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Focuses on a central phenomenon of industrialized societies, i.e. technological change. Synthesizes mechanisms which have an effect on processes of technological change into three interrelated perspectives: economic, political and cultural. Applies this interdisciplinary approach in order to capture the manifold natures and the complexity of mechanisms involved. Claims that structural tensions across time and context can both enable and constrain processes of technological change.

Nobody concerned with political economy can neglect the history of economic doctrines. Structural changes in the economy and society influence economic thinking and, conversely, innovative thought structures and attitudes have almost always forced economic institutions and modes of behaviour to adjust. We learn from the history of economic doctrines how a particular theory emerged and whether, and in which environment, it could take root. We can see how a school evolves out of a common methodological perception and similar techniques of analysis, and how it has to establish itself. The interaction between unresolved problems on the one hand, and the search for better solutions or explanations on the other, leads to a change in paradigma and to the formation of new lines of reasoning. As long as the real world is subject to progress and change scientific search for explanation must out of necessity continue.

The paper investigates whether stock liquidity of firms is valued by lending banks revealing that firms with higher liquidity in the capital market pay lower spreads for the loans they obtain. This relationship is causal as evidenced by using the decimalization of tick size as an exogenous shock-to-stock liquidity in a difference-in-differences setting. Reduction in financial constraint and improvement in corporate governance induced by higher stock liquidity are potential mechanisms through which liquidity impacts loan spreads. These higher liquidity firms also receive less stringent nonprice loan terms, for example, longer loan maturity and less required collateral.

Computer corpus linguistics (CCL) is a scientific innovation that has facilitated the creation and analysis of large corpora in a systematic way by means of computer technology since the 1950s. This article provides an account of the CCL pioneers in general but particularly of those in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. It is found that Germany and Sweden, due to more advantageous financing and weaker communities of generativists, had a faster adoption of CCL than the other two countries. A particular late adopter among the four was Switzerland, which did not take up CCL until foreign professors had been recruited.

Evaluates changes in the welfare system in Sweden, the UK and the USA over a decade, basing arguments on the divergence of economic globalization and domestic forces. Presents brief economic snapshots of each country, stating quite categorically that the welfare state is an impediment to capitalist profit‐making, hence all three nations have retrenched welfare systems in the hope of remaining globally economically competitive. Lays the responsibility for retrenchment firmly at the door of conservative political parties. Takes into account public opinion, national institutional structures, multiculturalism and class issues. Explores domestic structures of accumulation (DSA) and refers to changes in the international economy, particularly the Bretton Woods system (Pax Americana), and notes how the economic health of nations mirrors that of the US. Investigates the roles of multinationals and direct foreign investment in the global economy, returning to how economic policy affects the welfare state. Points out the changes made to the welfare state through privatization, decentralization and modification of public sector financing. Concludes that the main result has been an increase in earnings inequality and poverty.

Explains the development of Israel’s welfare state, concentrating on the labour exchange system and housing. Links the development of the Zionist welfare state to economic and political conditions, in particular state‐building and the management of the Palestinian community within the state. Refers to literature on policy paradigms. Notes the stable institutional infrastructures developed by the Jewish community in Palestine and the Zionist labour movement, which led to an embryonic welfare state. Recounts the development of the labour exchange process and the public housing policy, describing how the policies reinforced statehood – settling immigrants into areas where Jewish presence needed strengthening and, at first, largely excluding the Palestinian community from access to housing and the labour process. Points out that, over time, the exclusion of Palestinians became unrealistic. Concludes that Israel’s welfare state was determined by political conditions of developing statehood – most importantly the exodus of Palestinians and the influx of Jewish immigrants.

The paper presents a comprehensive review of the UK research literature on the health needs of people with learning disabilities, and the response of mainstream health services to those health needs. Evidence from the review, although limited in some areas, clearly demonstrates that people with learning disabilities in the UK have significantly poorer health than the UK population generally in a number of priority areas for the NHS. Furthermore, people with learning disabilities have particularly poor health in a number of additional areas involving significant mainstream NHS resources. Despite these considerably greater health needs, people with learning disabilities receive poorer support from mainstream health services, across primary care, hospital services and screening programmes.The findings of the review indicate that mainstream NHS services should not only include people with learning disabilities, but also prioritise them as a particularly vulnerable group requiring urgent attention if general NHS priorities for health inequalities and service standards are to be met.

Investigates the measurement methods of consumer satisfaction which has not been a topic for agreement. Discusses the development and exploratory use of a benefit profiling scheme, designed to recognize the complexity of satisfaction. Suggests that this is a particularly useful approach for the service or luxury products sectors. Bases the work on a survey into leisure‐time pursuits.

The overall aim of this study is to examine the regional brand image of selected California wine regions and the effect of that image on consumers' quality perceptions when included on wine labels. It also seeks to examine the importance of regional brand image with respect to information other than place‐of‐origin provided on the wine labels. Finally, the study seeks to define consumer preference for selected California wine regions, with a deeper look at Sonoma, and their preference for appellations within those regions.

Data collection took place by means of a highly‐structured online survey of male and female wine consumers, during a two‐week period in May 2006 across the USA. The sample was limited to two groups of wine consumers who are the recipients of monthly and quarterly wine newsletters respectively. The request to participate was directed to 9,922 e‐mail boxes that yielded a response rate of 5.7 percent, finally resulting in 570 usable surveys.

The perceived quality of a wine region raises the quality expectation of the sub‐regions or appellations within that region. This was especially evident in the case of Sonoma County. The wine region is the most important information to predict quality on wine labels. Almost without exception, the addition of regional information on a label increased consumer confidence in the quality of the product. The ever‐increasing number of American viticultural areas (AVAs) results in a fragmented offering in terms of the place‐of‐origin marketing strategy to consumers and is not desirable.

The research suggests that a wine regional brand image is multi‐dimensional in nature and that many, in fact, most individual AVAs have weak regional brand strength when compared with the high equity ones such as Napa Valley and Sonoma. These findings are, however, tentative as the study was conducted only in the USA and largely among California residents with a relatively high wine involvement level. These issues warrant further investigation.

This paper is of value to academic readers, wine industry practitioners and regional wine and/or tourism associations alike as it synthesises the importance of a wine's region of origin in the consumer wine‐buying process and the impact of place‐of‐origin as a wine marketing strategy.

The Nationalökonomische Gesellschaft (Austrian Economic Association, NOeG) provides a prominent example of the Viennese economic circles and associations that more than academic economics dominated scientific discourse in the interwar years. For the first time this chapter gives a thorough account of its history, from its foundation in 1918 until the demise of its long-time president, Hans Mayer, 1955, based on official documents and archival material. The topics treated include its predecessor and rival, the Gesellschaft österreichischer Volkswirte, its foundation in 1918 soon to be followed by years of inactivity, the relaunch by Mayer and Mises, the survival under the NS-regime and the expulsion of its Jewish members and the slow restoration after 1945. In particular, an attempt is made to provide a list of the papers presented to the NOeG, as complete as possible, for the period 1918–1938.