Showing papers in "Journal of Consumer Policy in 2005"
TL;DR: In this paper, both types of constraints on lifestyle changes in a sustainable direction are discussed as well as policies for reducing constraints, and possible motivational effects of the proposed policies are also outlined.
Abstract: Consumer policy can empower consumers for changing lifestyles by reducing personal constraints and limitations, but it should also attempt to loosen some of the external constraints that make changes towards a more sustainable lifestyle difficult. In terms of reducing consumers’ subjectively felt restrictions on their ability to change lifestyle, the two approaches are equivalent. Policies that increase a feeling of empowerment may also have a positive effect on consumers’ motivation to make an effort, thus amplifying its effects. In this paper both types of constraints on lifestyle changes in a sustainable direction are discussed as well as policies for reducing constraints. Possible motivational effects of the proposed policies are also outlined.
420 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a model which includes several starting points to enhance the efficiency of certification systems and the corresponding labels, such as reducing auditors' dependence, intensifying liability, increasing reputation effects, and minimizing audit costs.
Abstract: Given the large number of certification systems in the food industry, it is surprising that there are only a few research approaches to the economics of certification. Certification schemes are used to ensure marketing claims for unobservable quality attributes. Under asymmetric information, process-oriented quality characteristics such as organic farming, animal welfare, or fair trade raise the question of mislabelling. In the long run, only a reliable control procedure can reduce the risk of food scandals. The article presents a model which includes several starting points to enhance the efficiency of certification systems and the corresponding labels. On the whole, tendencies towards price wars on the certification market and considerable differences in performance reveal the necessity of institutional changes. Strategies for reducing auditors’ dependence, intensifying liability, increasing reputation effects, and minimizing audit costs are suggested. Finally, policy implications for public and private monitoring are discussed.
407 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the lack of commitment to strong sustainable consumption among IGOs can be explained by their weakness as actors in global governance and the existence of strong opposing interests among consumers and business actors.
Abstract: What are the implications of the current international political, and economic settings for consumer policy, and, in particular, those regarding sustainable consumption? In terms of improvements in the efficiency of consumption, the settings have induced efforts to this effect and show potential for further progress. In terms of necessary changes in consumption levels and patterns, however, little progress has been made since the Rio Summit nor is there likely to be any in the near future. These two dimensions of sustainable consumption need to be differentiated, as there is a substantial amount of controversy regarding our ability to achieve sustainable consumption on the basis of improvements in efficiency alone. The paper traces these differences with respect to the work of the major international governmental organizations (IGOs) engaged in developing sustainable consumption governance. It argues that the lack of commitment to strong sustainable consumption among IGOs can be explained by their “weakness” as actors in global governance and the existence of strong opposing interests among consumers and business actors.
269 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the results of an experiment in which three different types of anti-piracy arguments were tested among 139 young adult consumers susceptible to engage in swapping music over the Internet.
Abstract: This article presents the results of an experiment in which three different types of anti-piracy arguments were tested among 139 young adult consumers susceptible to engage in swapping music over the Internet: (1) stressing the negative personal consequences of pirating music, (2) stressing the negative consequences for the artists, and (3) stressing the unethical nature of this behaviour. The psychological determinants of music piracy behaviour were modeled in part with (1991) Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour. The results show that the intention to swap music on-line depended on one’s attitude toward music piracy, one’s perception that important others want that this behaviour be performed, and one’s perceived competency in doing so. In addition, having swapped music on-line in the past had a strong influence on one’s intention to do it again. Contrary to expectations, the anti-piracy arguments had no significant impact on the behavioural dynamics underlying on-line music piracy.
212 citations
TL;DR: The most consistent and significant influences on financial exclusion are employment status, household income, and housing tenure, closely followed by marital status, age, and level of academic qualification as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The concept of financial exclusion has been the subject of increasing interest and debate and is characterised as a situation where a proportion of the population have limited access to mainstream financial services. Previous studies of financial exclusion in the UK have generally focused on a particular financial service, such as bank accounts, and have incorporated differing methods and models of investigation. Thus, comparing and contrasting significant influences on exclusion across a range of financial services proves problematic. The current study uses a common model to test and compare influences on exclusion for a wide range of financial services. Findings show that the most consistent and significant influences on financial exclusion are employment status, household income, and housing tenure, closely followed by marital status, age, and level of academic qualification. A more complex relationship with the remaining explanatory variables is apparent.
141 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the way "green consumers" are constructed or performed in studies on consumer environmentalism aiming to inform policy makers, and conclude that consumer research is a creative process, in which consumers are made to interact with different contexts, thus eliciting different outcomes.
Abstract: This article considers the way “green consumers” are constructed – or performed – in studies on consumer environmentalism aiming to inform policy makers. The focus is on concrete data gathering operations, which are exemplified by four brief examples from the author’s own research experience. The conclusion is that consumer research is a creative process, in which consumers are made to interact with different contexts, thus eliciting different outcomes. These conclusions give rise to two suggestions. More attention should be paid to context in research, which is already occurring. More fundamentally, researchers should recognize their active, performative role when interacting with consumers as research subjects, on the one hand, and with policy-makers and other social actors as research utilizers, on the other.
69 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors question the underlying assumptions in the still somewhat unclear and open Commission communications and propose the elaboration and eventual adoption of an EU consumer contract law regulation (ECCLR) based on Art. 153 (3) b) EC.
Abstract: The paper informs about initiatives of the EC Commission to create a set of instruments for advancing a European contract law, in particular a “common frame of reference.” It questions the underlying assumptions in the still somewhat unclear and open Commission communications. It doubts whether EU has any competence to harmonise contract law under the internal market jurisdiction of Art. 95 EC. As an alternative, it proposes the elaboration and eventual adoption of an EU consumer contract law regulation (ECCLR) based on Art. 153 (3) b) EC which would take direct effect and be limited to minimal, yet directly applicable rules on consumer protection in contract law.
41 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the possible uses of the Common Frame of Reference (CFR) for consumer legislation and make the case for a recasting of Community law on consumer protection as a first priority in the implementation of the project.
Abstract: The European contract law project has crossed the threshold between an intellectual exercise and concrete policy. The 2004 Communication on the way forward describes the procedure to implement the policy suggested by the 2003 Action Plan, and so it would now be timely to give some thought to the likely impact of the Common Frame of Reference (CFR) on future Community law. It is submitted that the CFR is indispensable for the planned crafting of full harmonisation consumer contract law. This article therefore focuses on the possible uses of the CFR for consumer legislation and attempts to make the case for a recasting of Community law on consumer protection as a first priority in the implementation of the project. Based on policy papers and policy considerations, this article suggests making a test case of the travel and tourism sectors. It also reflects further on the potential virtues of an optional instrument for consumer legislation.
39 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an econometric, time-series model of consumer spending on tapes, LPs, and CDs is estimated which takes into account factors that are posited as effecting the consumption of recorded music, but not used in previous studies.
Abstract: The downloading of music from the internet has been proliferating over the past three years. The recording industry believes that this phenomenon is responsible for the decline in recorded music sales since the year 2000, and to a certain extent this is supported by consumer surveys and previous studies that have used panel or cross-sectional data. In this analysis, an econometric, time-series model of consumer spending on tapes, LPs, and CDs is estimated which takes into account factors that are posited as effecting the consumption of recorded music, but not used in previous studies. The most significant finding is that music downloading, subsequent to 2000, affects consumer spending on tapes, LPs, and CDs through the price elasticity of demand. Falling DVD prices have also served to reduce the demand of recorded music during this same period.
38 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, it is argued that even though the consumer cannot be reduced to a "homo oeconomicus", competition law is the cornerstone of consumer law and that the decentralised application of EC competition law since 1 May 2004 (pursuant to Regulation 1/2003) gives new opportunities for an effective application of the EC competition rules to the benefit of consumers.
Abstract: In this paper it is argued that even though the consumer cannot (anymore) be reduced to a “homo oeconomicus,” competition law is the cornerstone of consumer law and that the decentralised application of EC competition law since 1 May 2004 (pursuant to Regulation 1/2003) gives new opportunities for an effective application of the EC competition rules to the benefit of consumers. While the EC Treaty (and the future Constitution for Europe) aim to protect consumers in the framework of the internal market programme, as well as on the basis of a genuine “consumer protection” policy, it is submitted that an effective competition policy remains crucial for consumers in a market economy. Consumer interests are generally diffuse and therefore difficult to protect via legal procedures. Nevertheless a further development of remedies which are already available in Community law (nullity of restrictive agreements, claims for damages, actions for a cease and desist order, and so on) will contribute to an increased application of the competition rules in the interest of consumers.
24 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that a mix of governance elements and framing opportunities for interest groups can explain output and new directions of consumer policy, and that the dilemma of collective action appears to be shrinking for consumers because framing trumps mobilization of members.
Abstract: Students of comparative politics have highlighted different styles of regulation in the U.S. and Europe. These differences also apply to consumer policy and its different models of governance. The paper holds that governance is a key variable but adds aspects of issue framing. Two examples of consumer policy are analysed: regulation of genetically modified organisms and tobacco control. The case studies show that features of governance such as adversarial legalism or the precautionary principle are not necessarily linked to distinctive styles of regulation. Instead they vary across policy fields. Only a mix of governance elements and framing opportunities for interest groups can explain output and new directions of consumer policy. Dilemmas of collective action appear to be shrinking for consumers because framing trumps mobilization of members.
TL;DR: The authors describe the mid-2003 government-ordered withdrawal of almost 2,000 complementary and alternative medicines, across multiple brand names, in Australia and New Zealand as "massive" and makes recommendations for the management of future recall events.
Abstract: The regulatory effectiveness, the impact on industry and consumers of product withdrawal and the associated wider issues relating to crisis management represent an under-researched area. The authors describe the mid-2003 government-ordered withdrawal of almost 2,000 complementary and alternative medicines, across multiple brand names, in Australia and New Zealand. The report is based on an examination of the media coverage of the event and on interviews with key informants in manufacturing and retailing and the regulatory system. This massive, multi-brand recall provides an opportunity to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the management of a cross-border withdrawal from regulatory and consumer policy perspectives and makes recommendations for the management of future recall events.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the shortcomings with regard to the quality and the presentation of the data which have to be overcome in order to make full use of the potential of CLAB.
Abstract: Despite its great potential for being a valuable research tool for practitioners and academics dealing with European comparative law, CLAB Europa, the publicly accessible electronic database on unfair terms in consumer contracts, has largely been ignored to date. The database’s wealth of data and its sophisticated query functions allow useful conclusions regarding the use of and the case law on standard terms in consumer contracts from both a national and a Community law perspective. This is illustrated by statistical analyses of parts of the CLAB data set. However, there are also shortcomings with regard to the quality and the presentation of the data which have to be overcome in order to make full use of the potential of CLAB.
TL;DR: In this paper, a brief description of the activities of the largest regional consumer organization in Germany, the Consumer Association of North Rhine-Westphalia, and of current social changes which call for a more proactive public consumer policy is given.
Abstract: Against the background of a brief description of the activities of the largest regional consumer organization in Germany, the Consumer Association of North Rhine-Westphalia, and of current social changes which call for a more proactive public consumer policy, the author offers four theses which in his view characterize the present state of affairs: (1) Politicians must undertake social reform in a “consumer-friendly way” – this now happens far too little; (2) The Knowledge Society does not lead in and of itself to greater consumer sovereignty; (3) The Consumer Associations can and must provide support amidst processes of change; and (4) Consumer organizations need to be given sufficient resources in order to fulfil their tasks. Several examples are given of current initiatives aimed at such fulfilment.
TL;DR: In this paper, the potential impact of the main consumer law directives adopted by the European Union on the relationship between consumer protection and innovation has been considered and some preliminary thoughts on this relationship have been offered.
Abstract: Recent consumer policy initiatives, primarily at the domestic, but also at the European, level have emphasised the need to ensure that consumer law not only protects consumers, but also encourages competition and supports innovation. The purpose of this paper is to offer some preliminary thoughts on the relationship between consumer protection and innovation, and to consider the potential impact of the main consumer law directives adopted by the European Union on this relationship.