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While corporate political activity is increasing, its effects on firms' marketing-relevant outcomes have been largely overlooked in the literature. We propose that corporate lobbying will decrease a firm's emphasis on product safety and, in turn, increase its product recalls. We further propose that the positive indirect effect of corporate lobbying on a firm's product recalls via lower emphasis on product safety will be moderated by the firm's (a) CEO's functional background and (b) focus on radical (vs. incremental) innovation. We provide empirical support for the proposed model using data on 86 U.S. medical device firms from 2005-2018. The findings extend the literature on the effects of non-market forces on firms' marketing-relevant outcomes. They also extend the literature on the antecedents of product recalls, which has, hitherto, overlooked the role of non-market forces. The findings on the moderating roles of the firm's marketing CEO and focus on radical (vs. incremental) innovation generate actionable managerial implications., Author(s): Verdiana Giannetti [sup.1] , Raji Srinivasan [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.9909.9, 0000 0004 1936 8403, Leeds University Business School, Marketing Department, University of Leeds, , Maurice Keyworth Building, Moorland [...]

CONTEXT: The copper IUD is safe and effective, but underutilized in Sub-Saharan Africa, in part because of a lack of trained providers. The World Health Organization recommends training mid-level providers--including nurses and midwives--to insert lUDs; however, the safety of such task shifting has not been evaluated in Sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: Data were drawn from baseline surveys and study charts of 535 sexually active women aged 18-45 who used a copper IUD while participating in an HIV-prevention clinical trial conducted from August 2012 through June 2015 in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. IUDs were inserted by study physicians, nurses and midwives trained as part of the trial, and by local nonstudy providers. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare women's experiences of adverse events--such as irregular bleeding, pelvic pain or device expulsion--by provider type. RESULTS: Half (54%) of women reported experiencing an adverse event; the most common were irregular bleeding and pelvic pain (45% and 25%, respectively). Compared with women who had received an IUD from a study physician or study nurse, greater proportions of women who had received one from a nonstudy provider reported any adverse event (76% vs. 49% and 51%, respectively), irregular bleeding (57% vs. 41% and 45%) and pelvic pain (35% vs. 15% and 32%); the difference between study physicians and nurses was significant only for pelvic pain. Expulsion rates were comparable for study nurses and nonstudy providers (12.3 and 11.9 per 100 woman-years, respectively), but lower for study physicians (7.3 per 100 woman-years). CONCLUSIONS: The findings support task shifting of IUD insertion to mid-level providers to improve IUD access in Sub-Saharan Africa. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2019,45:61-69, doi: https://doi.org/10.1363/45e8019 Contexto: Aunque el DIU de cobre es seguro y efectivo, esta subutilizado en Africa subsahariana, en parte debido a la falta de proveedores de servicios de salud capacitados. La Organization Mundial de la Salud recomienda capacitar a los proveedores de nivel medio -incluidas las enfermeras y porteras- para insertar los DIU; sin embargo, la seguridad de tal cambio de tareas ha sido evaluada en Africa subsahariana. Metodos: Se obtuvieron datos de encuestas de llnea de base y cuadros de un estudio de 535 mujeres sexualmente activas, de 18 a 45 anos, que usaron un DIU de cobre en un ensayo cllnico de prevention del VIH realizado entre agosto de 2012 y junio de 2015 en Malaui, Sudafrica, Uganda y Zimbabue. Los DIU fueron insertados por medicos participantes en el estudio, enfermeras y parteras capacitadas como parte del ensayo, asl como por proveedores de servicios de salud locales no relacionados con el estudio. Las pruebas exactas de Chi-cuadrado y Fisher se usaron para comparar las experiencias de las mujeres con eventos adversos -como sangrado irregular, dolor pelvico o expulsion del dispositivo- por tipo de proveedor. Resultados: La mitad (54%) de las mujeres reportaron haber experimentado algun evento adverso; los eventos mas comunes fueron sangrado irregular y dolor pelvico (45% y 25%, respectivamente). En comparacion con las mujeres que hablan recibido un DIU de un medico o de una enfermera del estudio, una gran parte de las mujeres que lo hablan recibido de un proveedor no relacionado con el estudio reportaron algun tipo de evento adverso (76% vs. 49% y 51%, respectivamente), sangrado irregular (57 % vs. 41% y 45%) y dolor pelvico (35% vs. 15% y 32%); La diferencia entre los medicos y las enfermeras del estudio fue significativa solo para el dolor pelvico. Las tasas de expulsion fueron comparables para las enfermeras del estudio y los proveedores no relacionados con el estudio (12.3 y 11.9 por 100 anos-mujer, respectivamente), pero mas bajas para los medicos del estudio (7.3 por 100 anos-mujer). Conclusiones: Los hallazgos respaldan el cambio de tareas de insercion del DIU a proveedores de nivel medio para mejorar el acceso al DIU en Africa Subsahariana. Contexte: Bien qu'il soit sur et efficace, le DIU au cuivre est sous-utilise en Afrique subsaharienne, faute, en partie, de prestataires formes. L'Organisation mondiale de la Sante recommande la formation de prestataires de niveau intermediaire--personnel infirmier et sages-femmes--pour la pose du DIU. La securite de cette delegation de taches n'a cependant pas ete evaluee en Afrique subsaharienne. Methodes: Les donnees proviennent d'enquetes de base et de graphiques d'etude concernant 535 femmes sexuellement actives agees de 18 a 45 ans qui utilisaient un DIU au cuivre dans le cadre d'un essai clinique de prevention du VIH realise d'aout 2012 a juin 2015 en Afrique du Sud, au Malawi, en Ouganda et au Zimbabwe. Les DIU avaient ete poses par les medecins, infirmieres et sages-femmes de l'etude, formes dans le cadre de l'essai, ainsi que par des prestataires locaux exterieurs a l'etude. Le test chi carre et la methode exacte de Fisher ont servi a comparer l'experience d'effets indesirables--tels que saignements irreguliers, douleurs pelviennes ou expulsion du DIU - vecus par les femmes suivant le type de prestataire. Resultats: La moitie (54%) des femmes ont signale un effet indesirable, les plus courants etant les saignements irreguliers et les douleurs pelviennes (45% et 25%, respectivement). Par rapport aux femmes dont le DIU avait ete pose par un medecin ou une infirmiere de l'etude, de plus grandes proportions de celles qui avaient obtenu leur dispositif d'un prestataire exterieur a l'etude ont signale un effet indesirable quelconque (76% contre 49% et 51%, respectivement), des saignements irreguliers (57% contre 41% et 45%) et des douleurs pelviennes (35% contre 15% et 32%). La difference entre les medecins et le personnel infirmier de l'etude n'est significative que pour les douleurs pelviennes. Les taux d'expulsion sont comparables pour les infirmieres de l'etude et les prestataires exterieurs (12,3 et 11,9 pour 100 femmes-annees, respectivement), mais il est moindre pour les medecins de l'etude (7,3 pour 100 femmes-annees). Conclusions: Les resultats sont favorables a la delegation de la pose du DIU aux prestataires de niveau intermediaire pour ameliorer l'acces au DIU en Afrique subsaharienne., The copper IUD is one of the most effective forms of reversible contraception--with an efficacy rate of 99% in the first year of use. (1) It is a long-term method [...]

We examine the behavior of a finn that produces a product with a privately-observed safety attribute. Costly disclosure and price-signaling of safety are alternative finn strategies. The liability system and production cost determine the finn's full marginal cost. When the finn's full marginal cost is increasing (decreasing) in safety, a firm with a safer product will distort its price upward (downward) and will sometimes inefficiently choose to signal rather than disclose (to disclose rather than signal). We also allow for a small fraction of naively optimistic (pessimistic) consumers; this leads to less price distortion and decreased (increased) incentives to disclose. (JEL: K 13, L 15, D 82)

This article explores the social frameworks guiding expert and nonexpert perspectives on medicines safety in the U.K. Scientific experts from the Committee on the Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Commission were interviewed, and three nonexpert groups, including portents and health professionals, were studied by the administration of questionnaires and focused group discussions. The research examined to what extent these groups subscribed to technocratic or democratic approaches to medicines regulation and how this might be related to values toward technological risk The results reveal that there is substantial divergence between expert and nonexpert perspectives on medicines regulation, and that this derives as much from value differences as from any informational deficits. However, there seems to be some scope for shared values between some experts and some nonexperts, especially as regards state secrecy. The article concludes by discussing how those values could be used to foster a new 'social contract of expertise' in which scientists are more democratically accountable and patients take more responsibility in governing medical risks.

This article presents a simple economic model to assess consumers' valuation of safety features. In particular, we model the benefit from safety as the reduction in the probability of death, and the associated economic value of this reduction. We then apply this theoretical model to investigate market valuation of antilock brakers and airbags via the specification and estimation of a hedonic price equation. Results indicate that consumers behave in a manner consistent with the economic model we develop. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

In September 1991 the Greek Consumer Protection Act No. 1961 was enacted. Chapter 2 of this Act establishes a legal framework for product safety. This framework has the dual aim of securing deregulation in the Greek market while maintaining effective consumer protection. This paper analyses the main features of this framework and demonstrates its inadequacies. It also investigates the extent to which these inadequacies could jeopardise an effective protection of consumers' interests. The paper concludes by emphasising that effective protection of consumers can only be achieved by supporting the general safety requirement with adequate accident-surveillance systems, mechanisms for investigation of risks, unambiguous risk-assessment criteria, creation of a comprehensive set of supporting standards that offer a high level of protection, effective control of the safety of products by the authorities, and real possibilities for consumer organisations to participate in the whole process.

The responsibility of industry to the consumer is to provide products derived from biotechnology that are effective as labeled and safe for their intended use on animals, plants and in the environment. Moreover, food products from the animals and plants receiving the drugs or chemicals must be safe for human consumption. To fulfill these responsibilities, industry must provide an accurate label for the drug or chemical, ensure drug or chemical product consistency so that every batch of the drug or chemical is similar to every other batch, complete studies to document that the drug or chemical is safe for use in the animal or on the plant, complete studies designed to provide data to ensure that the food derived from the use of the drug or chemical is safe for human consumption and complete studies to document that the drug or chemical is safe for use in the environment. The process of requiring data to be derived from sound experimental science, completion of the studies under scrutiny by regulatory personnel and extensive scientific review of the data by regulatory personnel results in products derived from biotechnology that are safe and effective. J. Nutr. 126: 1007S-1009S, 1996. INDEXING KEY WORDS: biotechnology, food labeling, food safety, industry, consumer

Byline: A. Brack, J.F.B. Gieskes The purpose of this paper is to show that Product Liability (PL) and Product Safety (PS) are relevant categories in terms of the Total Quality Management literature. From a societal point of view PL and PS are two sides of a coin. The effects of the PL and PS regulation on companies are described and linked to the TQM-concept. By presenting the highlights of literature the proposed managerial remedies in the field of PL and PS are reviewed. Risk Management is a useful tool to estimate the vulnerability of a company to PL. An example of a checklist that can be used to audit the actual corporate state of affairs on PL and PS is presented. An in-company multidisciplinary Task Force of Experts on Safety should be charged with a monitoring function with regard to PS and should develop and implement a PL prevention policy.