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Discusses the relationship between logistics, packaging and the
environment. Attempts to clarify industry confusion by identifying the
current status of the proposed EC Directive on Packaging and
Packaging Waste, which focuses on the recovery of packaging
materials. This directive has major implications for logistics. Presents
a survey conducted with UK marketing executives involved with the
production of consumer goods. Finds that awareness of the EC packaging
directive is very high – especially among medium– and
large‐sized companies. Respondents were concerned that the directive
would create excessive distribution costs for their firm. Proposes that
it is in this area where the benefits of information technology may be
realized by allowing the efficient management of the increased volume of
information created by reverse logistics. Finds that industry is
somewhat unsure of what the directive is meant to achieve and who will
be responsible for carrying out its requirements. Suggests that it would
be unwise at this stage for firms to make significant spending decisions
until the directive has been finally adopted since the directive as it
currently stands raises more questions than it answers.

Materialism and social comparison are important issues, especially in a Chinese context, and especially amongst adolescents. In this paper a theoretical model of the endorsement of materialistic values and social comparison by adolescents was proposed and tested. A survey of secondary
school students in Hong Kong revealed normative peer influence and peer communication were positive predictors of social comparison with friends. In addition, motivation for advertisement viewing was a positive predictor of social comparison with media figures. Social comparison with friends
and with media figures were both positive predictors of materialism. The implications are discussed, with recommendations for further research.

Identifies, via a mail survey of UK marketing executives, who makes the sales packaging (i.e. primary packaging) decision within the company, and the extent to which these individuals perceive trade‐offs between the traditional marketing and logistical functions of a sales package, and environmental pressures to reduce, recycle and reuse packaging. Finds that the primary function of sales packaging is to protect the product until it is ready for use. The marketing function carries the most influence within the organization when it comes to making the sales package decision and, in the majority of cases, sales packaging accounts for less than 10 per cent of overall product costs. Claims the majority of respondents did not see a trade‐off between the marketing and logistical function of the sales package and the environmental demands to reduce, recycle and/or reuse sales packaging. However, reports that respondents did agree that sales packaging is a major environmental concern and, assuming it is not possible to have a sales package which both enhances the saleability of the product and is compatible with the environment, the ability of the sales package to sell the product is more important than its compatibility with the environment.

Self‐service technology is challenging the traditional concept of provider‐client interaction in the retail banking industry. Following a review of the literature, this paper discusses the experts' opinions of the role of self‐service technologies and human bank staff in New Zealand retail banking to the years 2000 and 2010. These opinions were identified through a Delphi study held with leading executives from various sectors of the economy. The research indicated that in the future utilisation of home banking by television will be limited to a specific and small market segment. Home banking by personal computer will be relatively more widespread, although it is unlikely to be used by more than twenty per cent of the banking population. Home banking by automated telephone service will be more widespread still, yet acceptance is unlikely to be greater than thirty per cent of the banking population. 'Staffless branches' (which are staffed predominately by self‐service technology) will be available in all main city centres before the turn of the century. Automatic Telling Machines (ATMs) will be the most utilised self‐service technology in the future.

PurposeThis article aims to examine young consumers' perceptions of healthy eating, contexts where healthy or unhealthy eating are practiced, and their evaluation of regulatory measures that discourage the consumption of unhealthy foods in two different markets.Design/methodology/approachA convenience sampled survey was conducted of 386 Danish and Chinese adolescents using a structured questionnaire.FindingsResults showed that perceptions of healthy eating were generally based on concepts such as balance and moderation. Unhealthy eating was most frequently practiced at parties and in festive periods. Hong Kong respondents were more likely to associate eating habits with healthy eating than Danish respondents. Danish respondents were more likely to practice healthy eating at schools than Hong Kong respondents. Making tanks of cold water freely available everywhere was perceived to be most effective in discouraging the consumption of soft drink. There were age, gender and market differences in attitudes toward selected regulatory measures that discourage the consumption of soft drinks.Research implicationsHealth educators and public health campaign designers should design health communication messages that target different perceptions of unhealthy eating, as well as different unhealthy eating contexts. Policy makers should be aware of the difference in local environmental conditions when designing regulations to encourage healthy eating.Originality/valueThe study is an innovative attempt to examine adolescents' perception of healthy eating and attitudes toward food regulatory measures in more than one consumer market.

Little research has been done on the impact of social decision schemes on group process variables. Green and Taber created a self‐report scale to provide five measures of the group process. These measures deal with the descriptions of an individual's behaviour as well as others' behaviour towards a specific person. The items within each measure also probe evaluative ratings of several specific group processes and outcomes. Evaluates the relationship between the process variables and a dependent performance variable ‐ the profit achieved by groups in a marketing simulation game ‐ in an attempt to shed further light on the group process in strategic marketing decision making. A factor analysis reveals a reasonably close concurrence of the experimental data and that of the Green and Taber instrument, leading to the conclusion that the two sets of data were of a similar structure. Attempts to establish a relationship between the Green and Taber process variables and profit. Concludes that negative socio‐emotional behaviour and solution satisfaction are positively related to group success. Therefore, the opportunities for negative socio‐emotional behaviours such as rejecting others' positions, arguing and criticizing seem to be worthy of exploration. Since solution satisfaction returned a significant regression, finds that the give‐and‐take arguments of socio‐emotional behaviour contributed to solution satisfaction.