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Examines the mature market, defined as consumers age 50 years or older, and reviews 33 segmentation methods for the mature market and identifies five key segmentation criteria: discretionary income, health, activity level, discretionary time, and response to others. Integrates methods devised by other researchers and provides marketers with a step‐by‐step, actionable segmentation method based on these five criteria. Offers implications for managers.

Senior citizens adjust to retirement living in distinctly different manners. These adjustment mannerisms could be used as a basis for market segmentation. Although some of the potential segments might be alienated by appeals aimed solely to the elderly, others might be successfully approached by appeals positioned specifically toward their needs.

In the first issue of this Journal, Florence Shelly states that the proper use of social‐trend data can help market‐ing managers in at least four areas by providing: 1. a future outlook for specific business units; 2. an input for brand / product strategy; 3. a basis for checking specific tactics; and, 4. an enriched understanding of market segments. Perhaps, the major point of that article is not just what it says, but what it implies‐the need for a marketing philosophy of “implementation based on anticipation.” In conceptualizing this philosophy, the correct use of social‐ trend data can be seen as the first step necessary in strategic‐marketing planning—the tip of the iceberg. However, the strategies adopted by American marketers over the past two decades do not demonstrate that the levels of marketing myopia which Levitt discussed in the 60's have diminished. What is even more disconcerting is that the tools for reducing marketing myopia are not obscure trade secrets; as a matter of fact, they can be found in most introductory marketing textbooks. Environmental scanning, the prime instrument available for this purpose, deserves a closer look in relation to its worth for managerial decision making.

While the consumer movement was popular in economically advanced countries between 1965 and 1975, developing countries were not yet ready for such issues. The consumers in these countries, due to their economic, social, and political environments, were not aware of their rights. Taiwan was a typical case. Three main reasons contributed to the ignorance of the Taiwanese consumers at the advent of the worldwide consumer movement. First, in its early years, Taiwan was basically an agricultural society. The primary industry and its commodities made product differentiation impossible. It was nature, and not human beings that decided the quality and/or quantity of the products produced for the market. Everyday products were simple and few, and the choice between products, easy. Secondly, it was not until the 1960's that Taiwan turned slowly from an import‐oriented economy to that of an export‐oriented economy. Raising tariffs and controlling the importation of products were necessary to protect local businesses from foreign competition. Thus, the rights of consumers were sacrificed. Lastly, the very nature of the Chinese (e.g., psychological profile), led them to endure the suffering of any mistreatment. They would avoid a direct confrontation on any dispute. Therefore, organized activities against businesses was not possible. All of these reasons made the consumer movement unheard of in Taiwan during the 1960s.

The purpose of the study is to investigate what values are now important to young American and Chinese managers, since they profile the direction in which their country is headed. It aims to explore if the ethical values of young executives in different countries are converging to a common global business culture. It also aims to argue that the individualism‐collectivism value dimension by itself does not capture the differences between the Chinese and American sample members. The vertical‐horizontal dimension, in contrast, seems to better delineate the value orientations among young executives in the two countries.

In this two‐phase study, both attitudinal and scenario‐based measurements are applied to assess the strength of work value orientations among similar subjects in China and the USA.

In study 1, Chinese respondents score significantly higher on a hierarchical‐vertical dimension than do the Americans, although the two groups do not differ significantly on the collectivism‐individualism dimension. In study 2, which entails resolving an ethical dilemma, the American subjects apply Egalitarianism as their most frequent expressed value, reflecting their horizontal perspective. The Chinese subjects, in contrast, rely strongly on a traditional vertical value system to resolve the ethical dilemma. Although both American and Chinese negotiators show a collectivist as well as an individualist orientation, their focuses are fundamentally different.

The well‐established collectivism/individualism cultural dimension has been heavily used in cross‐cultural studies, sometimes without much discretion. This study was undertaken as a preliminary attempt to outline the cultural patterns observed among young managers in America and China. The paper argues that cross‐cultural differences underlying ethical conflicts should not be reduced to the single value dimension of individualism/collectivism.

The study's purpose was to update and extend the existing knowledge about industrial vendor selection criteria. The components of four sets of choice variables are described and tested against survey data from UK and US buyers of manufactured materials, components and machinery.

For decades, organizations have based their marketing efforts to the 65 and older market on traditional stereotypes. This is surprising given the size, growth, and spending power of this market. It is also inconsistent with the marketing concept. This article identifies a number of dimensions which highlight the diversity of the so‐called senior citizen market. The diversity of this market involves a complex set of factors involving age, health, income, education, retirement, information processing, the self‐concept, reference groups, and cohort membership. The marketing implications of these dimensions are illustrated through examples of current marketing practice.

Seeks to create a more complex understanding of the significance attached to vendors' mix elements by resellers in forming patronage choices. Presents data from a 1980s survey of over 1,200 reseller‐buyers. Reviews the results in terms of first, consumer goods and second, convenience products and shopping goods, comparing US and UK resellers. Shows that resellers' choice criteria vary among these broad product categories. Reveals that it is not possible to describe generally the sourcing determinants for all resellers.

WE are as yet without the means of verifying the forecast in our last issue that there would be a cutting of library estimates this year. There has been some; one library authority known to us having ordered a five per cent. cut. The fact still is that such retrenchments can only be made at the expense of a very few items of our estimates, and of these the book fund is the severest sufferer. This is a fact that cannot always be brought home to finance committees who only think as a rule in gross figures, and do not know that the library estimate consists mainly of fixed charges. The librarian who forms an estimate in anticipation of cuts does not aft quite honestly, but in the way of the world at present he may, like the Unjust Steward, be acting wisely. But it is pitiful to think that this should even be a matter for discussion.