Relocalising the food chain: the role of creative public procurement

The conventional food chain presents a challenge to sustainable development, containing hidden costs such as health bills, environmental damage and economic costs to the rural economy. This report argues for the development of local food chains, which would bring the 'multiple dividend' of healthier diets, local markets for local producers, lower food miles and better understanding between producers and consumers. Barriers to the growth of local food chains include EU procurement regulations and UK local government legislation that prohibit explicit 'buy local' policies, health auditing conventions which neglect the health gains of nutritious food; catering cultures that are biased to a few large firms; tendering procedures that are too complex for small suppliers; and lack of logistical and marketing capacity on the part of local producers. Schools and hospitals should be the focus for a concerted local food campaign in the UK. A local food action plan is required to reform the regulatory regime, balance demand and supply, and make it easier for consumers, especially parents and children, to buy nutritious local food, including organic food

Reducing the health risks of severe winter weather among older people in the United Kingdom: an evidence-based intervention

Excess winter morbidity and mortality among older people remain significant public health issues in those European countries which experience relatively mild winter temperatures, particularly the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland, Portugal and Spain. In the UK, episodes of severe winter weather, when ambient temperatures fall below 5x C, are associated with peaks in general practitioner consultations,hospital admissions, and cardiovascular deaths among those aged over 65. While research indicates that such health risks could be substantially reduced by the adoption of appropriate behavioural strategies, accessible and credible advice on how older people can reduce risk during ‘cold snaps’ is lacking. This paper describes a programme of research that aimed: (a) to translate the relevant scientific literature into practical advice for older people in order to reduce health risk during episodes of severe winter weather ; and (b) to integrate this advice with a severe winter weather ‘Early Warning System’ developed by the UK Met Office. An advice booklet was generated through a sequential process of systematic review, consensus development, and focus group discussions with older people. In a subsequent field trial, a combination of the Met Office ‘Early Warning System’ and the advice booklet produced behavioural change among older people consistent with risk reduction. The results also show that long-held convictions about ‘healthy environments ’ and anxieties about fuel costs are barriers to risk reduction

Monopolies under Siege in Western Europe: The Challenge of Deregulation in Telecommunications

Summary The long?established public monopoly tradition in telecommunications is under attack, partly as a result of deregulation in the US, partly the result of new options being made available through technological change. This article identifies significant differences in the political response to the ‘communications revolution’ in Western Europe. Resumen Monopolios bajo sitio en Europa Occidental. El desafío de la deregulació en las telecomunicaciones El monopolio público de las telecomunicaciones, de tradición largamente establecida, es atacado en parte como resultado de la deregulación en los EEUU y en parte como resultado de las nuevas opciones disponibles a través del cambio tecnológico. Este artículo identifica diferencias significativas en las respuestas políticas de Europa occidental a la ‘revolución de las comunicaciones’. Resumé Les Siége des Monopoles en Europe de l'Ouest: le Challenge de la Déréglementation des Télécommunication La tradition, longuement établie, du monopole publique dans le secteur des télécommunications est menacée, en partie déréglementation aux Etats?Unis, et en partie à cause des options nouvelles devenues accessibles par les transformations technologiques. Cet article identifie les différences marquées dans la réponse politique à la ‘révolution des communications’ en Europe de l'ouest

An Empirical Study in the U.S. Hotel Industry: How Quality Assurance, Customer Satisfaction, Brand Signaling, and Guest Loyalty Impact Revenue

The hotel industry is a major area of the U.S. economy, contributing nearly $176 billion to Gross Domestic Product in 2014 (AHLA, 2017). For large hospitality brands (franchisors), quality and customer satisfaction are important in driving customer stays or occupancy. In this study, secondary data from a large hospitality company (with more than 3,600 hotels) with a portfolio of brands were used to explain the relationship between revenue, or RevPAR, and market share (Smith Travel Research [STR] Revenue per Available Room Index or known as RPI), customer satisfaction, and quality assurance moderated by brand signaling and loyalty. Looking through the lens of the Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT), this study shows how expectations and satisfaction play a role in predicting revenue implications based on customer behavioral decisions. The model proves the relationship between the various aspects of the customer experience, including how quality assurance scores measure hotel delivery and execution, which standards are set by the brand, and the extent to which customers’ expectations are moderated by brand signaling and loyalty. Additionally, how resulting disconfirmation (or confirmation) measured by customer survey results of meeting or not meeting expectations, and satisfaction which are determinates of post-purchase adoption or repurchase (market share captured). This study proves that brand managers should spare no costs to ensure that quality assurance is a priority to protect the tangible and intangible aspects of their brands. The data support that on average, a 10-point increase in Quality Assurance results in up to a$1.05 increase in RevPAR; a 5- to 8-point increase in Customer Experience (Overall Experience and Problem Free Stays) results in up to a $1.05 increase in RevPAR; a 4- to 8-point increase in Customer Recommendation results up to a$1.05 in RevPAR; and a 2-point increase in Market Share (RPI) results in up to a $1.05 increase in RevPAR