The widespread use of celebrities as product endorsers and company spokesmen stimulated the authors to investigate what factors underlie the credibility of these endorsers. Two studies were conducted in order to determine those attributes of a celebrity which correlate most highly with trust. In Study I, students rated 33 celebrities, who were not product endorsers, on six attributes: awareness, trust, likeableness, similarity, life style, and personal attractiveness. In Study II, members of a civic group rated 20 celebrities, who were endorsing products, on the above-mentioned six attributes plus two additional ones, talent and voting intention. Both studies demonstrated the strong relationship between trust and likeableness.

In early 1970 responsibility for the conclusion of trade agreements was transferred from the individual member states to the EC. Since then the EC has been recognized throughout the world as a contractual partner in its own right within this area. Only the Soviet Union and the CMEA are being difficult accepting these changes in responsibility since 1970. This means that in trade between the EC countries and the state trade countries there exists at present a situation without treaties. Where do the problems lie? What models offer themselves for overcoming this situation?

The problem of the growing indebtedness of developing countries is playing an increasingly important role at international conferences. It was also the central subject of the ninth special session of the UNCTAD Board whose third part ended on March 11, 1978. The resulting resolution, though not generally solving the debt problem, provides substantial progress for the poorer developing countries.

Leaving foreign exchange markets to themselves may not lead to realistic and stable exchange rates. Thus appropriate criteria for interference must be defined. The OPTICA (Optimal Currency Area) Group which was appointed by the European Commission tried to work out appropriate rules for the EC. Dr Scharrer, member of the group, explains their proposal; Professor Cohen and EC Vice President Ortoli give their comments.

The following contribution is essentially based on the author’s presentation to the Club of Rome’s recently held world conference on “Alternatives to Growth“. Dealing with the concept of waste management and its economic and social implications it is meant to stimulate the debate on the limits to growth into an altogether different avenue.

The existence of adequate numbers of self-employed persons is regarded as crucial for effective competition. The decline of self-employment which could be registered in all the Western industrialized countries has therefore given rise to concern. This article analyses the corresponding trends over the past 25 years for 14 countries.