While in less developed and in transition economies microlending has become an efficient instrument for providing small and micro businesses with the necessary financial means, in industrialized countries, with highly developed banking systems, the existence and size of an uncovered demand for...

In developing and transition economies, microlending has become an effective instrument for providing micro businesses with the necessary financial resources to launch operations. In the industrialized countries, with their highly developed banking systems, however, there has been ongoing debate...

We investigate if pluralistic consumption styles (like frugality, or indulgence in luxuryʺ) can be identified and are correlated with different terminal values and if values and consumption styles prove to be stable or can be changed by drastic events. The results of two polls (before and after...