RésuméCette recherche qualitative explore le concept de proximité, à travers l'activité des courses alimentaires. Il en résulte que la proximité, telle que vécue par le client couvre cinq dimensions que sont : la « proximité d'accès », la « proximité fonctionnelle », la « proximité relationnelle », la « proximité identitaire », et la « proximité de processus ». Les auteurs concluent en présentant l'intérêt managérial d'appréhender la relation au client par le concept de proximité, en tant qu'alternative au concept de confi ance. AbstractThis qualitative research explores the concepts of Proximity through a study of food shopping. As a result, the proximity experienced by the clients is made of fi ve dimensions : the « access proximity », the « functional proximity », the « relational proximity », the « identiy proximity » and the « process proximity ». The authors conclude by showing the managerial interest to consider the concept of proximity, as an alternative to the concept of confi dence.

International audienceThis study addresses one aspect of self-transformation, namely, the way consumers develop understandings of themselves through enacting parental roles in the context of everyday family consumption. In-depth interviews are used to examine informants' evolving understanding of themselves as parents in relation to their daily meal practices. Overall, this study extends the literature on parenthood and the negotiation of the self by detailing the dynamics of mothers' and fathers' self-transformation processes as they grapple with contemporary changes in the parental roles they internalize to socialize, accommodate, and please their children. This study shows how the parents' self-transformation process is strongly gendered, inadequately guided by roles, and inflected by the market. It introduces an emerging model of a more pleasure-based form of parenting in consumption, shaped by the market

Marketers, retailers, and brands increasingly rely on digital technologies to shape consumers' journeys. Extending from the paradox of technology, which captures the coexistence of inherent benefits and risks, we propose that empowerment from techno-mediated interactions with brands conceals vulnerability; thus, introducing the concept of latent vulnerability.Adopting a dream interpretation approach from psychoanalysis, we explored consumers' reflections on the integration of techno-based interactions with brands in their consumption journeys. The analysis unearths processes whereby consumer empowerment may convert to experiences of vulnerability. This research shows that, while giving consumers a sense of empowerment, techno-mediated journeys may hide a form of latent vulnerability. Latent vulnerability becomes manifest through revelation mechanisms that allow consumers to develop self-reflexivity and recognize their dependence and manipulation. We discuss the ethical implications that latent vulnerability raises.

International audienceThe present article explores a relatively new way for consumers to dispose of items they no longer use, namely free recycling websites. Online recycling is based on an encounter with an unknown recipient to give something away 'in person'. A phenomenological approach was used to understand the meaning of giving through free recycling websites. Placing the focus on the donor's perspective, we analysed Internet postings and conducted 27 in-depth interviews. Our research shows that (1) when the object is given, the online giver is less concerned about the risk of refusal, since the recipient has deliberately made the choice to take the item; (2) when the item is received, the encounter with the recipient removes the anonymity of charities and (3) in return, the encounter with the recipient offers the giver acknowledgement for the gesture without committing them to a relationship with the recipient in the way a gift to kith or kin might do. While former literature has highlighted certain tensions in the gift economy, this study shows how free recycling websites can help to alleviate such tensions. The research highlights how this system of object disposition enhances social interactions between two strangers that share an interest in the same object. The article shows how this new form of gift-giving relationship is both rewarding and liberating: it is rewarding thanks to the interaction with the recipient (unlike donations to charities) without necessarily creating a bond of dependence (unlike giving to someone you know)

Drawing from women's testimonials in The Guardian and from contributions of feminist writers, Virginia Woolf, Julia Kristeva, and Margaret Mead, we start a conversation on the positive and energizing aspects of menopause in the workplace. We propose a social interpretation of menopause that challenges a pervasive perspective of medical decline: A theorization of “the dialectic of zest,” as inspired by the writings of Margaret Mead. By problematizing the experiences of women going through this transition in the workplace, we reveal how well‐intentioned awareness campaigns can lead to further stigmatization. We thus encourage organizations to not only favor an approach of “education for all” but also extend their social imaginaries beyond medicalized perspectives and coping views. Organizations can then embrace the potential of “zest,” a positive side of menopause that remains largely unknown. We argue that organizations, inspired by a holistic view of menopause in the workplace, can creatively support the professional progressions and ambitions of not only women but also all employees.