its multiple components. Pairwise dominance judgments on 20 profiles of managers on six criterion elements served as input data in determining a composite measure of managerial success. American and foreign executives in two management development programs served as judges. The weights were estimated by a new technique using linear programming. An excellent fit of the composite criteria to the pairwise judgments was obtained and high correlations were demonstrated between these criteria and independent ratings of managerial success. Compensation and Expenditure Authorization were the most important criterion elements. Other important elements receiving lesser weights were Level of Supervision, Staff/Line designation, and Career Satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]