Martha Van Rensselaer and the Delineator’s homemaking department

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at the role played by home economists in providing information to consumers about household products. The work of home economist and educator Martha Van Rensselaer is reviewed, specifically her time as editor of the homemaking department of women’s magazine Delineator from 1921-1926. Design/methodology/approach – The paper used qualitative analysis of the content of the homemaking department under Van Rensselaer as well as quantitative analysis of the advertising during those years. Documents from several manuscript collections were used as well. Findings – Content analysis showed a shift over the years from 1921-1926 from broader social themes to greater emphasis on specific homemaking tasks. Ads were regularly placed next to related editorial content, but under Van Rensselaer no brand names were mentioned editorially. Research limitations/implications – Since this research focused on one magazine, comparison with homemaking departments in other women’s journals at this time would provide useful context. Originality/value – The specific example provided illuminates the evolving relationship between advertisers, home economists, media and consumers

ROSCA\u27s Remain Strong in India Despite Greater Financial Inclusion

We begin this paper by summarizing various studies which used surveys and economic models to describe the characteristics and benefits of the old tradition of ROSCAs which is prevalent in many developing countries around the world. These studies also document the types of draws and the factors that motivate people to participate in a ROSCA. We expand the information on this tradition in a state in India where ROSCA is referred to as bhishi. During the month of January 2013, we interviewed (in-person & over the telephone) several regular participants living in two metro areas in the State of Maharashtra, namely, Mumbai & Pune. Another smaller city of Miraj was also included. The findings from the interviews in India are illustrative of the creative ways people have taken the old, money-based idea of bhishi and interwoven it with the fabric of social and cultural traditions. It is being kept alive to build and strengthen relationships among friends, relatives, and neighbors. Incorporating the fun dimensions ranging from enjoying different cuisine to taking trips into the old tradition seems to maintain its popularity. This behavior is noteworthy especially with India’s recent entry into the world market as an emerging economic power. Although people with lower incomes still value bhishi in its traditional role as a saving vehicle (and occasionally as a lender of last resort), most middle and upper-income earners strongly believe in this modern evolution of an old tradition and are committed to continue it

A Simulation in Organizational Behavior: Development and Beta Test

This paper describes the development and initial use (beta test) of a simulation in the field of Organizational Behavior. The authors believe that this is the first simulation to be developed specifically for use in an undergraduate course on Organizational Behavior. The paper discusses the purpose of the simulation, how the simulation was developed, how the simulation works and the response to the simulation, thus far, by two undergraduate classes of an OB course