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Selling goods overseas is more risky than selling goods in the home market.

Describes a controlled marketing experiment carried out in Ireland designed to test consumer reaction to price and display changes. Uses a branded aerosol air freshner as an example product line and involves eight supermarkets in the Dublin area. Suggests from the results, that display is an important factor in the sale of products, but reduction in price suprisingly reduces unit sales and revenue.

In the spring of 1982, I published an article in Reference Services Review on marketing libraries and information services. The article covered available literature on that topic from 1970 through part of 1981, the time period immediately following Kotler and Levy's significant and frequently cited article in the January 1969 issue of the Journal of Marketing, which was first to suggest the idea of marketing nonprofit organizations. The article published here is intended to update the earlier work in RSR and will cover the literature of marketing public, academic, special, and school libraries from 1982 to the present.

This paper supplements and extends consideration of quantitative models with application to building (costs and) prices by examining human elements inherent in modelling. In considering the concepts of modelling, attention is focused on the recently developed sociology of science, which questions the traditional perspective of total separation of a reality from the observer—the ‘objective’ basis of scientific positivism. It is argued that human activities are fundamental in, and inseparable from, reality and so, they are integral in modelling. The aim of modelling should be to enhance understanding and knowledge rather than to secure inert objectivity. Application to modelling of prices of building projects investigates how prices are formulated, which prices are commonly modelled and the impact of the decision‐makers involved. It is concluded that new models are required, perhaps developed through methodological pluralism, which identify people‐oriented variables and assumptions explicitly. Further, the models should be stochastic and with sound bases in theories of economics and human behaviour to ensure that users are aware of the major variabilities in the processes modelled and so, by realistically informing, promote better decision making.

We are going to publish as a regular feature of ABE News a series of Questions & Answers to enable students to see the type of questions set in Parts I, II and III of the examinations. In each issue there will be two questions, together with model answers, so that students will see the manner in which the examiner expects that the question should be answered. In this issue we are dealing with Law. The questions and model answers are reproduced with the permission of B. S. Grewal, a council member of ABE, and are taken from his book General Principles of Business Law — Questions & Answers written in conjunction with J. D. de Freitas and published by Castlevale Printers Limited price £3.95 plus 35p. postage (£1.05 airmail).

An examination of imperfect price discrimination, modelled as a linear combination of perfect price discrimination and uniform pricing, is used to analyze the impact of imperfect discrimination on firm size and product diversity. Additionally, claims that perfect price discrimination leads to the welfare optimum are shown to be generally false.

Experience has clearly shown detailed forecasting of manpower needs, and hence central determination of a required output from the system, to be impracticable.

This study aims to understand buyer and supplier motives for developing direct relationships with their trade partners.

A total of 18 in‐depth interviews were conducted across Victoria and Tasmania (Australia); eight with retail buyers and ten with fresh produce suppliers. Both parties were involved in a direct relationship with their trade partner.

The research reveals a large variety of motivations that influence buyers and suppliers when deciding whether to operate in a direct or non‐direct relationship with their trade partner. Motivations for both parties are remarkably similar, with buyers and suppliers ultimately attempting to minimise the inherent risk associated with operating in a volatile environment.

The study may be limited by the fact that buyers and suppliers of different commodities were included in the study. In addition, the varied nature of the respondents' role may have impacted their judgment. The inability to interview dyads in all cases also limits the research.

This research has implications for both researchers and practitioners already involved in, or considering becoming involved in, a direct trade relationship. Clarification of motivations for bypassing intermediaries shows how both trade partners can minimise external risk and strengthen competitive advantage by assuming a direct relationship.

Extant research within this literary field is largely quantitatively based with researchers focusing on distinct relationship constructs, the definition of relationship marketing and the process of relationship development. In response to these limitations, this research adopted a qualitative approach in examining the core motivations for developing a direct trade relationship within the fresh produce industry.

Reg Prentice MP, Founder President of the Association, has now resumed the Presidency.