Empowering the American consumer : corporate responsiveness and market profitability / A. Coskun Samli.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Samli, A. Coskun.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Consumers--United States.

Consumers.

Consumer protection--United States.

Consumer protection.

Corporations--United States.

Corporations.

United States--Economic conditions.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (203 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Westport, Conn. : Quorum Books, 2001.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Far removed from the markets they're meant to serve, insensitive to market needs, inflexible in how they do business, America's oliuopolistic corporations are terrorizing consumers. The result is that the American market system does not work as it should, and indeed, performs far below its potential. Samli argues that the system should not be treated as though it were sacrosanct. Indeed, it must be made to do more than it is doing to encourage competition and create consumer value-things it neglects, says Samli, because of a mistaken notion that laissez-fairism is working well, and that in today's free economy things are just fine. Not so, and corporations are actually suffering on their bottom lines. By creating true consumer value and by stopping their headlong rush to merge and thereby decrease competition, corporations can achieve their profit goals more easily, and even establish higher ones. The trick is to pay more attention to their customers, to be more responsive to their needs and wishes, and in Samli's words, to turn a kinder and gentler face to the world. His book is a challenging, provocative declaration for policy makers in the public and private sectors, and for academics, an important adjunct to their studies of how business, government, and society interact. First, says Samli, merger mania must stop. Government must exercise its full power to protect, inform, and educate consumers-and take care that business, unchecked, does not prey upon them. He cites evidence that consumers are not equal, that many are frail and vulnerable, and that in many markets they are simply being ignored. Samli maintains that far from being hostile to business, he sees business as actually working against itself. If business thinks of, and works for, the benefit of the consumer, if it eschews strategies that simply cut costs and contribute to self-enlargement, consumers will become empowered. In fact, Samli calls for more regulation, not less, and for more competition. He also calls for consumers who are better educated, and for the nation to cultivate its resources-human and environmental-in ways that will enhance economic performance, not only for society that depends on corporations, but for corporations themselves that depend on society.

Contents:

Cover

EMPOWERING THE AMERICAN CONSUMER

Contents

Preface

REFERENCE

Acknowledgments

Introduction

MARY MARY QUITE CONTRARY, HOW DOES YOUR ECONOMY GROW?

THE ROLE OF THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM

THE PREVAILING DERAILMENT OF AMERICAN MARKETS

BIG IS NOT BEAUTIFUL

The Impact of Oligopolies

Merger Mania and American Markets

Is Piracy Legal?

SUMMARY

REFERENCES

Chapter 1 Accumulation of Economic Power

INTRODUCTION

CREATING WEALTH

GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS BEGINS AT HOME

Effective Marketing

Managerial Superiority

MERGER MANIA LEADS TO OLIGOPOLIES

Oligopolies Are Dinosaurs

Too Much Economic Power

Economic Power Begets Economic Power

Buying Out the Mean and the Lean

Free Markets and Not So Free Entry

Chapter 2 The Plight of the American Consumer

A NATION OF HAMBURGER FLIPPERS

FROM EQUALITY TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

THE TYRANNY IS REAL

WHAT ABOUT THE BANKING SECTOR?

DOWNSIZING IS NOT RIGHT SIZING

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

APPENDIX A: MY HMO IS TELLING ME NOT TO GET SICK OR ELSE

APPENDIX B: MY BANK IS TERRORIZING ME

Chapter 3 Equal Opportunity Consumer

WHAT DO AMERICAN CONSUMERS NEED?

INNATE INEQUALITIES OF THE CONSUMER

CONSUMERS' WELL BEING: THE RECENT PAST

CONSUMERS' INNER CAPABILITIES

SELF-PERPETUATION OF CONSUMER FRAILTY

CORRECTIVE ACTION IS NECESSARY

Consumer Information

Consumer Education

Consumer Protection

LIP SERVICE FOR CAVEAT VENDOR

Chapter 4 What Complexity Begets Is More Complexity

FROM ADAM SMITH'S MARKET TO BILL CLINTON'S MARKET

THE TWO DEMOCRACIES

THE POWER OF HIGH TECH

THE SKILLS GAP

THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE

CONTRASTING WAR PREPARATION IN THE 1940S AND THE 1980S

PRIVATIZATION OF EDUCATION

REFERENCES.

Chapter 5 The Magnificent American Economy

SIZE LEADS TO ECONOMIES OF SCALE

WHAT ABOUT ECONOMIES OF SCOPE AND SPEED?

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AND PERFORMANCE

A CONTRAST BETWEEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LARGE CORPORATIONS

COMPETITION DOES NOT BEAT COMPETITION

DEREGULATION AND COMPETITION

CREATION OF A BALANCED GROWTH: A HYPOTHETICAL ANALYSIS

Chapter 6 Federalism Versus States' Rights

OPTIMIZATION OF AN ECONOMY

DIVIDED THERE IS NO SYNERGISM

THE AMERICAN ECONOMY MUST NOT BE DIVIDED

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DECENTRALIZATION AND STATES' RIGHTS

DECENTRALIZATION DOES NOT MEAN DIVISION

Chapter 7 Regulation for Competition, Not of Competition

THE BANKING SECTOR AFTER DEREGULATION

AIRLINES AFTER DEREGULATION

TELEPHONE INDUSTRY-THE DEATH OF MA BELL

THE BIG MEDIA GAME

THE MEANING AND IMPLICATIONS OF PRIVATIZATION

THE LEGAL CONSTRAINTS

CONDITIONS LEADING TO LAWS THAT WOULD ENHANCE COMPETITION

Chapter 8 The Workings of a Mixed Economy

ESTABLISHING THE PARAMETERS

THE COST OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Maintaining Competition

Enhancing Competition

DIRECT COST OF BUSINESS FAILURES

INDIRECT COST OF BUSINESS FAILURES

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND BUSINESS FAILURES

INVESTING INTO SOCIETY'S FUTURE

THE GENERATIONAL CONFLICT

ESTABLISHING A BALANCE IN THE MIXED ECONOMY

Chapter 9 Macro and Micro Economic Growth Strategies

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITIES

GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITIES

DOMESTIC GROWTH STRATEGIES

INTERNATIONAL GROWTH STRATEGIES

WHAT ARE THE TOOLS?

ECONOMIC GROWTH IS THE ANSWER

MUST BE FAIR TO REMAIN FREE

Chapter 10 Developing Human Resources Through Learning

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Cost

Ideology

Religion.

Profit

GROWTH IN THE MARKETPLACE

EDUCATION AND THE INDIVIDUAL DECISION PROCESS

CORPORATE DECISION-MAKING AND LEARNING

DECISION-MAKING AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Chapter 11 The Environment Infrastructure and Consumer Empowerment

IMPROVING THE LINKAGE BETWEEN THE ECONOMY AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE

ASSESSING ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLINESS

RECONCILING ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL FACTORS

IMPROVING THE INFRASTRUCTURE

DEVELOPING ENERGY

COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

ROADS AND OTHER SUPPORT SYSTEMS

ECONOMY MUST BE STRONG NOT TO LOSE FACTORIES

FREE AND FAIR TRADE

CONSUMERS NEED BETTER JOBS

Chapter 12 Creating Greater Consumer Value

HOW CONSUMER VALUE IS GENERATED

VALUE MARKETING AT WORK

Product and Service Versatility

Uncertainty

Time Management

Market Fragmentation and Customization

Quality, Design and Service

Responsiveness

Improvement Through Front-Line Personnel

CONSTRUCTING A VALUE MARKETING PLAN

Segmentation

Developing New Products

Advertising

Promotion

Pricing

Sales Management

Product Handling and Distribution

Monitoring and Developing Feedback

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Offer Products That Perform

Give More Than the Consumer Expects

Give Guarantees

Add More Value

Avoid Unrealistic Pricing

Give Consumers the Facts

Build Relationships

Penetrate the Market

Monitor, Monitor, Monitor

Chapter 13 Conclusions and Future Research

WHAT IF CONSUMERS ARE NOT EMPOWERED

CONSUMER EMPOWERMENT MEANS PROFIT FOR BUSINESS

RECIPROCITY IN ECONOMIC PROGRESS

A MATTER OF MEANS AND ENDS

THE END IS A PROGRESSING SOCIETY

THE MEANS ARE MARKET FORCES AND BUSINESS PRACTICES

A FUTURE RESEARCH AGENDA

Selected Bibliography

Index

About the Author.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780313004667

0313004668

9780585384177

0585384177

OCLC:

49803359