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Stepgrandparent-stepgrandchild relationships are increasingly common as a result of relatively high rates of divorce and remarriage and increased longevity. When relationships are close, stepgrandparents may be valuable resources for stepgrandchildren, but the relational processes salient to the development of these ties remain largely unknown. The purposes of our research were: (1) to explore the complexity of stepgrandparent-stepgrandchild relationships, and (2) to examine processes that affected stepgrandparent-stepgrandchild relationship development.

We present results from four grounded theory projects, which were based on semistructured interviews with 58 stepgrandchildren who provided data about 165 relationships with stepgrandparents. Collectively, these studies highlighted key processes of stepgrandparent-stepgrandchild relationship development operating within four distinct pathways to stepgrandparenthood – long-term, later life, skip-generation, and inherited pathways.

Stepgrandchildren’s closeness to stepgrandparents was influenced by factors such as timing (the child’s age and when in their life courses intergenerational relationships began), stepgrandparents’ roles in the life of the middle-generation parent and the quality of those relationships, whether or not the stepfamily defined the stepgrandparent as kin (e.g., through the use of claiming language), intergenerational contact frequency, and stepgrandparents’ affinity-building.

Our study furthers understanding of stepgrandparent-stepgrandchild by attending to the importance of context in examining the processes that affect intergenerational steprelationship development. Exploring processes related to intergenerational steprelationships strengthens our understanding of the benefits and challenges associated with steprelationship development. Our study also sheds light on the “new look at kinship” and the processes that inform the social construction of family in a changing familial landscape.

This study investigates customer‐value based marketing activities in emerging or new fast‐growth ventures. A contextual analysis of interview data identified seven customer‐value based marketing activities actively pursued synergistically by fast growth firms: employee branding, target marketing, marketing planning marketing/market research, product differentiation via quality, relationship marketing, and guerrilla marketing. These elements form a complex web in which each marketing activity complements the other. There are three main implications: all marketing activities are intertwined, in line with marketing theory and practice associated with large firms; most marketing activities undertaken are low cost; and establishing a winning reputation is an important objective. CEOs associate reputation with brand building via employees.

Acrylamide is a common dietary exposure present in many baby foods. Evidence of acrylamide causing tumours in rodents has led to the chemical being classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The purpose of this paper is to examine consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for a reduction in the acrylamide content of baby food and, therefore, a reduction in the risk of cancer.

A discrete choice experiment is conducted on UK consumers incorporating different levels of seven attributes: packaging, production method (organic, GM and conventional), acrylamide level, sugar, salt, one of five portions of fruit and vegetable per day and price. Consumer WTP for low acrylamide content is estimated using a mixed logit model.

The empirical results indicate consumers assign a high value to safer baby food, with low acrylamide content. The WTP premium for baby food with low acrylamide (105 per cent) is the highest of all attributes assessed. Consumers also have a preference for organic baby food, in contrast to an aversion towards GM. The study results indicate that reducing the acrylamide content in baby food is desirable for consumers.

This is the first study to estimate consumers’ WTP for reducing the acrylamide content of baby food in the UK. Existing research has been limited to examining the exposure of young children, in addition to the potential health risks.

Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.