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Using an extensive data set on Finnish workers during the years 1990–2002, we analyze the relation between dispersion of wages within plants and labor productivity. We find a positive and significant relation between dispersion of wages within plant and average sales per worker. This relation is quadratic when dispersion is conditioned on workers’ observable characteristics. We also find positive and significant relation between unconditional dispersion of wages within plant and value added per hours worked, while we find a non-significant relation between conditional wage dispersion and valued added per hours worked. Results indicate that the incentive effect of wage dispersion dominates fairness or sabotage considerations.

Purpose: Ocean plastic pollution has increased scrutiny towards businesses that produce plastic packaging. The article presents the perspective of businesses alongside those of consumers concerning packaging sustainability, as these two areas are fundamentally related.

Method: A mixed-methods approach consisted of an interview with a plastic packaging design manager, an action research group of packaging industry professionals and a survey (of 1000 UK consumers) and focus groups to investigate similar issues from a consumer perspective.

Findings: The business research showed that they feel frustrated by emotional arguments against plastic that push towards alternative packaging formats that have greater negative environmental impacts. They also highlighted problems of inconsistent recycling infrastructure and the need to communicate the benefits of packaging more effectively to consumers. The consumer research identified high levels of awareness of ocean plastic pollution but a lower understanding of the properties of different packaging materials. Many do not yet look for the most sustainable packaging when shopping and feel that retailers must take more responsibility for reducing environmental degradation from the packaging.

Originality/Value: The study provides a new perspective on packaging sustainability issues by combining the views of industry and consumers. In doing so, it acknowledges the different human influences on environmental outcomes. A realist conceptual model highlights the potential mechanisms triggered within different contexts. While the research is just a snapshot of views on selected topics, it conceptualises various components of the relationship between businesses and consumers to identify different aspects of the problem for further research.

Focuses on consumption activities in the context of socialization and because of this implications are highlighted. States that socialization encompasses a vast literature, from major disciplines and lists these. Looks also at the consumer and purchases of goods. Posits that social class is a major influence on purchasing, especially regarding technology‐type appliances such as computers, cars and other relative articles.

The purpose of the chapter is to understand advertising attention in new formats. More specifically, it argues that new advertising formats might force advertising practitioners and researchers to reframe the challenges of gaining attention as one of understanding advertising approach rather than advertising avoidance.

The chapter is conceptual and builds on a review of literature on advertising attention, advertising avoidance, and advertising approach.

The chapter concludes with a review of future research directions. More specifically, it points out implications of shifting perspective from advertising avoidance to advertising approach for advertising practitioners and researcher alike.

The chapter offers a novel perspective on advertising attention in new advertising formats. In doing so, it hopes to stimulate more research on consumers’ willingness to approach (rather than avoid) advertising.

There are well established studies on how adult learners need to be treated differently by instructors. In this chapter, the authors add to the literature by suggesting that instructor competency needs to include a high emotional quotient. In other words, teachers would need to demonstrate caring and helpfulness to adult learners who come to the class with multiple (often rich) experiences. The skilful instructor is expected to make an open display of emotions to establish rapport, while raising the group emotional intelligence of themselves and the class. Furthermore, managing emotional experiences in the classroom can be aided by qualitative research methods such as collaborative autoethnography (CAE). Overall, this chapter provides guidelines for instructors to get a good sense of how to work effectively with adult learners.

Analyses the effects of peer pressure on a group of youngsters, using a ten‐speed bicycle as an example. Uses a survey of 12–14 year old upper middle class youngsters on the outskirts of a large Norwegian city as a model. Shows how youngsters who do not have a speed bike are left out and looked down upon by their peers. Outlines how demand for a speed bike from youngsters impacts on the families' resources. Concludes, inter alia, that: Acquisition and use of products may affect group membership and social structure; Children and teenagers may develop remarkable knowledge regarding certain products, and may thus become the expert of the household, even in cases where other members exert considerable influence on the purchase decision; Children and teenagers may actively seek information initiated by the marketer. Affirms that through improved knowledge about consumers and their behaviour, manufacturers might develop more effective marketing programmes.

This chapter aims to identify integrated marketing communication (IMC) in the context of business to business to consumer (B2B2C) and empirically test a number of hypotheses related to the selected constructs. A model of the IMC was tested in a survey conducted among stakeholders in the selected field. Professionals responsible for communication and branding activities need to evaluate the relative contributions of the IMC in the B2B2C perspective.

This paper discusses a novel assembly method and system for a commercially available 8 mm diameter miniature planetary gearhead. Our system comprises a commercially available four‐degree of freedom industrial robot, two vision systems, a force feedback system in the robot wrist, and specially designed flexible part feeders. The system has proved successful in assembling planetary gear units independently. Depending on the task, one can select whether to use the high accuracy and repeatability of the robot or alternatively use programmable frequency vibration in the gripper to stochastically align the parts that the robot handles.