Environmental Displacement: A New Security Risk for Europe

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« Retail brand equity: a conceptual and differentiated approach »

This research focuses on retail branding in France. A qualitative study aims at identifying which are the specific dimensions of brand equity to be adapted to retail brands and which feedback effects of brand extension can occur on the image of retailer when a retail brand (which is the extended brand) dissatisfies consumers. Results show that there are two policies of retail brands: service retail brands (store brands and “composite” private labels) and private labels. This separation between the various categories of retail brands leads to consider two different models of brand equity. Whereas private labels seem to be only related to product dimensions, service retail brand equity is composed of three dimensions related to: 1) the product, 2) the services delivered in the store, and 3) the retail company, which displays this product under its own store brand. Finally, results of an exploratory research seem to underscore the superiority of the service brand strategies on private label policy.France, brand equity, private label, retail brand, service brand, store brand, feedback effects.

International legal possibilities and obligations for nature conservation in ports

Ports are often situated in valuable nature areas. In the past, large areas of coastal land and sea were claimed for port development without taking into account the nature values in that area. With the development of international nature conservation law new possibilities for nature conservation and nature development were developed. Although several instruments exist, this article focuses on the Ramsar Convention on the one hand and on the Birds and Habitat Directive on the other. Ramsar sites and protected areas under the Birds and Habitat Directives can be designated in or near port areas. For the designation only scientific criteria are taken into account (and no economic criteria). There are legal requirements for the conservation of these protected sites in both the Ramsar Convention and the directives. Similar provisions exist on the reduction of the size or the deletion of the protected area. Several conditions have to be fulfilled, such as reasons of public interest. Both instruments require compensation matters. The legal requirements are more precise and strict in the EC directives than in the Ramsar Convention. Enforcement is much better organized in the framework of the EC directives. New challenges exist to put the provisions of the directives into practice. If correctly applied these nature conservation instruments can lead to a more sustainable policy in finding a balance between ecology and economy

Plural Form and Franchise Chains Efficency: A Dea Meta-Frontier Approach applied to French Chains

This paper deals with the performance of franchise chains related to their percentage of company-owned outlets (PCO). This research uses a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess franchise chains’ efficiency, and a meta-frontier approach to analyze chains’ efficiency between and across sectors. The sample includes 43 chains of the service and retail sectors, located in the French market. Data are available over the 2005-2007 period allowing a longitudinal analysis. The main findings show that the meta-frontier is built up on retail chains rather than on service chains, and that there is a relationship between the PCO and the chain efficiency. Finally, there is no significant difference between the observed PCOs and the optimal PCOs which means that franchisors in our sample have already reached a PCO that is close to the PCO that optimizes the chain efficiency.Creation-Date: 2012-02Franchising, Plural Form, Percentage of company-owned outlets (PCO), Efficiency, Data Envelopment Analysis, Meta Frontier

Response to ‘Protected areas and climate change Reflections from a practitioner's perspective

Cliquet et al. 1 provide a thought-provoking analysis of the challenges posed to the EU's protected areas by climate change. This paper seeks to build on some of the perspectives they brought to what is a highly challenging area of nature conservation law, policy and practice. While there is much to support in their analysis of the relationships between protected areas and climate change, there are two key strands we seek to develop further, based on the RSPB's experience of this area of nature conservation policy and practice: first, is the ecological model for adapting to climate change and second, the legal framework provided by the Birds2 and Habitats3 Directives (the Nature Directives) as it relates to the delivery of such adaptive actions