Economic aspects

The growth of global competition has established international segmentation as a key issue in developing, positioning and selling products throughout the world (Ter Hofstede, Steenkamp and Wedel 1999). Many international segmentation studies have used macro-level, secondary data to identify country clusters based on similarities in political, economic, geographic or cultural variables. As a result of extensive review, we identify three major gaps in the international country segmentation literature. First, no study so far has accounted for the influence of time. While researchers suggest that longitudinal analysis provides additional insight into whether situational characteristics of countries change over time (Cavusgil, Kiyak, and Yeniyurt 2004; Helsen, Jedidi, and DeSarbo 1993; Sethi 1971; Steenkamp and Hofstede 2002,), a major limitation of this body of work is that most studies address country-level segmentation at a single point in time. However, bases of segmentation are considered to be dynamic in nature (Hassan, Craft, and Kortam 2003) and global and country-specific changes in economic development are likely to result in variations in segment membership over time. We investigate the stability of factors and the stability of segments over time by performing cluster analysis at two points of time. Second, most studies use ad hoc variables without theoretical basis which may result in accidental generalizations. Instead of suggesting a proliferation of random variables, which are considered influential in the decision making process without any empirical or theoretical evidence, we propose a theoretical basis for country segmentation. We use institutional theory to distinguish between heterogeneous groups of countries. Finally, there is the issue of providing "one size fits all" solutions.

This study examines the impact of Christian religiosity on attitudes toward social safety-net policies over the past three decades in the US. The study used data from the General Social Survey on social safety-net policy preferences and levels of Christian religiosity. Simple cross tabulations, correlations and multiple regression analysis were used to assess the data. Contrary to previous related research, the results of this study indicate that Christian religiosity has a very weak association with opposition to social safety-net policies. At the national level, the relationship between Christian religiosity and attitudes toward social protection policies was largely mediated by other factors such as race, gender, education, family income, and political ideology. These results indicate that Christian religiosity per se does not independently influence social spending preferences. Instead, these results suggest that social divisions in socioeconomic standing and in political ideology, which in turn are closely related to differences in support for social protection policies, permeate American Christianity. The study also examined the relationship between Christian religiosity and social protection policy preferences among Hispanic and Black Americans separately. Although Hispanics and Blacks are generally more supportive of social spending in comparison to White Americans, Christian religiosity was not found to have a strong independent effect on support for social safety-net policies among these two groups. The study did find, however, a markedly different level of support for social safety-net policies among identifiable Christian groups at the national level and in the Hispanic-American population.

An assessment of the knowledge and the behaviors associated with sustainable development was conducted to determine the effect of adult education on sustainable development in Jamaica. The discourse for leadership commitment and governance, as well as continuous learning has its tenets in the discovery that the programs do not significantly address sustainable development (SD). While knowledge was significantly addressed, the programs failed to motivate useful action. The study has provided an explanation of the barriers, costs, and limits to sustainability so that program planners can devise transfer of learning strategies that foster adaptation and mitigation. The investigation involved 35 adult educators and 84 trainees from four programs of the premier adult and continuing learning facility in Jamaica. Both groups agreed that the programs addressed the knowledge, but not the behaviors associated with SD, despite the fact that all three dimensions of SD were addressed in an almost equitable manner. The requirements for achieving SD were met by 7% of the respondents, while the percentage of respondents that achieved environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and social responsibility was 15%, 16%, and 13%, respectively. The six measures correlated highly with the SD variable and were significant. However, there were no significant differences across the groups. Instructors and trainees agreed that knowing about the concerns of SD had not changed their thinking and behavior. On average, the principles of sustainability were not applied. Although hospitality programs were more effective than agriculture, construction and automotive programs in addressing the content on environmental sustainability, no program paid attention to transfer of learning. Cronbach's alpha for the survey instrument was .973.

Since its inception, the domestic corn ethanol industry in the United States has been dependant on federal subsidies and trade restrictions to keep afloat. Although this political support has allowed the industry to grow, there have been a number of negative externalities as a result, namely the growing demand for corn causing significant increases in the prices of many consumer goods. Despite the fact that consumers are facing rising prices in agricultural and energy markets, ethanol still maintains a level of support around the general American populace that is counterintuitive given its economic reality. In this paper, I contend that much of ethanol's support is maintained through the intentional manipulation of the product's public perception on behalf of politicians and industrial superpowers. I will demonstrate this phenomenon through the use of both Stigler's (1971) and Pelzman's (1976) model of iso-majority.

Hosting an Olympic Games has a major impact on the city and its people. I compared the Barcelona 1992 and Athens 2004 approaches to "legacy," the lasting impacts of a Games. I grouped my comparison into three categories : Economic, Urban and Environmental Impacts, and Global and Social Identity. In Olympic circles, few cities live up to the long-term planning standard set by Barcelona, especially in urban regeneration. However, most scholars agree that Athens did not plan for the post-Games period as effectively as they could have. Barcelona had better organization and cooperation, while the Athens organizers and the government disagreed on various issues. Though Athens wanted to leave a positive legacy and did in many ways, they were not as focused on that aspect. Athens shined in the concept of "heritage," which encompasses bringing the past into the present as a "legacy." Because of their h istory, they were able to bring historical meaning to their Games.

This study assesses the philosophical underpinnings of endangered species protections focused on gopher tortoises in Florida. From 1993-2007, gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) were listed in Florida as a species of special concern. Land developers wanting to build on their habitats could apply for an incidental take permit, paying a fee that allowed tortoises to be 'entombed' in their burrows to die a slow death. In 2007, when gopher tortoise status was up-losted to 'threatened', a new policy ended the incidental take permit program. This study compares policy guidelines of the 1991 and 2007 gopher tortoise management plans and explores cases that deal with incidental take controversies. I will apply perspectives from environmental philosophy to my analysis to understand how policies attempt to balance economic goals with a mandate to protect species in peril.

The determinants of attendance at Australian Football League (AFL) games have become increasingly important due to a rise in international recognition of the sport and recent structural changes in the AFL. Scheduling has received little attention in the sports economics literature as a determinant of demand. This paper estimates the effect of day-of-the-week scheduling on attendance demand using OLS regressions on panel data gathered from the 1985 to 2008 AFL seasons. One implication of this study is that attendance, and thereby revenue, could be increased by scheduling certain fixtures on specific days and times.

International development literature suggests that Internet marketing has the potential to play an important role in rural development. Despite the abundant theoretical support for incorporating Internet marketing into development strategies, there is little empirical evidence regarding whether Internet marketing actually generates development. This thesis helps fill this gap in the literature by investigating whether one Internet marketing application associated with development, competitive-online auctions (COAs), contributes to growth and poverty reduction. An analysis of price premiums earned in Latin American specialty coffee auctions and interviews with participating coffee farmers suggest that this application's strength lies in its ability to catalyze development; it provides the foundation from which farmers can pursue above-market prices, access new markets, and improve local living conditions. However, evidence also emphasizes that COAs do not inevitably advance development goals because their ability to do so is contingent on external factors, including the actions taken by individual farmers.