We often encounter people who we believe are behaving immorally. We routinely try to change minds and often donate to charitable organizations that do the same. Of course, this does not always work. In a liberal, rights-based society, we have to tolerate this. But legal entitlements to act in ways that others find immoral are inefficiently allocated. For example, some meat-eaters value eating meat less than some vegetarians would be willing to pay them to stop. While many have written about (...) the limits of the market, market design, and abuse of right, few have considered the sale of these entitlements. This article proposes a market-based solution, encouraging the sale of these entitlements under certain conditions. This would lead to improvements both on an economic efficiency analysis and on a moral analysis. (shrink)

This work aims to study strategies used in Argentine local development experiences, focussing on industrial design, marketing and entrepreneurship. In order to this purpose, backgrounds are analysed with this approach adding the study of three strategic plans for national and provincial-level that are currently in force. With the analysis of the transport system in the last decade, an accelerated cost increase is evident, resulting in a relatively higher price of distributed products. This situation that was initially perceived as a (...) disadvantage finally set up an opportunity to produce locally. The goal of this paper is to provide tools that contribute to the work shipped by key institutions for local development (public, private and intermediary organisations), and the way these interact with the actors and the territory. In particular, the identification of productive sectors and the selection of goods that can be produced and consumed locally, as a key input for the formulation of projects. (shrink)

This study aimed to determine the sustainable marketing strategies for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In this research technique, a quantitative descriptive survey was utilized to examine 363 MSMEs in designated cities and municipalities in Pangasinan, such as Binmaley, Calasiao, Dagupan City, Mangaldan, San Carlos City, Santa Barbara, and Urdaneta City, all registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). According to the findings, manufacturing is the primary industry for most respondents; they are sole (...) proprietorships with less than PhP3 Million in assets, have 1-9 employees, and have been in operation for less than three years. The sustainable marketing strategies implemented by the MSMEs in terms of product, place, price, promotion, physical evidence, people, and process are considered extremely important. The level of effectiveness in sustaining marketing strategies of MSMEs is considered very effective. The respondents assessed the problems encountered by the MSMEs in sustaining marketing strategies as extremely serious. It can be concluded that the majority of the respondents were in the manufacturing business, a single type of business organization, and, capitalization comprises not more than 3 million. Most of them have a minimal number of employees and operate for a short time. For the sustainable marketing strategies implemented by the MSMEs product, place, price, physical evidence, people and process are extremely important while promotions are very important. The effectiveness of 7ps of marketing is considered very effective. The respondent’s problems encountered by the MSMEs in sustaining marketing strategies as extremely serious. (shrink)

Reserve systems are a tool to allocate scarce resources when stakeholders do not have a single objective. This paper introduces some basic concepts about reserve systems for pandemic medical resource allocation. At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, we proposed that reserve systems can help practitioners arrive at compromises between competing stakeholders. More than a dozen states and local jurisdictions adopted reserve systems in initial phases of vaccine distribution. We highlight several design issues arising in some of these implementations. (...) We also offer suggestions about ways practitioners can take advantage of the flexibility offered by reserve systems. (shrink)

To nudge is to design choice contexts in order to improve choice outcomes. Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein emphatically endorse nudging but reject more restrictive means. In contrast, I argue that the behavioral psychology that motivates nudging also motivates what may be called jolting — i.e. the design of choice content. I defend nudging and jolting by distinguishing them from the sometimes oppressive means with which they can be implemented, by responding to some common arguments against nudging, and (...) by showing how respect for preferences over option sets and their aggregate properties may require the trimming of option sets, as well as helpful choice contexts. (shrink)

‘Dumping’ is a practice in international trade whereby a product is introduced into the commerce of another country at less than its ‘normal value,’ which might cause or threaten material injury to the domestic industry of the importing country. To address the practice of dumping and provide rules to deal with it, the World Trade Organization (WTO) adopted the Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (1994), known as the Anti-Dumping Agreement (ADA). -/- (...) The ADA sets out anti-dumping investigation procedures that importing countries must follow if they wish to impose anti-dumping measures, which are determined by comparing the normal value and the export price of the goods in question. However, not all countries are treated equally under these arrangements. Countries that are non-market economies (NMEs) are accorded special treatment provided by specific rules, including the option for investigating authorities to resort to surrogate prices in a third country for the purpose of establishing normal value. This application of surrogate prices is referred to as ‘NME treatment’. In the absence of an internationally recognised definition of an NME, each WTO Member has adopted its own definition and/or a list of NMEs. Vietnam, a WTO Member whose economy is moving from being centrally planned to being market-based, is considered an NME by both the United States (US) and the European Union (EU). This research investigates whether the non-market economy status of NMEs such as Vietnam disadvantages exporters in anti-dumping investigations and proceedings. The research analyses legal, procedural and other issues relating to the non-market economy status of NMEs in general and Vietnam in particular, in anti-dumping investigations and proceedings conducted by the US and the EU. The research uses a qualitative methodology design, by which data was collected primarily using desk-based study, supplemented by interviews with anti-dumping experts, Vietnamese exporters and government officials. It involves the examination of international law pertaining to anti-dumping, the US and EU anti-dumping laws and investigation procedures, analysis of the WTO anti-dumping dispute settlement procedures and related jurisprudence, as well as the analysis of Vietnam’s transition to a market economy. -/- The research has found that both the US and EU treat Vietnam as a NME and have developed their own specific methodologies for anti-dumping investigations on exports from Vietnam. Furthermore, it highlights the wide discretion of the US and the EU under their domestic laws in many stages of anti-dumping investigations. -/- The findings also show that the WTO Dispute Settlement Body generally considers the US and the EU practices to be consistent with the ADA provisions. However, certain US and EU practices were found to be inconsistent with the ADA, including ‘zeroing’, limited examination, surrogate country selection, and the imposition of the ‘entity-wide rate.’ Further, by applying these practices, investigating authorities might establish unpredictable normal values that may inflate the estimated dumping margins and ultimately lead to the imposition of a higher than appropriate anti-dumping duty. The analysis concludes that the NME status of countries such as Vietnam disadvantages them when facing claims of dumping. Finally, this thesis provides recommendations for Vietnamese exporters that will serve to improve their competence as defendants/respondents in anti-dumping investigations and proceedings and more effectively demonstrate the degree to which their operations are based on market-based principles. Recommendations are also provided to the Vietnam Government on ways in which it can support Vietnamese exporters in anti-dumping investigations and proceedings. (shrink)

The objective of this article is to analyze the relationships between theories of strategic design and participatory design, in multiple commercial alliances between local entrepreneurs from different sectors and their integrated application in the urban context. Various authors have dealt with these strategic issues in isolation and less frequently have addressed them from the entrepreneurial experience. A review of the specific literature allows us to account for the main concepts involved in this approach. The case being analyzed refers (...) to a fitness-related venture in the city of La Plata, which articulated, together with other local actors, a collaborative strategy that led to the application of a superior business model for its sector. In addition, he capitalized on his role as an influencer on the social network Instagram, as a way to enhance the project’s comprehensiveness. The topics that are addressed synthesize the key concepts that allow us to interpret the praxis relieved. And from them, create a model that can be applied in other markets and territories to promote young local development. And in this way, different actors, complementary products and services serve to jointly promote a co-productive and self-managed culture. (shrink)

This study aimed to identify the availability of business process re-engineering requirements in Palestinian industrial companies, and to identify the nature of relationship and direction between business process re-engineering requirements and product quality in these companies, in addition to determine whether the market orientation plays a mediating role in the relationship between business process re-engineering requirements and product quality. To achieve study objectives, the researcher designed a questionnaire as a study tool, was distributed on sample of (231) employee selected (...) from the senior management in Palestinian industrial companies. The results shows: business process re-engineering requirements (Organizational, Technological, Human) are available in Palestinian industrial companies with a large degree. There is a positive impact with a statistical significance the availability of business process re-engineering requirements on market orientation and achieving product quality in Palestinian industrial companies. There is a positive impact with a statistical significance the market orientation adoption and achieving product quality in Palestinian industrial companies. Results revealed that market orientation mediating the relationship between business process re-engineering requirements and achieving product quality. The Main recommendations: Needing of senior management to make attention about modern management methods, as well as relying on scientific and field approach to solve and tackle problems. Senior management should be recognize the importance of market orientation, and works on linking it with information systems, and it's basic center should be concentrates on meeting customer needs. Key words: strategic orientation, modern management methods, operational performance, product quality, marketing . (shrink)

The relationship between carbon markets, especially voluntary ones, and climate justice is complex. While carbon markets are designed with positive intentions, such as supporting reforestation or renewable energy projects in developing countries, they can unintentionally exacerbate inequalities.

Purpose – to differency in the franchise model implementation by tour operators in the European and Ukrainian markets. Design/Method/Approach. A theoretical approach is based on generalization, system and comparative analysis, content analysis, statistical, and graphical and tabular methods. Findings. The research characterized business franchising models of the largest multidisciplinary tour operators of mass tourism in Ukraine. The general conditions of performing tourist activity on the principles of business franchising for travel agencies are determined. The authors clarified the differences between (...) business franchising models in the European and Ukrainian markets. The mechanism of business multiplication and cooperation of opportunities aimed at promoting a tourist product on the target market defines the franchising. Originality/Value. The scientific novelty is to clarify the tourism activities conditions on a franchise basis in Europe and, in particular, in Ukraine, highlighting the franchise model features of the European business that are in a clearly defined vertically integrated management structure, strong national marketing management, corporate business support, longterm franchise agreements, and effective franchise system. Practical implications. The research practical results significance lies in travel agencies' possible application in deciding to join the franchise network and tour operators in addressing projected business risks diversification. Research limitattions / Future research. Due to the economic crisis in the tourism business, further research promising area is to find ways to stabilize the network business in tourism. The change in the financial condition of travel agencies after franchisee status obtain or termination is of interest. Paper type – theoretical. (shrink)

Abstract: This study examined performance aptitude of successful marketing executives’ in Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. The specific objectives include: (i) to determine the influence of aptitude on both objective and subjective performance of marketing executives in Nigerian Deposit Money Banks and (ii) to determine how these 17 aptitude variables: quantitative/math ability, cognitive ability, intelligent quotient, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, sociability, persuasiveness, aggressiveness, persistence, empathy, age, gender, marital status, height and body size/weight influence performance of marketing executives in Nigerian Deposit (...) Money Banks. Quantitative survey research design methodology was adopted for the study. By gathering primary data from 334 bank marketing executives and 219 business managers using structured questionnaire and MANCOVA statistical tool for testing the hypotheses and analyzing the data, findings revealed that: aptitude has strong and positive influence on both objective and subjective performance of marketing executives in Nigerian Deposit Money Banks and (ii) all the aptitude variables mentioned above have strong and positive influence on both objective and subjective performance of marketing executives in Nigerian Deposit Money Banks except gender, marital status and height. It was recommended that bank managers should pay adequate attention to those aptitude variables that have strong positive influence on performance of marketing executives and de-emphasize expenditures on those that do not. (shrink)

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease that was first recognized in China in late 2019. Among the primary effects caused by the pandemic, there was the dissemination of health preventive measures such as physical distancing, travel restrictions, self-isolation, quarantines, and facility closures. This includes the global disruption of socio-economic systems including the postponement or cancellation of various public events (e.g., sporting, cultural, or religious), supply shortages and fears of the same, (...) schools and universities closure, evacuation of foreign citizens, a rise of unemployment, changes in the international aid schemes, misinformation, and incidents of discrimination toward people affected by or suspected of having the COVID-19 disease. The pandemic has brought to the fore unpreparedness in critical areas that require attention, amid prospects and challenges. Moreover, considerable reorganization efforts are required with implications for assets, resources, norms, and value systems. COVID-19 is challenging the concept of globalization and stimulating responses at the levels of local and regional socio-economic systems that lead to the mobilization of assets that have been unrecognized earlier on, such as various forms of economic capital, social capital, cultural capital, human capital, and creative capital. For example, through digital channels, local groups are forming to create schemes of support for physical and mental wellbeing. These emerging exchanges lead to various social and technological innovations by building on skills and assets that are less important in the free-market economy, such as empathy, skills for crafts, making and fixing; locally grown microgreens; and micromanufacturing. Isolation and local living are also making it much harder to ignore the civic responsibilities towards communities, meant as individuals, vulnerable groups, and local businesses. Whilst the pandemic is limiting physical participation, this challenging time is uncovering alternative ways of mutual support, which may create long-term benefits for socio-economic systems, including environmental and biodiversity protection, reduction of the air pollution, and climate action. The pandemic’s threat to public health will hopefully be overcome with implications for disruption for an extended period that we are unable to forecast at this stage. It is key to focus on studies recognizing the activities and interventions leading to the recovery of socio-economic systems after the pandemic. Reflecting and planning on how societies and economies will go back to “business as usual” requires new forms of communication and cooperation, imaginative design thinking, new styles of management, as well as new tools and forms of participation in various public policies. Many questions related to the care of the vulnerable, economic restart, and the risk of future pandemics, to mention but a few, are already occupying the academic, scientific, experts, and activist communities, who have started to imagine the “new normal.”. (shrink)

The main thrust of this study is to examine the impact of social cost on the corporate performance of petroleum marketing firms in Nigeria. Ex post facto research design was adopted, secondary sources of data were collected for analysis of results and interpretation of data. The results indicated that social cost positively influences the corporate performance of petroleum marketing firms in Nigeria. Hence, it was recommended that the federal government should mandate all petroleum marketing companies to capture and disclose (...) all quantitative data relating to corporate social responsibility which would serve as a boost to the company performances vis-a-vis increased employee productivity. (shrink)

The Limits of Capitalism in Job Creation Amidst Market Saturation -/- Introduction -/- Capitalism has long been regarded as the dominant economic system for driving innovation, production, and job creation. Its foundation lies in free markets, competition, and the continuous cycle of supply and demand. However, as markets become saturated with products—many of which provide little real value—the system begins to show its limitations. While capitalism has mechanisms to sustain job creation, these are often based on artificial demand, wasteful (...) production, and unsustainable consumption patterns. This essay explores whether capitalism can continue to generate jobs in an economy filled with unnecessary goods and whether a shift toward a more balanced economic model could provide a long-term solution. -/- The Limits of Job Creation in a Saturated Market -/- In a healthy economy, demand for goods and services drives production, which in turn creates employment opportunities. However, when markets become oversaturated, the natural cycle of capitalism is disrupted. -/- Diminishing Demand: Once consumers already own most of what they need, and new products offer little additional value, demand slows. This stagnation can lead to reduced production, layoffs, and even business closures. -/- Overproduction and Waste: Many companies continue to produce goods regardless of actual demand, leading to excess inventory, wasted resources, and environmental harm. For example, the fashion industry is notorious for overproducing clothing, much of which ends up in landfills. -/- Short-Term vs. Long-Term Employment: Capitalism can create jobs temporarily by constantly introducing new products. However, if those products are low-quality or unnecessary, workers face instability when companies shut down due to lack of sustainable demand. -/- The Role of Artificial Demand in Sustaining Capitalism -/- To counteract market saturation, capitalism relies on mechanisms that create artificial demand: -/- Aggressive Marketing and Consumerism: Companies invest heavily in advertising to convince consumers that they need new products, even when their old ones still function. This leads to excessive consumption driven by psychological rather than practical needs. -/- Planned Obsolescence: Many industries intentionally design products with limited lifespans so that consumers must replace them frequently. Electronics manufacturers, for instance, often create devices that become obsolete within a few years, ensuring continuous sales. -/- Financial Leverage and Debt: Credit cards, loans, and installment plans enable consumers to buy beyond their financial means, artificially inflating demand. However, this reliance on debt can lead to economic instability and financial crises. -/- Can Capitalism Adapt to Meaningful Job Creation? -/- For capitalism to remain viable in the long term, it must transition from a wasteful, profit-driven model to one that prioritizes sustainable and meaningful job creation. Some possible solutions include: -/- Shifting to a Circular Economy: Encouraging businesses to produce durable, repairable, and recyclable goods can reduce waste while still supporting employment. Industries like renewable energy and sustainable agriculture offer opportunities for job growth without environmental harm. -/- Investing in Essential Industries: Healthcare, education, infrastructure, and technology sectors provide long-term value to society. Redirecting economic focus toward these areas can create stable employment and improve overall quality of life. -/- Basic Income and Job Redistribution: As automation and market saturation reduce labor demand, alternative models like Universal Basic Income (UBI) and job-sharing programs could ensure financial stability while reducing unnecessary work. -/- The Universal Law of Balance in Economic Systems -/- A crucial consideration is whether capitalism can align with the universal law of balance in nature. The current system prioritizes unchecked economic growth, often at the cost of environmental and societal equilibrium. Implementing a homeostasis-driven economic approach—where production aligns with actual needs rather than artificial demand—could create a more sustainable model for job creation. -/- Conclusion -/- Capitalism, in its traditional form, struggles to create sustainable employment in a world saturated with unnecessary products. While short-term solutions like artificial demand and planned obsolescence temporarily sustain jobs, they ultimately lead to instability and resource depletion. A more balanced economic approach—rooted in sustainability, meaningful industries, and the universal law of balance—could provide a long-term solution. If capitalism is to survive and evolve, it must move beyond the endless cycle of consumption and embrace a model that prioritizes genuine human and environmental well-being. -/- . (shrink)

This study explores the Burberry apparel brand’s position and its strategic behaviour seeking new customers in the new market. This exploratory research pays particular attention to business potential and opportunities in an emerging market, Vietnam. To evaluate Burberry’s strategies and the potential, the collaborative network relationships are discussed in details, that is followed by the discussion of the key themes for Burberry to consider in the Vietnamese market, where Burberry has recently begun expanding its businesses. The outcome (...) of the study suggests that the Western luxury brand apparel needs to understand the targeted markets’ systems and consumer behaviour, from there it is inevitable to design strategic plan how to engage the stakeholders in the ubiquitous supply chain relationships. In the end, a conceptual model with network perspectives is proposed: The model will be an analytical framework with key agenda items for the luxury brand which aims to enter the new market, and also the research limitations and further research opportunities are discussed. (shrink)

-/- The Integration of Angelito Malicse’s Universal Formula with Quantum Computer Design, AGI Algorithmic Design, and Education -/- In the pursuit of developing intelligent systems, the realms of quantum computing, artificial general intelligence (AGI), and educational frameworks face the significant challenge of balancing complex feedback mechanisms, ethical decision-making, and system stability. The universal formula developed by Angelito Malicse provides a pioneering approach to understanding free will, human behavior, and decision-making. His three laws, deeply rooted in the concept of (...) natural balance, offer valuable insights into addressing problems related to technological systems, such as quantum computers and AGI. This essay explores how Malicse’s universal formula can be integrated into quantum computer design, AGI algorithmic development, and educational models, emphasizing the importance of feedback loops, balance, and ethical decision-making as critical components in these fields. -/- The Universal Formula: An Overview -/- Angelito Malicse’s universal formula consists of three key laws: -/- 1. The Law of Karma (Cause and Effect): This law posits that every action leads to a consequence. It emphasizes that systems—whether natural or man-made—must function without defects to ensure they operate effectively and safely. Any imbalance or disruption in the system causes dysfunction, whether the system is biological, mechanical, or computational. -/- 2. The Homeostasis Principle: This principle asserts that systems—be they biological, technological, or social—must maintain equilibrium to function correctly. When an imbalance occurs, the system seeks to restore balance. This is a critical process in all functional systems, from the human body to technological networks. -/- 3. The Ethical Decision-Making Law: This law underscores the importance of ethical decision-making within systems. It suggests that choices must promote balance and avoid disrupting the natural harmony of the system. If decisions violate this balance, they result in negative consequences, reflecting the idea that imbalance leads to dysfunction in both societal and technological systems. -/- These principles, while addressing human behavior and societal functioning, also have profound implications for the development of quantum computing and AGI, areas that are critical to future advancements in technology. -/- Quantum Computing and the Universal Formula -/- Quantum computing represents a revolutionary leap in computational power, utilizing quantum mechanics principles—such as superposition, entanglement, and interference—to solve problems in parallel. Quantum systems, however, are highly sensitive to errors and disturbances, which could affect their ability to function reliably. Thus, understanding and applying the universal formula to quantum computer design is essential. -/- Quantum Causal Inference and the Law of Karma -/- Quantum computing is built on probabilistic models where each quantum state evolves based on prior interactions, an approach that mirrors the concept of cause and effect. Quantum systems follow causal inference, meaning that each quantum operation is influenced by the previous one. This aligns directly with the Law of Karma—every operation in a quantum computer has consequences, which can either lead to a stable state or introduce error. If the system is defective or disrupted, it results in instability, just as a defective system in nature or society fails to function correctly. -/- Quantum algorithms, such as those used in quantum machine learning, rely heavily on cause-effect relationships to guide the computation. The delicate balance between quantum states and operations mirrors the need for balance in natural systems: if a quantum system is not free from errors, its performance will degrade, reflecting Malicse’s principle that systems must be free of defects to operate properly. -/- Quantum Neural Networks (QNNs) and Feedback Mechanisms -/- Quantum Neural Networks (QNNs) aim to replicate the neural network structure of the human brain using quantum bits (qubits) and quantum gates. These networks utilize feedback loops, where the system continuously adapts and updates based on prior outputs, enhancing its learning process. This closely aligns with Malicse’s feedback loop principle, which emphasizes the importance of continuous adjustment based on environmental feedback. -/- QNNs utilize quantum feedback to optimize learning. However, just like biological systems, they require feedback that operates in balance, ensuring that each decision made by the system aligns with previous learnings and the larger goal of the system. For a quantum system to achieve reliable performance, the feedback mechanism must be balanced and precise, aligning with Malicse’s view that all systems—whether biological or technological—must act to restore balance when disrupted. -/- Homeostasis in Quantum Systems -/- The ability of quantum systems to maintain homeostasis—to return to a balanced state after a disturbance—is another vital aspect of quantum computing. Quantum error correction algorithms play a central role in ensuring that quantum states do not deviate significantly from their intended positions due to noise or errors. These mechanisms allow quantum systems to maintain internal equilibrium despite external interference, mirroring the concept of homeostasis in biological systems. -/- Malicse’s Homeostasis Principle is directly applicable here: just as biological systems restore balance to ensure survival, quantum systems require constant error-correction and recalibration to maintain balance. This principle ensures that quantum computations are accurate and that imbalances (such as errors or instabilities) are corrected swiftly, maintaining the overall stability of the quantum system. -/- AGI and the Universal Formula -/- The field of AGI seeks to develop machines capable of generalizing knowledge and solving complex problems across multiple domains. As AGI systems evolve, the challenge lies in ensuring they adhere to ethical principles and maintain balance within their decision-making processes. The universal formula offers guidance on how AGI can be structured to make decisions that reflect the principles of natural balance. -/- Feedback Mechanisms and Ethical Decision-Making -/- One of the core challenges of AGI is ensuring that it can make decisions ethically, even when faced with complex, ambiguous situations. AGI systems learn from feedback, adapting their decisions based on both the data they receive and the ethics embedded within their algorithms. The feedback loop in AGI is similar to that of human decision-making—data inputs (environmental feedback) are processed, and decisions are refined to optimize outcomes. -/- Malicse’s Ethical Decision-Making Law can be applied to AGI systems to ensure that their actions promote balance and avoid harm. For example, an AGI system designed for healthcare must balance patient needs with resource availability, ensuring that decisions benefit society while maintaining fairness and equity. If the AGI violates this balance—say, by favoring one group over another—it could result in negative consequences, such as social inequality or resource misallocation. -/- Homeostasis in AGI Systems -/- Much like quantum systems, AGI must strive for homeostasis to maintain long-term operational stability. AGI should be able to detect imbalances in its decision-making process and correct them accordingly. For instance, an AGI operating in a financial system must adjust its strategies based on market feedback, ensuring that it consistently contributes to the stability of the market, without causing disruptive cycles. -/- Integrating Malicse’s Homeostasis Principle in AGI ensures that these systems are capable of continuous adaptation, balancing inputs and outputs in a way that prevents harmful outcomes. In decision-making, this means the AGI will always strive for balance, ensuring that no decision undermines the overall health of the system, whether it’s societal, economic, or environmental. -/- The Role of Education in Promoting Natural Balance -/- Educational systems are fundamental to shaping the leaders and innovators of the future. By incorporating the principles of natural balance, ethical decision-making, and feedback-based learning, we can produce individuals capable of understanding the complexities of quantum systems and AGI. -/- Malicse’s universal formula should be integrated into the educational curriculum at all levels, fostering a generation of thinkers who can balance cause and effect, understand feedback loops, and navigate the ethical challenges of technology. Through this holistic education, students will be better equipped to understand and contribute to the design of future technologies, ensuring that they maintain harmony with natural systems and societal needs. -/- Conclusion -/- Angelito Malicse’s universal formula offers a profound framework for understanding the fundamental principles of decision-making, both in human and computational systems. By integrating these principles into the design of quantum computers and AGI systems, we can create technologies that adhere to the natural laws of balance and ethics, preventing harmful outcomes and ensuring stable, sustainable progress. -/- In the realms of quantum computing and AGI, the application of the Law of Karma, Homeostasis, and Ethical Decision-Making will ensure that these advanced systems work in harmony with their environments, just as natural systems do. Further, by embedding these principles into educational curricula, we can train future generations to harness the power of these technologies in a way that benefits society, promotes fairness, and sustains the natural balance of the universe. -/- By applying Malicse’s universal formula across these domains, we can foster a future where technology and humanity work together in a sustainable, ethical, and balanced way. -/- . (shrink)

It seems certain that one day we will allow the genetic technology which will enhance our offspring. A highly effective new tool, called CRISPR, which allows for carving out genes, is already being used to edit the genomes of animals. In July 2017, the FDA legalized that germline drugs for therapeutic purposes could be sold in the market. It is a high time, now, that we need engage in discussions about the ethics of germline intervention. To contribute to the (...) discussion by showing our thought and to educate the public, we write this paper. (shrink)

The explosive growth in computational power over the past several decades offers new tools and opportunities for economists. This handbook volume surveys recent research on Agent-based Computational Economics (ACE), the computational study of economic processes modeled as open-ended dynamic systems of interacting agents. Empirical referents for “agents” in ACE models can range from individuals or social groups with learning capabilities to physical world features with no cognitive function. Topics covered include: learning; empirical validation; network economics; social dynamics; financial markets; innovation (...) and technological change; organizations; market design; automated markets and trading agents; political economy; social-ecological systems; computational laboratory development; and general methodological issues. (shrink)

This work aims to study strategies used in Argentine local development experiences, focussing on industrial design, marketing and entrepreneurship. In order to this purpose, backgrounds are analysed with this approach adding the study of three strategic plans for national and provincial-level that are currently in force. With the analysis of the transport system in the last decade, an accelerated cost increase is evident, resulting in a relatively higher price of distributed products. This situation that was initially perceived as a (...) disadvantage finally set up an opportunity to produce locally. The goal of this paper is to provide tools that contribute to the work shipped by key institutions for local development (public, private and intermediary organisations), and the way these interact with the actors and the territory. In particular, the identification of productive sectors and the selection of goods that can be produced and consumed locally, as a key input for the formulation of projects. (shrink)

Social robots are marketed as human tools promising us a better life. This marketing strategy commodifies not only the labor of care but the caregiver as well, conjuring a fantasy of technoliberal futurism that echoes a colonial past. Against techno-utopian fantasies of a good life as one involving engineered domestic help, I draw here on the techno-dystopian television show Humans (stylized HUMⱯNS) to suggest that we should find our desires for such help unsettling. At the core of my argument is (...) a return of the “uncanny valley” problem, from its reformulation as an engineering/design problem to its origins as a psychosocial symptom of an unresolved, traumatic past. I conclude that our sense of the uncanny may be best understood as a moral capacity that should be honed rather than evaded. (shrink)

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to analyze the accumulated experience in designing rocket engines using computer-integrated technologies, and to identify current areas of development of this issue and tools for solving scientific and practical problems. Design / Method / Approach. The study is based on the analysis of the accumulated experience in the design of rocket engines using computer-integrated technologies. The researchers developed a design algorithm, a modeling algorithm, and a mathematical model for calculating the (...) parameters of liquid-propellant rocket engines and solid-propellant rocket engines. The analysis process covers the design stages with the introduction of the latest digital tools. Findings. The article identifies key areas for modernizing the rocket engine design process. New methods for modeling and analyzing the design stages using computer-integrated technologies have been developed, which allows to increase the efficiency and accuracy of design. Theoretical Implications. The work confirms the importance of using computer-integrated technologies to optimize and improve the rocket engine design process. The theoretical conclusions emphasize the importance of these technologies in ensuring the accuracy and quality of the design of the latest rocket engine models. Practical Implications. The results obtained can be used to improve the design process at modern rocket engine development enterprises. This will increase the competitiveness of such companies and their leading positions in the engineering services market. Originality / Value. The originality of the study lies in an integrated approach to analyzing the rocket engine design process using the latest computer-integrated technologies. The proposed tools and models are new and have significant value for the further development of the industry. Research Limitations / Future Research. The study is limited to the analysis of certain stages of design and the use of individual tools. Further research could focus on expanding the range of digital tools and improving mathematical models for other types of rocket engines. Paper Type. Practitioner Paper, Review of Methods. (shrink)

Jordan acceded to the WTO in 1999. In its accession Jordan agreed, for example, to reduce tariffs on imported products and open its services market; it also modified its intellectual property regime. Jordan enjoyed special and differential treatment in few areas and was not able to designate olive oil as a good eligible for special safeguards. The WTO agreements required fundamental changes in the domestic laws and regulations of Jordan. The article concludes by arguing that Jordan’s accession to the (...) WTO was a lengthy and costly process. Jordan agreed to an arduous package of legal and economic reforms. Given that Jordan agreed to greater commitments compared to the obligations of the original WTO members, the multilateral trading system witnessed an accession saga. (shrink)

Is the family subject to principles of justice? In "A Theory of Justice", John Rawls includes the (monogamous) family along with the market and the government as among the, "basic institutions of society", to which principles of justice apply. Justice, he famously insists, is primary in politics as truth is in science: the only excuse for tolerating injustice is that no lesser injustice is possible. The point of the present paper is that Rawls doesn't actually mean this. When it (...) comes to the family, and in particular its impact on fair equal opportunity, (the first part of the Difference Principle, Rawls' second principle of justice), he abandons the priority of justice. I also argue that he is right to do so. -/- The central argument is simple. As Rawls admits, what family one is raised by profoundly affects one's life chances: a child raised by a family has far greater life chances on every dimension than one raised in a poorer family that may lack books, education, and time to give the child attention. But the prevailing family arrangements in the industrialized West, assigning children to be raised by their biological parents, is guaranteed to perpetuate this injustice. While Rawls says an unjust institution in the basic structure of society, in which he includes the family, must be, "reformed or abolished," he refrains from calling for the reform or abolition of the family. We must simply work around it to compensate for the injustices he admits it involves. And this despite the fact that alternative arrangements involving communal child-rearing (Plato) or assigning children to those best qualified to raise them (Rousseau) are common in the philosophical literature. Moreover, the practice of having children raised by their biological parents is a relatively recent one, at least in the West, where, before the late 18th century, fostering-out or apprenticeship arrangements were normal and expected for both rich and poor for centuries. -/- Much of the paper is devoted to fine-grained textual analysis of Rawls' attempts to avoid the devastating implications of this argument for his theory of justice -- much of which are stated only in the original edition of "A Theory of Justice" and simply deleted, without substitution by anything better, in the second edition. In the end, Rawls has no way out. He cannot keep the priority of justice, fair equality of opportunity, and the monogamous family in which children are raised by their biological parents. As he admits, these are mutually inconsistent. -/- In the final part of the paper, I argue that Rawls should give up on the priority of justice. While child-rearing by the biological parents is a historical anomaly, in the real modern world it would be politically unfeasible to institute Platonic, Rousseauean, or similar legislation that purportedly assigned children to those best able to raise them, regardless of biological relationship. Since Rawls is committed to principles of political stability and feasibility, as he should be, and since ought implies can, such proposals are off the table. I concur with Rawls that we must work around this injustice, even those there are more just arrangements available in principle. But the cost of this -- less high than Rawls suggests -- is abandoning the principle of the priority of justice. Justice is one of a number of considerations that we must or may balance in deciding on the best attainable social relations. It is not a trump. However, this comes a great cost for Rawls: he must also abandon the lexical ordering of principles of justice or, in general, right or good principles of social order, in favor of the messy intuitionist balancing that his theory is designed to avoid. -/- One feature of the paper that is worth independent attention is a discussion of Marx's rejection of justice in the Critique of the Gotha Program, which I explicate, and urge, without adopting it, that it has a great deal more force than is widely understood. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is to study the relationship between customers’ online flow experience and the perceived quality of a brand website. First, we reviewed flow and perceived quality studies in the literature, and distinguished the flow construct from other similar concepts. Second, we proposed a conceptual diagram for a better understanding and a visual representation of the relationships between the two sets of variables. Third, we identified in the literature, scales for measuring online flow and perceived quality, and (...) ran a factor analysis, followed by a reliability analysis of the scales used. In order to address our research problem - how can the flow theory be used to increase the perceived quality of a brand website - we used a quasi-experimental design. The first phase of our study consisted of selecting a brand website: InPașcani, and establishing a task scenario. The second phase involved data collection. Through an email marketing platform we sent 890 emails containing an invitation to participate in the study. The sample used was nonprobabilistic. The opening rate of emails containing the invitation was 32.5%, with a 10% click rate on the link to participate in our study. At the end of this second phase, June 24, 2013 - July 3, 2013, we received 67 answers, of which 62 were valid. In order to test our hypotheses, we conducted a series of bivariate correlations for testing the relationship between the two sets of variables, and a simple linear regression analysis to examine the causal relationship between online flow state and the perceived quality of a brand website. We found that flow is an important construct that can be used by marketers in order to increase the perceived quality of a brand website. Finally, we discussed the limitations of our study and offered suggestions for future research. (shrink)

Arab countries have adopted market economy principles and pursued policies designed to strengthen their economies. The cornerstone of Arab countries' long-term economic objectives has been to increase trade and support economic growth via regional and global integration. To this end, Arab countries are attempting to broaden their engagement in the multilateral trading system by joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition, some Arab countries entered into trade arrangements with the United States (U.S.) to foster economic development, attract investment, (...) and develop peaceful relationship. These trade agreements carry several implications for local economies. (shrink)

The main purpose of this study was to determine the significant relationship between the Consumer Attitude and Behavioral Intention of the customers in choosing gasoline stations in Samal District. The study utilized a quantitative descriptive-correlational research design. The data was gathered through the use of survey questionnaires and was distributed personally and randomly to 385 customers of gasoline stations in Samal District. The result showed that the consumer attitude generated a high mean score and shows that the items were (...) oftentimes manifested while behavioral intention also had a high mean score and shows that the items were oftentimes manifested. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between consumer attitude and behavioral intention. It was also found out that consumer attitude significantly influence behavioral intention in the choice of gasoline station. The researchers recommended that a gasoline station should improve their marketing strategy, like giving a discount or promo to their product, improve the quality of service and accommodation because customers oftentimes choose a specific gasoline station according to their attitude and behavioral intention. (shrink)

The aim of the paper is the development of theoretical approaches and practical recommendations for the formation of a system to respond to the needs of consumers in the company that provides the service. Theoretical and methodological foundation work was to study and rethink works of Ukrainian and foreign scientists on improving marketing activities, services based on the formation of a system to respond to the needs of consumers. Based on systematic methods, structural analysis, causal analysis, synthesis and argumentation proposed (...) system respond to the needs of consumers in higher education (universities). The importance of formation of the system to respond to the needs of consumers for Ukrainian universities and determined its structural components; classified obstacles to implementation in Ukrainian university system to respond to the needs of consumers and the ways to overcome them; Chart systematization process designed event involving consumers and roadmap event (for example, of "Career Day"). (shrink)

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to explore the "resource curse" problem as a counter-example of creative performance and innovation by examining reliance on capital and physical resources, showing the gap between expectations and ex-post actual performance that became clearer under conditions of economic turmoil. Design/methodology/approach ‐ The analysis uses logistic regressions with dichotomous response and predictor variables on structured tables of count data, representing firm performance as an outcome of capital resources, physical resources and innovation where (...) appropriate. Findings ‐ Key findings relevant to economic and business practice follow. First, a typical characteristic of successful Vietnamese firms in the transition period is their reliance on either capital resources or physical asset endowments. Second, poor performers exhibit evidence of over-reliance on both capital and physical assets. Third, firms that relied on both types of resources tended to downplay creative performance. Some evidence suggests that firms face more acute problem caused by the law of diminishing returns in troubled times. Fourth, the "innovation factor" has not been tapped as a source of economic growth. Research limitations/implications ‐ This study has some limitations. The size of the survey sample is approximately 150 firms, while the potential sample of > 300 should be possible in the future. When the size increases, the research could be expanded to include further variables that will help investigate more deeply into the related issues and business implications. With regard to the implications of the study, the absence of innovations has made the notion of "resource curse" identical to "destructive creation" implemented by ex-ante resource-rich firms, and worsened the problem of resource misallocation in transition turmoil. The Vietnamese corporate sector's addiction to resources may contribute to economic deterioration, through a downward spiral of lower efficiency leading to consumption of more resources. Practical implications ‐ Insights obtained from this study could save transition economies' resources which have almost always been considered sine qua non before any critical major policymaking, while this is not necessarily true, and in many cases, even counterproductive. Originality/value ‐ Original data set on Vietnam stock market are collected, processed, prepared and used by the authors. Original design by the authors for regression equations with dichotomous predictor variables: dependence on endowed physical assets, reliance on capital resources and significant signs of creative performance/innovations. Original idea of viewing "resource curse" as absence of innovation and due to uncreative "destructive creation" of poor-performing commercial operations by resource-rich firms is used in the paper. We have searched the literature in business research and found that the empirical results have not been previously reported. (shrink)

In 2006, in a special issue of this journal, several authors explored what they called the dual nature of artefacts. The core idea is simple, but attractive: to make sense of an artefact, one needs to consider both its physical nature—its being a material object—and its intentional nature—its being an entity designed to further human ends and needs. The authors construe the intentional component quite narrowly, though: it just refers to the artefact’s function, its being a means to realize a (...) certain practical end. Although such strong focus on functions is quite natural , I argue in this paper that an artefact’s intentional nature is not exhausted by functional considerations. Many non-functional properties of artefacts—such as their marketability and ease of manufacture—testify to the intentions of their users/designers; and I show that if these sorts of considerations are included, one gets much more satisfactory explanations of artefacts, their design, and normativity.Keywords: Artefacts; Dual Nature program; Function; Intentionality; Normativity. (shrink)

The producers of Automobile products innovated a new thought of designing the two- wheelers in such a way to attract the women. Today most of the women prefer to travel through two-wheelers. A wide variety of two-wheelers of all category light- weighted, medium – weighted and heavy weighted vehicles have been introduced in the market. The objective of the study is to know the preference and satisfaction of women consumers over two-wheelers and the various aspects, which determines the purchase (...) or buying behavior and to know the expectations of women consumers over two-wheelers. (shrink)

Friedrich Hayek’s defense of neoliberal free market capitalism hinges on the distinction between economies and catallaxies. The former are orders instituted via planning, whereas the latter are spontaneous competitive orders resulting from human action without human design. I argue that this distinction is based on an incomplete semantic history of “economy.” By looking at the meaning of “oikonomia” in medieval providential theology as explained by Giorgio Agamben and Joseph Vogl, I argue how Hayek’s science of catallactics is itself (...) a secularization of providential theology. This exposes Hayek to three criticisms: he unjustifiably neglects the possibility of tendencies toward spontaneous disorder in free markets, he condemns the “losers” of neoliberal competition to being providential waste on the road to general prosperity, and he imposes on people the duty to consent to a neoliberal order that hinders them from cultivating their inoperativity. (shrink)

MVi is actively engaged with the Bounorng, Kouy, Stieng, Kreung, Prov, Laak, and Kavet communities in the provinces of Mondulkiri, Stung Treng, and Kratie. Over the years, MVi has implemented three strategic plans since 2006, focusing on supporting indigenous and rural communities in these three provinces. The strategic plan for the period 2023–2027 is designed to enhance the livelihoods and economic conditions of indigenous and vulnerable communities. This plan prioritizes four key areas: climate change, natural resource management, modern agriculture production (...) and market, and social accountability. Supporting the establishment and functionality of sub-national networks is not only a core value of MVi but also a strategic approach. MVi actively facilitates the formation of sub-national networks, including the indigenous youth network, indigenous women's network on NRM, and youth/child network on CEFM. These networks are crucial in promoting self-reliance and addressing specific issues. The performances of indigenous youths and women are evaluated based on their understanding of roles and responsibilities, dissemination of youth's roles in natural resource management, participation in trainings and seminars, organization of regular meetings, coordination with community leaders for various meetings and events, mobilization of youth members to address NRM issues, implementation of plans to protect natural resources, integration of NRM plans into commune investment plans, advocacy for NRM issues with networks and decision-makers, and collaboration with other communities for NRM discussions and actions. This paper aims to guide NGO staff on how to assess the performance of sub-national community networks focusing on natural resource management. (shrink)

In this paper we propose an Ontology of Commercial Exchange (OCE) based on Basic Formal Ontology. OCE is designed for re-use in the Industrial Ontologies Foundry (IOF) and in other ontologies addressing different aspects of human social behavior involving purchasing, selling, marketing, and so forth. We first evaluate some of the design patterns used in the Financial Industry Business Ontology (FIBO) and Product Types Ontology (PTO). We then propose terms and definitions that we believe will improve the representation of (...) contractual obligations, sales processes, and their associated documents. A commercial exchange, for instance, involves mutual agreement to reciprocate actions, such as transferring money, performing a service, or transferring goods. (shrink)

The aim of the article. The aim of the article is to identify the components of social and economic systems life cycle. To achieve this aim, the article describes the traits and characteristics of the system, determines the features of social and economic systems functioning and is applied a systematic approach in the study of their life cycle. The results of the analysis. It is determined that the development of social and economic systems has signs of cyclicity and is explained (...) methodologically by the axiomatics, rules and laws. Understanding of circular patterns has been formed long ago and now is recorded by scientists monitoring the properties of natural and artificial environment of human activity. During the study, it was found out that in scientific literature there is no unified description of the life cycle elements of social and economic systems at personal, micro, meso, macro and global levels. The paper investigates the cyclical patterns in multilevel social and economic systems for a human, employee, family, product, company, city, industry, elite, macroeconomic indicators, humanity, global processes, global economic system and the Universe. It is noted that at grass-roots administrative levels of the global environment of a human life activity system, a thesis about the cyclicity of development and the stages of the life cycle is considered by a wide circle of scientists and is doubtless. On hierarchically higher management levels of the global environment of human activity system, the scientists noticed the similar patterns of the cyclical nature. Problematic and discussion questions about cyclic development of social and economic systems are identified: the uncertainty of the driving force source of repeated changes; the vague distinction between systemic (internal) and off-system (external) influence on development; the lack of a unified description of development nature at different managerial levels; the use of different descriptive terms for the same constituent elements of repeated changes (period, stage, phase, wave, cycle); the uncertainty of the number of repeated changes constituent elements; the absence of an identification mechanism of the exact time of changes in the constituent elements of repeated changes; the surface description of out-of-system period of the subjects activity («before-system» period of creation and «after-system» period of liquidation); attaching more importance to primary and less importance to ultimate component elements of the repeated changes; the lack of reliable mechanism for predicting and forecasting the dynamics of constituent components of repeated changes. It is noted that all social and economic systems are developed within repeated changes and they have the same attributes of cyclicity: the fluctuation of indicators is marked that characterize the condition of the subject; the presence of system (from creation to liquidation) and out-of-system (creation – «design» and liquidation – «disposal») periods are noted; the subjects are created by the actions of other subjects (that is, subjects do not arise «out of nowhere», but are the result of actions of other subjects – «constructors»); after cessation of subjects functioning, their resources are used by other subjects (that is, the subjects do not disappear «nowhere», and they are transformed into the resources of other subjects – «recovery»); a unidirectional life cycle from «birth» to «death» is observed in the subjects; the subjects do not have to undergo the whole life cycle (each time might be the last); the subjects display similar changes of the indicators during their activity; ascending, peak and descending fluctuations of indicators are observed in the subjects; minor fluctuations occur in the constituent elements; the subjects have individual nature of indicator fluctuations and duration of activity. Conclusions and directions of further researches. The scientific novelty of the study is identification structure of life cycle of social and economic system with definitions of: common («before-system state», «growth», «stabilization», «reduction», «after-system state») and specific («creation», «slow growth», «rapid growth», «growth stabilization», «short stabilization», «rapid reduction», «slow reduction», «liquidation») constituent elements of repeated changes; marginal borders of indicators; dynamics of constituent elements of life cycle; key points of changing nature of the indicators dynamics. Identification of the life cycle of social and economic systems characterizes potentially possible limits of their activity in time and provides the possibility of further research of aspects of the cyclical development for methodological basis formation and the development of applied measures of systemic development in the areas of marketing and management innovations. (shrink)

In today’s competitive job market, job seekers often struggle to find suitable employment due to limited support and fragmented resources across various platforms. The PGRKAM Web Application addresses these challenges by centralizing employment data into a single, user-friendly platform that enhances job search efficiency. The application consolidates job listings from multiple sources, offers real-time notifications, and provides personalized job recommendations. It is structured with a two-tiered service model: a free version offering access to job listings and essential search features, (...) and a subscription-based version providing advanced support, including performance analysis, personalized training suggestions, and a structured feedback system to continuously improve employability. Optimized for web access and designed to support regional economic growth, the PGRKAM Web Application empowers job seekers with relevant, real-time data, ultimately increasing their chances of securing meaningful employment in Punjab. (shrink)

The post-Westphalian Nation State developed by becoming more and more an Information Society. However, in so doing, it progressively made itself less and less the main information agent, because one of the main forces that made the Nation State possible and then predominant, as a historical driving force in human politics, namely Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), is also what is now making it less central, in the social, political and economic life of humanity across the world. ICTs enable and (...) promote the agile, temporary and timely aggregation, disaggregation and re-aggregation of distributed groups around shared interests across old, rigid boundaries represented by social classes, political parties, ethnicity, language barriers, physical and geographical barriers, and so forth. Similar novelties call for a serious exercise in conceptual re-engineering. This paper argues for the need to understand how the new informational multiagent systems may be designed in such a way as to take full advantage of the socio-political progress made so far, while being able to deal successfully with the new global challenges (from the environment to the financial markets) that are undermining the legacy of that very progress. (shrink)

While the challenges workers face in the gig economy are now well-known, reflections on emancipatory solutions in political philosophy are still underdeveloped. Some have pleaded for enhancing workers' bargaining power through unionisation; others for enhancing exit options in the labour market. Both strategies, however, come with unin-tended side-effects and do not exhaust the full potential for worker self-government present in the digital gig economy. Using the republican theory of freedom as non-domination , I argue that G.D.H. Cole's 20th-century defence (...) of guild socialism offers a promising avenue for enhancing worker autonomy in the gig economy. Platform companies rely on relational and structural domination to undermine worker autonomy, but Cole's guild socialism was specifically designed to enhance autonomy in the workplace. Following Cole's advice today would amount to a defence of worker-owned cooperative platforms. By putting workers in control of platform design and governance, cooperative platforms create new opportunities for worker autonomy. However, platform coopera-tivism faces serious challenges if it plans on becoming a realistic alternative to the traditional gig economy. (shrink)

The "Udyog Saarthi App" is a progressive web-based application developed to enhance job coaching and career readiness for adults with disabilities, specifically focusing on the 4% reservation opportunities provided by NIEPMD and similar institutions in India. This innovative platform addresses the unique needs of users by allowing them to select their specific disability during registration, which customizes the website’s layout for improved accessibility. The application offers a comprehensive listing of real-time job opportunities that align with users' skills and qualifications, empowering (...) them to pursue suitable career paths. In addition, it provides personalized learning resources tailored to each job role, ensuring that users are equipped with the necessary skills to excel. The app also includes periodic mock assessments designed to evaluate users' preparedness for employment. These assessments employ natural language processing (NLP) techniques to calculate scores based on various parameters such as readability scores and the SMOG index, promoting objective and effective evaluations. Moreover, the Udyog Saarthi App features an interactive dashboard that enables users to track their progress and analytics, fostering a sense of accomplishment and motivation. To promote community engagement and support, the application includes a friend recommender system that connects users with similar disabilities, facilitating peer networking and encouragement. Incorporating multilingual support through the Google Translate API, the platform aims to reach a diverse user base, ensuring that language barriers do not hinder accessibility. Ultimately, the Udyog Saarthi App strives to empower individuals with disabilities by providing essential tools and resources, enabling them to become self-sufficient and industry-ready in the competitive job market. (shrink)

A scarcity mindset is considered to impact consumer behaviors. Our research aimed to examine the moderating effect of the scarcity mindset on the relationship between mental accounting and hedonic (vs. utilitarian) consumption. We conducted an online experimental design (mental accounting: windfall gains vs. hard-earning gains; consumption: hedonic products vs. utilitarian products) and verified our hypotheses in two distinct samples: a student sample and an adult sample. Our results showed that consumers who received windfall gains tended to use it for (...) hedonic consumption rather than utilitarian consumption. Intriguingly, such an effect was insignificant under a high level of a scarcity mindset but significant under a low level of the scarcity mindset. Moreover, consumers who received hard-earning gains tended to spend the money on utilitarian (vs. hedonic) consumption. However, we did not detect the impact of the scarcity mindset on such effects. Our research suggested an asymmetric effect of the scarcity mindset on hedonic (vs. utilitarian) consumption under two different mental accounts. It highlights the important role of the scarcity mindset in consumer behaviors, which leaves avenues for future research to understand marketing promotion strategies for distinct products. (shrink)

The aim of this study is to explore the effects of fake news on consumers’ brand trust in the food security context. The starting point of our research is the finding that issues related to food security cannot be addressed without the contribution of multinational food corporations. The efficiency of their intervention depends on their capacity to build and preserve their brand trust despite the multifarious fake news stories that contaminate the information flow. Is brand trust sensitive to fake news? (...) In some cases, the spread of fake news in mass media and social media negatively affects food companies. In other cases, consumers’ trust remains relatively unchanged. These ambivalent reactions give us good reason to assess whether consumers’ exposure to negative fake news influences their trust in international food brands. Using a one-group pretest-posttest research design, we found that the effects of fake news on consumers’ brand trust are predominantly negative, but in a few cases, these effects can be neutral or positive. These results could be useful for PR and marketing researchers and professionals interested in fake news phenomena and brand trust because they shed light on the real threat fake news represents for multinational food companies. (shrink)

Web applications are increasing day by day and the choice of technology for building a web application is a tedious task. A good website needs to be scalable, functional, responsive, reliable, secure etc. Therefore, comparing the different trending technologies for web design is crucial. The entire design of our website requires the selection of the programming languages. It is difficult to give a quick solution to this issue without first considering what our website will do both now and (...) in the future. One of the initial decisions to be made is whether the website will be static, interacting with users relatively little, or dynamic, displaying personalised information to users in response to interactions. Also, there are many stacks trending and available in the market for web development like MERN stack, MEAN stack, MEVN stack or ruby on rails or DERN technology. It's very necessary to understand all, the key differences between them and which one is right to choose when. This paper attempts to assist web developers through conducting an empirical comparison of the most significant web-based programming languages and databases. The paper compares frontend technologies like React and Angular based on certain parameters like DOM, architecture and data binding, in each case comparing their performance and also do the performance analysis of backend technologies like MongoDB and PostgreSQL, which are no-SQL and SQL databases respectively, based on e-commerce use case application. The paper finally suggests which technology to choose for which use case and under what conditions and requirements. (shrink)

This paper brings the concept of affective scaffolding to bear on a much-debated controversy: the expanding use of psy- chiatric medications to treat an increasingly broad range of human discontents. ‘Affective scaffolding’ refers to the variety of ways that agents engage with, recruit or modify their environments to actively shape their emotions, moods, or other affective phenomena. Psychiatric drugs are designed, marketed, and prescribed as technologies that have the special power to transform affective life by intervening on the pathological underpinnings (...) of distress and suffering to change how we feel. The paper develops an account of psychiatric drug use as affective scaffolding and examines how psychiatrization – the complex social process through which psychiatry comes to influence more and more domains of human life – impacts this form of scaffolding. I propose that psychiatrization influences affective scaffolding by biasing individuals toward psychiatric drugs to manage an expanding array of affective experiences. In some cases, I argue, this results in bad pharmaceutical scaffolding. Bad pharmaceutical scaffolding emerges when an agent is influenced to select and rely upon psychiatric drugs in attempts to exert individual control over distress and suffering where (1) at least some of the key determinants of these affective experiences are properties of the agent’s environment, in contrast to, in a strict sense, properties internal to the person, and (2) pharmaceutical scaffolding obviates the need for or displaces other non-pharmaceutical options that would better serve the agent's affective needs and interests. (shrink)

This paper critically evaluates institution reconstructing critique—the central methodological strategy employed by Axel Honneth in his latest book Freedom’s Right designed to articulate and justify the normative standards employed by a critical theory of the present. It begins by considering, at a general level, the promises and limits of three ideal-typical normative methodologies of social critique: first principles critique, intuition refining critique, and institution reconstructing critique. It then turns to the details of Honneth’s history and diagnosis of market spheres (...) of society as one key example of institution reconstruction critique. This leads to a consideration of some challenges facing this kind of critique, paying particular attention to problems posed by alternative reconstructions of the same data. It argues, in particular, that there is a troubling indeterminacy in this reconstruction, since alternative teleologies yield substantively different normative analyses of capitalism, and hence substantively different social critiques. In conclusion, the paper suggests some methodological remedies which might need to be adopted in order to make good on the promise of institution reconstructing critique while avoiding some of its most challenging problems. (shrink)

In light of the observations and research design presented in the previous reports, the current technical report is focused on the relationship between the quality and specificity of the content of the gambling sites and the site’s SEO and marketing policy. This relationship is dependent upon the category of the gambling site and the difference in content quality, and the degree to which the mathematical dimension of gambling is reflected in this content is explained by this dependence.

The production of scientific instruments in America was neither a postwar phenomenon nor dramatically different from that of several other developed countries. It did, however, undergo a step-change in direction, size and style during and after the war. The American scientific instrument industry after 1945 was intimately dependent on, and shaped by, prior American and European experience. This was true of the specific genres of instrument produced commercially; to links between industry and science; and, just as importantly, to manufacturing practices (...) and cultures. I will argue that, despite the new types of instrument commercialized after the war, this historical continuity of links with science and scientists guided and constrained the design and manufacture of these products. Nevertheless, new designers, manufacturers and customers gradually transformed the culture of scientific instruments in the second half of the century. -/- This chapter deals with a subset of the American instrument industry, namely the measuring and monitoring instruments manufactured for scientific use. Even with the specification of ‘scientific’ instruments, however, these borders are rather artificial and unclear: instrument making from the seventeenth through the twentieth century has generally involved the fabrication of both standard products and custom-made devices for scientific use.2 In this context of sales quantities, ‘scientific’ instruments have often been defined as low-volume, special-order or custom devices. In a similar vein, ‘scientific’ instruments were commonly distinguished from ‘production’ instruments by context of usage, namely their very absence from – and indeed irrelevance to – production environments. This demarcation according to customer and environment was mirrored in at least one furth er respect: the training of their users. The classification into ‘scientific’ and ‘engineering’ applications was as fluid as the relationship between American universities and technical industries themselves.Despite these complementary definitions, the notion of the ‘scientific instrument’ was beginning to prove inadequate even at the turn of the twentieth century, and dramatically so when discussing the post-Second World War period. Definitions altered qualitatively after the Second World War in at least three further ways: (a) new genres of device altered the scope of the scientific instrument; (b) the contribution of State and military sponsorship of new forms of instrument became significant; and, (c) the postwar demand for specialist instruments increased rapidly, owing to wartime innovation, new applications and new customers. I will explore the evolution of instrument manufacturing in this changing context of new technology, funding, development and markets. (shrink)

The United States (U.S.) and Jordan launched negotiations for a free trade agreement in 2000.The US-JO FTA includes a preamble, nineteen articles, three annexes, joint statements, memorandums of understanding, and side letters. In addition to the interesting articles on labor and environment, the US-JO FTA provides the opportunity for Jordanian nationals to come to the U.S. to make investments and participate in trade. Under certain conditions, Jordanian nationals can enter the U.S. to render professional services. The purpose of this article (...) is to examine in detail article 8 of the US-JO FTA which relates to entry of nationals of one party into the territory of the other. The article starts by providing a brief background of the negotiation and conclusion of the US-JO FTA. Then, the article analyzes in detail the specific provision related to temporary entry of nationals. The article draws a comparison between US-JO FTA with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the more recent trade agreements between the U.S., Oman, Bahrain, and Morocco. Finally, the article observes that although the US-JO FTA, like all US FTAs, is designed to permit temporary entry, without intent to establish permanent residence, of persons, the U.S. should have provided Jordan with special and differential treatment for entry of its nationals. Taking into account the special circumstances of Jordan as a developing country with low-income status, high unemployment rate, and lack of resources, movement of business visitors, investors, intra-company transferees, and professionals should have been dealt with leniency so that the FTA could generate effective and real market access. (shrink)

Today e-commerce has had tremendous growth in the past years primarily due to changes in technology and customer’s buying behavior. One of the big shifts in the process has been the use of ML in advertising which has the capability to transform the marketing domain together with consumer interactions. This paper discusses the viability of using machine learning for designing realistic models of advertising to increase effectiveness of target and personalized advertising, as well as conversion rates in e-commerce. Several techniques (...) are explored in the study, such as supervised and unsupervised learning, recommender systems, and content optimization with natural language processing. By using case studies and experimental models, we discuss how and to what extent ML is beneficial in e-commerce advertising transformation. The results presented in this paper indicate that using machine learning in advertising has a potential of dramatically improving the customer experience while simultaneously increasing brand recognition and sales. (shrink)

Medical ghostwriting is the practice in which pharmaceutical companies engage an outside writer to draft a manuscript submitted for publication in the names of “honorary authors,” typically academic key opinion leaders. Using newly-posted documents from paroxetine litigation, we show how the use of ghostwriters and key opinion leaders contributed to the publication of a medical journal article containing manipulated outcome data to favor the proprietary medication. The article was ghostwritten and managed by SmithKline Beecham, now GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Scientific Therapeutics (...) Information, Inc. without acknowledging their contribution in the published article. The named authors with financial ties to GSK, had little or no direct involvement in the paroxetine 352 bipolar trial results and most had not reviewed any of the manuscript drafts. The manuscript was originally rejected by peer review; however, its ultimate acceptance to the American Journal of Psychiatry was facilitated by the journal editor who also had financial ties to GSK. Thus, GSK was able to take an under-powered and non-informative trial with negative results and present it as a positive marketing vehicle for off-label promotion of paroxetine for bipolar depression. In addition to the commercial spin of paroxetine efficacy, important protocol-designated safety data were unreported that may have shown paroxetine to produce potentially harmful adverse events. (shrink)

Purpose – This paper furnishes an inaugural reading of abjective consumption by drawing on Kristeva’s psychoanalytic theory of abjection within the wider terrain of consumer cultural research. It offers a conceptual framework that rests on three pillars, viz. irrationality, meaninglessness, dissolution of selfhood. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative research design that adopts a documentary ethnographic approach, by drawing on a corpus of 50 documentary episodes from the TV series “My Strange Addiction” and “Freaky Eaters”. Findings – The findings from this (...) analysis point to different orders of mediatized discourse that are simultaneously operative in different actors’ frames (e.g. moralizing, medical), in Goffman’s terms, yet none of which attains to address the phenomenon of abjective consumption to its fullblown extent. Research limitations/implications – Although some degree of bias is bound to be inherent in the data because of their pre-recorded status, they are particularly useful not in the least because this is a “difficult sample” in qualitative methodological terms. Practical implications – The multi-order dimensionalization of abjective consumption opens up new vistas to marketers in terms of adding novel dimensions to the message structure of their communicative programs, in line with the three Lacanian orders. Social implications – The adoption of a consumer psychoanalytic perspective allows significant others to fully dimensionalize the behavior of abjective consumption subjects, by becoming sensitive to other than symbolic aspects that are endemic in consumer behavior. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the extant consumer cultural research literature by furnishing the novel conceptual framework of abjective consumption, as a further elaboration of my consumer psychoanalytic approach to jouissance consumption, as well as by contrasting this interpretive frame vis-à-vis dominant discursive regimes. (shrink)

Free trade agreements are about reducing tariffs, market access in services, protection of intellectual property rights, streamlining customs procedures, trade remedy measures, and dispute settlement mechanism. Equally important if not even more important than these provisions is the designation of rules of origin. Many benefits can be lost if restrictive rules of origin are incorporated. Rules of origin are supposed to be straightforward and easy-to-follow methods used to determine origin of imported goods. The policy question that arises is how (...) to improve trade integration among Arab countries through more effective rules of origin. (shrink)