Because hedonic aspects of products are difficult to evaluate prior to consumption, consumers seek signals to reduce their uncertainty. Opinion leaders, such as critics, may serve as key informants to consumers. This study considers the different roles and incentives of literary critics and how...

This study analyzes all 216 broadcasts of the German national football team from January 1993 to June 2008 to identify which factors ensure the success of televised sport broadcasts. The results reveal that demand depends mostly on the type of match and its importance in a tournament context....

News media are often believed to focus on negative events as a means to increase their audience and profits. This study evaluates whether this conjecture applies in the case of the 3 German news magazines <italic>Der Spiegel, Stern</italic>, and <italic>Focus</italic> in the period from 1997 to 2009. Based on detailed content...

The 'statistical effect' in EU regional policy after accession of the new member states implies a shift in the relative position of formerly underdeveloped regions towards an average position in the ranking of EU regions, which entails the end of financial assistance from the EU's structural...