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Show The National Enterprise, August 3, 1977 Page nine KEEP Business unfazed by labor dispute How valid is the common business world belief that a company's bad social conduct will be punished in the marketplace? A newly published study suggests that while a significant number of consumers will react negatively to ques- violent and poorly handled," according to the researchers. As the situation worsened.the striking union urged consumers to boycott all of the parent company's products and regularly posted pickets at one of the company-owne- d restaurants in the city. tionable corporate behavior, the majority apparently are unaffected. Profs. Kenneth E. Miller of the University of Utah and Frederick D. Sturdivant of Ohio State University conducted the study, which appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of Consumer Research. The Prior to the strike.sales at the picketed unit had risen 15.3 percent above the previous year but dropped some 30 percent when the boycott began and remained depressed for several months. surveyed some 400 area residents about their attitudes toward fast-foo- d restaurants, awareness of the labor difficulties, exposure to union pickets or handbills, and the influence of management's handling of the dispute on their patronage of the company's restaurants. We found that socially questionable behavior by one component of a multi-uni- t firm may have a negative im searchers analyzed the effect of a bitter labor dispute involving a manufacturing affiliate of a national corporation on the sales of the cor- porations restau- fast-foo- d rants. The strike.which occurred in a large city, was viewed by many as mid-weste- rn and 88.1 percent understood the link between the manufacturing company and the chain. About 10 percent of the persons indicated they would reduce their visits to the d outlet because of management's handling of the labor dispute the same THE CONCEPT. fast-foo- proportion who said they -- Coda-Col- . or . Spacesaving moveabie filing and File Folders to eliminate costly . . To save costiy floor space by access aisles, Files can move manually or eleceliminating can be designed to fit specific requirements. trically. Systems THE APPLICATION. . . Any place where data must be stored or filed effectively. Banks, hospitals, medical clinics, museums and general office use. Systems can be combined with Coda-Colo- r File Folders for easy reference. en- countered pickets at the restaurant. "Its possible that people were unwilling to confront an angry picket a second time just to have a hamburger, the researchers note. Conversely. the researchers found that general public attitudes toward the fast-foo- d outlets actually improved during the strike. Persons displaying a positive attitude change were likely to believe that social responsibility of the parent company wras not important;' 'v THE PRODUCTS. storage systems and misfiles. fast-foo- d Miller and Sturdivant re- marketing pact on sales of other components of the firm! state the researchers. But it was not as great as we expected." Nearly all of those sur98.1 percent were veyed aware of the labor difficulties SPACE SAVER MOBILE FILING AND STORAGE SYSTEMS the researchers say. Only 31 percent of those interviewed said it was im- HOME EQUITY LOANS portant that the holding company behave in a socially responsible We buy, sell, and lend on 1st and 2nd Trust therefore held the restaurant in less esteem. CONSTRUCTION LOANS HOME IMPROVEMENT LOANS CONSOLIDATION OF DEBTS SB Brokerage liquidating COMMERCIAL LOANS COLLATERAL LOANS TERM LOANS LeBarron 486-587- and fast-foo- d Deeds. Paid or not. Call For Cash manner 1 K II 2906 SOUTH STATE ST. Securities is liquidating its business. In its place, at 337 So. Main, David A. Parker, a former LeBarron trader, has formed a new brokerage firm, Western Capital and Securities, Inc. Staffed with four office personnel and seven account executives, the new company wras formed with $50,000 initial investment, Parker said. Scedss WCPSfdlS? Were not. Take a friend to lunch. COPYWRITING GRAPHIC DESIGN TYPOGRAPHY 510 SO. STATE s Fr VISA E3Z Care & 322-19- rraS T" 42 BEAR GRAPHICS 437 Last Broadway 532-177- 4 |