摘要:

Empirical research suggests that most corporate consumer affairs departments are not a part of the decision‐making structure of their respective firms. The typical consumer affairs department appears to have little influence in management decisions that affect consumer satisfaction and welfare. As a result, it is of limited value for the consumer.A reason for the isolation of consumer affairs from corporate decision making may be that the department's contribution to the firm's welfare is not well understood. By showing a significant contribution to company sales, the consumer affairs department would be in a position to gain influence in the profit‐seeking organization. The article identifies the relationship between sales and complaint management within a marketing framework and develops objectives for complaint management that maximize the consumer affairs department's contribution to sales thereby enhancing the power base of the department within the business organizat

ISSN:0022-0078    

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.1981.tb00709.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1981

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

This study develops an economic framework which explains the welfare loss to consumers from imperfect information and provides a mechanism for analyzing the benefits from improved information. The model is applied to imperfect net weight information for packaged chicken and empirical estimates of the resulting welfare loss are obtained.

ISSN:0022-0078    

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.1981.tb00710.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1981

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

The basic objective of this study was to justify, develop, describe, apply and evaluate a statistical test for assessing the lending patterns of financial institutions for evidence of discrimination. Reduced to its essentials, the proposed test consists of a comparison of the discriminating ability of two alternative multivariate discriminant functions. One of these discriminant functions contains only generally accepted risk and return factors as discriminant variables, while the other is composed of the same risk and return factors plus a set of variables representing protected classes of loan applicants. An empirical application of the methodology in a mortgage lending setting led to the conclusion that protected classes of applicants such as minorities, women, and the elderly were afforded the same access to credit as their unprotected counterparts in the same risk categories.

ISSN:0022-0078    

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.1981.tb00711.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1981

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

A 1977 mail survey of 1,330 Minnesota households found that few respondents had knowledge of the annual percentage rate (APR) of interest on open‐end credit accounts or knowledge of the actual dollar finance charge. Knowledge of APR and knowledge of actual dollar costs were, however, found to be closely associated with more realistic assessments of “reasonable” credit costs. Economic theory predicts that those who misperceive credit costs will not use an optimum amount of credit given their preferences and resources, 2nd will, therefore, incur some economic loss. This study found that those respondents most likely to have incurred such losses were from households characterized by low levels of income and educ

ISSN:0022-0078    

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.1981.tb00712.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1981

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Although warranty coverage on consumer products is a universally accepted form of protection, the extension of similar coverage to buyers of new and used homes is a developing practice. Home warranties serve a dual purpose: they reduce a homebuyer's risk of substantial financial loss, and protect the builder, seller or real estate vendor from legal liability should undisclosed material defects occur after a sale.In an effort to examine consumer reactions to home warranties, a mail survey was conducted of recent purchasers residing in four central counties of New York State. It was found that two‐thirds of the 571 single‐family homeowners who responded were aware of warranties on new housing and 97 percent were in favor of such coverage. Only 22 percent were aware of warranties for resale homes and 56 percent favored such coverage. Unexpected defects costing more than $100 were experienced by 55 percent of the sample. However, only 27 percent of the sample had defects which were warrantable under most current warranty progr

ISSN:0022-0078    

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.1981.tb00713.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1981

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Recent judicial decisions and regulatory actions have reversed advertising restrictions enforced in the professions. This study examined the degree to which such regulatory reform has in its first year resulted in increased advertising competition among California eyewear practitioners. It also analyzed price differences between advertising and nonadvertising ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians. The study found that while relatively few practitioners engaged in advertising, those that did charged 17 percent less than nonadvertisers.

ISSN:0022-0078    

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.1981.tb00714.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1981

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Studies of consumer usage of nutrition labels required by the Food and Drug Administration have found that usage levels are low. A mailback survey of food shoppers in Madison, Wisconsin was conducted to determine who uses nutrition labels as well as reasons for nonuse. Multiple regression analysis revealed that compared to users, nonusers did not rate themselves as highly on nutrition knowledge, were less likely to plan meals in advance, and were not as highly educated. When asked why they did not use labels, most nonusers said they did not need them, and a sizable group reported their shopping practices pre‐empt label usage. Nonusers also felt that a sample label had too much information. When asked to perform computations from sample label information, nonusers were less successful than users. The implications of these findings for nutrition education efforts are discusse

ISSN:0022-0078    

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.1981.tb00715.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1981

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

The true cost of credit depends not only on the amount borrowed and the interest rate, but also the manner in which monthly interest charges are calculated. Changes in this calculation method that appear to be minor can produce some surprising changes in the cost of credit. These changes, which do not have to be disclosed on some types of loans, are worth watching for when shopping for credit.

ISSN:0022-0078    

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.1981.tb00716.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1981

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

This research examined the availability and pricing policies of discount department stores for advertised products, thereby enlarging the scope of previous research on availability and mispricing of advertised supermarket products. The study findings suggest that unavailability is not a serious problem in discount department stores but that overpricing of advertised items may occur frequently.

ISSN:0022-0078    

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.1981.tb00717.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1981

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

A mail survey was conducted of 314 residents of two California cities to measure consumer perception of the prevalence of misleading advertising. Information was obtained concerning the extent of misleading advertising in the various media, for 30 products and services and for three age groups. The findings indicate that over half of the sample viewed “most” or “all” mail and telephone advertising as misleading, and that 38 percent of the respondents regarded “most” or “all” television advertising as misleading. Newspaper advertising was considered the most credible. Findings indicate that “most” or “all” advertising for products and services was viewed as misleading by 30 percent of the respondents. Findings for actions taken concerning misleading advertising indicate that nearly half of the sample had registered a complaint to the store or person advertising and that 29 percent of the respondents had complained to a manufacturer. Also, findings for the age groups indicate that two out of three respondents regarded “most” or “all” advertising directed at children as seriously misleading. Advertising directed at senior citizens was viewed as seriously misleading by 45 percent of the sample, and advertising directed at young and middle‐aged adults was viewed

ISSN:0022-0078    

DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.1981.tb00718.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1981

数据来源: WILEY