0 / SPK / specialcollections@tulane.edu

The purpose of this research study is to explore whether consumers would be complicit in the purchase of counterfeit goods once becoming aware of the counterfeit industry being linked to terrorism. Counterfeit goods are defined as identical copies of authentic products and they are produced without the permission of the registered owner (Carpenter & Lear, 2011). Almost any product can be counterfeited from clothing, shoes, jewelry, handbags and even medicines. Counterfeit products are sold at a fraction of the cost of the authentic product. This study identifies the ‘why’ to consumer complicity to purchase the counterfeit items. There are legalities involved with the selling of the copied products, and this research identified the underlying connections to terrorism along with the damaging effects on the U.S. economy. This study examined the variables of consumer knowledge of counterfeits and link to terrorism and willingness to purchase counterfeit products.

Master´s thesis deals with problems of consumer behaviour in the Czech republic. Theoretical part of thesis defines basic concepts and data, which relate to consumer demand and information necessary to understand the analysis part. The following part deals with critical analysis of consumer basket and spending costs of households in different commodities. Analytic part is also aimed at economic development and according to it we can deduce reactions of households and related consumer behaviour. At the end the thesis is completed by suggestions to reduce excess spending expenditures, which are recommendation for citizens of the Czech republic.

The Code of Banking Practice of South Africa should be used to put a duty on banks to assist their clients in the event of chargebacks. This text takes a pragmatic look at the code, the contracts between clients and banks, and tests a few cases against the paid vs delivered concept behind SAMOS. / Mini-dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Mercantile Law / LLM / Unrestricted

No description available.

In this dissertation, I explore an unintended downside of Virtual Reality (VR) in marketing practice. I find that despite firms’ intention to use VR as a gateway experience to future consumption in reality, the same experience delivered in VR (vs. non-VR) mode lowers consumers’ subsequent desire for similar kinds of experiences because people satisfy their needs in VR that they otherwise would in reality. This effect is consistently observed among consumers with a strong (vs. weak) need to engage with the VR experiences, namely (1) high sensation seekers engaging with stimulating VR content and (2) highly mindful individuals engaging with calm and contemplative VR content. To document the underlying mechanism, I measure users’ physiological reactivity (i.e., Skin Conductance Response) to stimulating VR and find that high sensation seekers engage with stimulating VR content more intensely than low sensation seekers. As a result, high sensation seekers readily satisfy their need for sensation in stimulating VR, reducing their subsequent desire for stimulating consumption in reality. The negative effect is also observed among consumers with high dispositional mindfulness using calm museum VR. I further find evidence for consumers’ need satisfaction in VR by showing that the negative effect diminishes when the real-world consumption experience is dissimilar (vs. similar) to the previous VR experience. Two field studies in a South Korean VR “theme park” and the National Museum of Korea, and three controlled lab experiments consistently reveal VR’s negative effects on consumers’ cognitive, behavioral, and physiological responses. I highlight implications of using VR as a substitute for reality and demonstrate how VR experiences can dissuade, rather than induce, corresponding consumption in reality among target consumers.

Examines patronage motives and product purchase patterns within the context of a mall. Specifically, determines: the relative importance consumers attach to a set of 24 patronage motives when choosing a place to shop; these shoppers’ purchase patterns of a set of 21 products; and inter and intra similarities/dissimilarities among motives and product purchase patterns. Managerial implications for mall administrators are discussed. Concludes that to enhance its appeal to variety seeking shoppers, the mall should monitor consumer buying trends and make necessary adjustments to its tenant mix. Amenities and center quality also need to be considered. Recommends further research of this type in other communities.

Substantivism helps us appreciate two views on the meaning of the economy: the institutional view and the neoclassical view. This study analyzes the behaviors of producers and consumers in the supermarket industry and finds that the neoclassical school lacks a realistic behavioral theory. We observe that institutional behavioral theory is closer to reality because it recognizes that consumers are affected by their social environment through habit and emulation, and producers are survival maximizers. These social obstacles prevent humans from acting like homoeconomicus. We focus only on the supermarket industry, but this conclusion can be applied to all industries. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Employee and customer satisfaction have been widely studied and are important for business outcomes. Their relationship has primarily been researched at the organisational and departmental levels within the consumer type industries where frontline employee interaction with the customer is important. Research into the relationship at the job characteristic level and within a business-to-business context is limited and therefore the purpose of the research is to examine these relationships in a South African firm. Two data collection instruments, based on the literature review, were used to obtain the primary data for this research. A self administered job satisfaction survey was preformed as well as a telephonic customer satisfaction survey was undertaken. 67 employees and 66 customers responded to the survey. Descriptive and comparative statistics with a rank order correlation was used to examining and analyse the data. Although a weak relationship was observed between the percentages of satisfied employees and satisfied customers in the survey, a strong and significant relationship exists between the rank order of the different functions within the firm, when comparing the employees job and customers satisfaction results. The results suggest that the job satisfaction levels of the employees in a business-to-business environment influence to some degree the level of satisfaction experienced by the customer. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This study was designed to determine whether the variables gender, age, marital status, occupation, self-employment, income, race, and education could be used individually or in combination to both differentiate among levels of investor risk tolerance and classify individuals into risk-tolerance categories. The Leimberg, Satinsky, LeClair, and Doyle (1993) financial management model was used as the theoretical basis for this study. The model explains the process of how investment managers effectively develop plans to allocate a client's scarce investment resources to meet financial objectives. An empirical model for categorizing investors into risk-tolerance categories using demographic factors was developed and empirically tested using data from the 1992 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) (N = 2,626). The average respondent was affluent and best represented the profile of an investment management client. Based on findings from a multiple discriminant analysis test it was determined that respondent demographic characteristics were significant in differentiating among levels of risk tolerance at the p < .0001 level (i.e., gender, married, single but previously married, professional occupational status, self-employment status, income, White, Black, and Hispanic racial background, and educational level), while three demographic characteristics were found to be statistically insignificant (i.e., age, Asian racial background, and never married). Multiple discriminant analysis also revealed that the demographic variables examined in this study explained approximately 20% of the variance among the three levels of investor risk tolerance. Classification equations were generated. The classification procedure offered only a 20% improvement-over-chance, which was determined to be a low proportional reduction in error. The classification procedure also generated unacceptable levels of false positive classifications, which led to over classification of respondents into high and no risk-tolerance categories, while under classifying respondents into the average risk-tolerance category. Two demographic characteristics were determined to be the most effective in differentiating among and classifying respondents into risk-tolerance categories. Classes of risk tolerance differed most widely on respondents' educational level and gender. Educational level of respondents was determined to be the most significant optimizing factor. It also was concluded that demographic characteristics provide only a starting point in assessing investor risk tolerance. Understanding risk tolerance is a complicated process that goes beyond the exclusive use of demographic characteristics. More research is needed to determine which additional factors can be used by investment managers to increase the explained variance in risk-tolerance differences. / Ph. D.