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The purpose of this paper is to increase awareness about the issues the world and, more so, Bangladesh faces in overcoming avian influenza. Also, the purpose is to examine whether the avian influenza situation and communication strategy adopted in the country follows risk communication principles.

An extensive literature review using recently published works, government documents, and organizational reports is employed.

If not controlled, avian influenza has the potential to become a global pandemic with extremely high morbidity and mortality rates. Bangladesh presently has policies and programs in place to attempt to control the virus but many challenges, such as the implementation of an effective risk communication strategy, remain.

This paper identifies a wide variety of sources that would be useful information for policy makers and program managers.

This chapter focuses on the value of TED Lectures on the issue of domestic violence and abuse (DVA). It outlines a generic framework with which to understand and analyse the impact of TED Lectures on a theme as complex as DVA is, in the context of popular Western culture. It does so by looking in details at the Ted Lecture of Leslie Morgan Steiner from 2012, which aims to answer the question ‘Why Domestic Violence Victims Don't Leave: Crazy Love’ through her own personal experience.

In the attempt to understand the impact of this TED Lecture we look at the literature on TED Lectures, the unique aspects of DVA, who is the presenter, the impact and its components, the active viewers who sent written comments on the Ted Lectures, the technical effect, the comparison with two other Ted Lectures on DVA, ending by identifying gaps in the analysis provided by the three Ted Lectures.

Presenters share with the viewers their personal experience, as well as their experience as activists in organisations and programmes set out to change the status quo in the field of DVA.

The lectures impact through layers of emotional and intellectual facets, which speak to the individuals viewing them through the lens of their own emotional and intellectual experiences of DVA on the one hand, while on the other hand being also influenced by the mode of presentation and the presenter her/himself.

Service researchers have been tasked with improving the well-being of consumers experiencing vulnerability. The current research aims to demonstrate how these consumers can experience empowerment through transformative service improvements to the traditional microfinance model.

To ground the research in a real-world setting with consumers experiencing vulnerability, the research team worked with a nonprofit microfinance organization offering loans to communities of Indigenous women entrepreneurs. The research team worked in six communities and conducted over 25 borrower interviews and 14 staff and volunteer interviews totaling 1,200 min of recorded content.

The present investigation of a unique approach to microfinance offers a new theoretical model, the service empowerment model (SEM), which illustrates how empowerment emanates from processes and outcomes at three distinct levels: micro, meso and macro. Recognizing that change occurs individually and also at familial and societal levels begins to challenge deeply rooted structural and cultural norms involved in the services ecosystem.

Originating from the microfinance service setting, the SEM can be explored, tested and implemented as a pilot program in a variety of service settings that involve transformative service initiatives (e.g. homelessness, refugees, etc.).

As society pursues solutions to the pressing problems of consumers experiencing vulnerability, the present research offers critical insights into how services should be designed.

The present research defines a new term, service empowerment, and creates a new theoretical model, the SEM, to aid in improving transformative service initiatives.

The objective of this paper is to better understand the factors that influence consumers' responses toward gift promotions. Specifically, the aim is to analyse four variables: the nature of the promoted product, the fit between the product and the gift, the type of brand used in the promotion and the deal‐proneness.

In an experimental context, 247 subjects were randomly assigned to a 2 (product type: utilitarian vs hedonic)×2 (gift type: utilitarian vs hedonic)×2 (brand type: high equity vs medium equity) between‐subjects factorial design.

Results indicate that the nature of the promoted product does not influence consumer response. Overall evaluation of gift promotions is more favourable when simultaneously the brand promoted has high equity and the fit between the promoted product and the gift is high. Offering a gift that fits with the product and using high equity brands is a wise strategy to positively influence purchase intentions. Findings also show that deal proneness has a positive impact on purchase intentions.

A limited set of product categories, gifts and brands were used. Future research should also examine other variables and use a representative sample.

Findings provide useful guidelines for the design of gift promotions.

Most previous research has focused on monetary promotions with little about non‐monetary promotions. This paper addresses this gap by analysing consumers' responses to gift promotions incorporating key determinants in the analysis.

The aim of this paper is to shed light on the determinants of consumers' evaluations and purchase intentions of gift promotions. Factors analysed relate to the promoted product, the gift, the relationship between the product and the gift, and consumer traits and perceptions.

A 2 (product type: utilitarian vs hedonic) × 2 (gift type: utilitarian vs hedonic) × 2 (brand type: high equity vs medium equity) between‐subjects factorial design was undertaken. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses on a sample of 247 respondents in the UK.

Gift attractiveness is the most important driver of consumers' overall evaluation of gift promotions, followed by the attitude toward the promoted brand, the perceived fit between the promoted product and the gift, the hedonic nature of the gift, plus value expression and entertainment benefits perceived by consumers. Results also reveal that deal proneness is positively associated with the hedonic benefits of value expression benefit and entertainment benefit. Finally, the overall evaluation of gift promotions with both brand attitudes and deal proneness positively influences consumers' purchase intentions.

To generalise these findings, future research should use a wider sample.

The findings of this study provide guidelines for marketers designing their gift promotional strategies.

The increased popularity of gift promotions necessitates a better understanding of the factors influencing consumers' evaluations. This study addresses the lack of research in this area by simultaneously investigating the effect of different key factors.

The integration of religion and democracy in the Kuwait National Assembly (KNA) produced definitions of democracy distinct from others in the region as well as from Kuwait's own national history. The uniqueness of Kuwait's democracy in the Arabian Peninsula is primarily due to the establishment of its parliament and constitution, which make it a constitutional rather than an absolute monarchy. The development of Kuwait's democracy relied heavily on the construction of its monumental national assembly building, designed to mix symbols of democracy as understood in Western discourse (see, for instance, the columniation inspired by the Greek Pantheon) with images inspired by local elements (like the tent): this combination allows the building to produce an image of democracy and independence that resonates with local as well as international populations.

The initial plan for the development of a national assembly building in Kuwait included a mosque that would have become part of the assembly complex. The mosque building was later replaced by a prayer hall inside the KNA building, and at the same time a decision to build a state mosque in a different location within the old city of Kuwait was confirmed. The separation of the two structures can be read, at first glance, as an important symbolic action expressing the separation of the church and state; yet an in-depth analysis of the KNA's design suggests different conclusions. This chapter explores how the design of the KNA building is apparently rooted in universal laws of spirituality and religion; on a related note, the tent-inspired building reveals a reliance on ancient religious traditions and proportions.

THE Reference Department of Paisley Central Library today occupies the room which was the original Public Library built in 1870 and opened to the public in April 1871. Since that date two extensions to the building have taken place. The first, in 1882, provided a separate room for both Reference and Lending libraries; the second, opened in 1938, provided a new Children's Department. Together with the original cost of the building, these extensions were entirely financed by Sir Peter Coats, James Coats of Auchendrane and Daniel Coats respectively. The people of Paisley indeed owe much to this one family, whose generosity was great. They not only provided the capital required but continued to donate many useful and often extremely valuable works of reference over the many years that followed. In 1975 Paisley Library was incorporated in the new Renfrew District library service.