O objeto da tese de doutorado é a análise da relação entre a defesa da concorrência e a proteção do consumidor, duas políticas públicas que proporcionam benefícios mútuos e devem ser executadas de modo harmônico, havendo substrato normativo e teórico para incluir a preocupação com o bem-estar do consumidor como um dos objetivos da política de defesa da concorrência. No Brasil tal harmonização é uma imposição constitucional, já que a livre concorrência, a repressão ao abuso do poder econômico e a defesa do consumidor são princípios conformadores da ordem econômica. É defendida a utilização de um conceito unificado de consumidor, sendo adotada a teoria finalista, que o define como o destinatário final econômico do bem ou serviço. As duas políticas utilizam diferentes instrumentos e perspectivas na tutela do bem-estar do consumidor, o que fica claro na proteção do direito de escolha. O Código de Defesa do Consumidor oferece a isonomia como remédio para compensar a vulnerabilidade, estabelecendo regras destinadas à uma escolha consciente, sobretudo o direito à informação adequada e veraz. Já as normas de defesa da concorrência resguardam a liberdade preocupando-se em preservar a possibilidade de escolha entre mais de um fornecedor de produtos ou serviços. O exemplo mais contundente dá-se no controle de estruturas: a atuação das autoridades responsáveis pela análise dos atos de concentração é vinculada à preservação do excedente do consumidor e das condições imprescindíveis ao exercício do direito de escolha, sendo vedada a aprovação de fusões que prejudiquem o bemestar do consumidor. No âmbito repressivo a harmonização das duas políticas é intensificada com a colaboração entre as autoridades de defesa da concorrência e de proteção do consumidor para a fiscalização de condutas que configurem, ao mesmo tempo, infrações contra a ordem econômica e práticas abusivas, cuja dupla capitulação não acarreta bis in idem, pois são distintas as esferas jurídicas tuteladas, havendo assim diversidade de fundamentos. É salientada a importância das ações coletivas para reparação de danos causados aos consumidores por infrações contra a ordem econômica e defendida a adoção dos danos multiplicados e a manutenção da destinação dos valores arrecadados por multas a infrações contra a ordem econômica ao Fundo Federal de Direitos Difusos. / The thesis analyzes the relationship between the competition defense and the consumer protection, both public policies that offer mutual benefits and must be carried out in a harmonic way. So, there is a normative and theoretical substratum concerning the consumer welfare as one of the objectives of the antitrust policy. In Brazil such harmonization is imposed by the Constitution, since the free competition, the repression of the abuse of the economic power and the consumer protection are principles that pertain to the constitutional economic order. In this paper consumer is regarded as a unified concept, i.e., the economic final user of goods or services. Both policies use different instruments and perspectives for the protection of the consumer welfare, what is clear in the enforcement of the right of choice. The Consumer Defense Code refers to the isonomy as a remedy to make up for the vulnerability, establishing rules for a conscious choice, especially the right to the proper, true and accurate information. The antitrust rules are concerned with the freedom of choice and the possibilities of option from more than one supplier of products or services. The most outstanding example is related to the merger control: the antitrust authorities are required to guarantee a consumer surplus and the necessary conditions to exercise the right of choice, being totally banned the approval of mergers that may be harmful to the consumer welfare. The harmonization of both policies in the repression scope is intensified with the cooperation between antitrust and consumer protection authorities regarding to the law enforcement against practices that may represent infractions of the competition and of the consumer protection rules, as well. The thesis emphasizes the importance of class actions to repair consumer damages caused by antitrust law violations and defends the adoption of the multiplied damages and the maintenance of the allocation to the Diffuse Rights Federal Fund of amounts raised by fines collected by the Antitrust Authorities.

Existing research suggests that when consumers encounter hybrid products or boundary-spanning products with attributes belonging to multiple categories, consumers tend to generate inferences based on only a single product category. Reliance on a single category for inferencing is termed as the “single category belief problem” which has been regarded as a vital marketing challenge because it leads consumers to underestimate the true utility of a hybrid product as certain product attributes are ignored. Our objective was to explore whether single category beliefs manifest in consumer choice for a hybrid product when strategically placed within varying contexts. The research used discrete choice experiment (DCE) to test hypotheses. Our research confirms that the single category belief is evident in consumer choice. We also found that the context the hybrid product is placed within has a major influence on what consumers preferred the most. Depending on the context a hybrid product was seen in had significant influence on how consumers evaluated product attributes and made purchase decisions. The findings for this research may be very beneficial for marketers.

Ce mémoire de maitrise porte sur l’étude de la relation entre les croyances religieuses, le développement économique et l’identité socioculturelle des libanais. Ce sujet est suscité par deux approches : une approche conceptuelle relatant le lien entre la religion et le développement économique, et une approche révélant le rapport entre les trois éléments du sujet et imposant une observation rigoureuse des libanais du Liban et des libanais de Montréal. Deux types d’études empiriques sont envisageables afin d’expliquer le rapprochement entre les trois éléments du sujet : des études visant à tester le lien entre la religion et le développement au Liban et à Montréal et des études traitant la problématique identitaire. Les analyses historiques, sociologiques et empiriques invoquées dans notre projet démontrent qu’en général il existe une corrélation entre la religion et le développement. Nos enquêtes soulignent que cette corrélation est tout de même vérifié chez les libanais. Les points de vue culturel et religieux attestent que la religion et la famille constituent deux éléments indissociables de l’identité socioculturelle des libanais. La religion est une valeur qui peut influencer le choix du consommateur libanais. En effet, une relation de réciprocité est établie entre ces deux éléments. Les études, menées au Liban et à Montréal, soulignent aussi que le degré de religiosité peut déterminer certains comportements sociaux; ceci crée un enchainement entre le comportement social d’un libanais, ses appartenances religieuses qui reflètent son identité, et le développement économique. Ainsi, Les croyances religieuses endoctrinent le développement économique au plan macroéconomique et au plan microéconomique. Une relation s’installe entre le spirituel et la science économique. / This thesis focuses on the study of the relationship between religious beliefs, economic development and socio-cultural identity of Lebanon. This topic is generated by two approaches: a conceptual approach to describing the relationship between religion and economic development, and an approach to revealing the relationship between the three elements of the subject and requiring strict adherence to the Lebanese in Lebanon and the Lebanese in Montreal. Two types of empirical studies are possible to explain the relation between the three elements of the subject: studies to test the link between religion and development in Lebanon and Montreal and studies dealing with the issue of identity. Historical, sociological and empirical analyses show that there is in general a correlation between religion and development. Our investigations point out that this correlation is still checked in Lebanon. The cultural and religious views show that religion and family are two inseparable elements of the socio-cultural identity of Lebanese. Religion is a value that can influence consumer choice Lebanese. Indeed, a reciprocal relationship is established between the two. Studies conducted in Lebanon and Montreal also highlight that the degree of religiosity may determine some social behaviors; this creates a chain between the social behavior of a Lebanese, his religious affiliations that reflect his identity, and economic development. Thus, religious beliefs indoctrinate economic development at the macroeconomic and microeconomic levels. / Les fichiers qui accompagnent mon document ont été réalisés avec les logiciels : STATA, SPSS et EXCEL.