An entrepreneurial activity implementation and assessment among pharmacy students amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

Objective: To implement and assess innovation and entrepreneurship (IE) learning experience in professional pharmacy students using presentations based on the Shark Tank model. Methods: First-year doctor of pharmacy students were invited to participate in an IE learning experience emphasising the importance of self-care needs of the society during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Students’ proposals were assessed by Sharks (inquisitors) based on a grading rubric, and a post-activity survey captured students’ reflections of their experience. Results: Twelve students participated in the IE activity, and presented their proposals virtually in a Shark Tank style format. Students’ scores for the proposals ranged from 87.5% (capable entrepreneurs) to 56.8% (incapable entrepreneurs), with the winner receiving a gift certificate. Survey ratings given by students on a scale of one to five for the IE activity were overwhelmingly favourable, with both the activity (4.73 (1.09)) and presentation style (4.27 (0.37)) viewed to be timely and relevant. Conclusion: An IE learning activity was implemented and assessed in the pharmacy programme using Shark Tank style presentations. The authors believe such initiatives, conducted either virtually or face-to-face, could serve as prototypes for professional pharmacy schools interested in creating exciting ways to implement IE activities in their programmes.

The Legal Essence of a Gift Certificate: OOO “Bershka SNG” virsus the Office of Rospotrebnadzor for the city of Moscow (cases No. A40-A40-202419/17 and A40-226793/17)

The article is devoted to examination and analysis of arbitration cases connected with the process of appealing acts of the Office of Rospotrebnadzor in the city of Moscow due to the administrative responsibility of one of the well-known retail organizations for including conditions infringing the rights and legitimate interests of consumers in the consumer agreement when distributing gift certificates (cards). The article contains excerpts from judicial acts issued during the consideration of cases, carries out detailed examination of issues related to the legal qualification of the gift certificate sold by entrepreneurs to consumers, and provides the author’s comment on possible ways of regulation when considering actually developing relations between retailers and consumers when they are making a contract, where the object is a gift certificate (card).

Features of Legal Regulation of the Circulation Order of Gift Certificates

The article analyzes the novels of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus concerning the procedure for using gift certificates when selling goods (performance of works, rendering services). It has been done a comparative analysis of the legal regulation of the procedure for circulation of gift certificates in the Republic of Belarus, Ukraine and some foreign countries (Canada, the USA). The author raises some problems concerning the use of a gift certificate in civil circulation. It is pointed out that there is uncertainty both in the theory of civil law and at the level of legislative regulation regarding the civil law nature of a gift certificate. It is noted that the analysis of the legislation in force in the Republic of Belarus allows us to define a gift certificate as a document certifying the property right (requirement) of its holder (bearer) to receive goods (works, services), and the amount of money contributed when purchasing a gift certificate, as advance payment (advance payment). At the same time, such an approach of the legislator is criticized due to the fact that there is a clear contradiction to the requirements of Art. 402 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus, from the content of which it follows that the advance payment presupposes the existence of a contract in which the subject has been agreed, which is not typical of most gift certificates, due to the fact that they do not contain an indication of the subject of the contract. Having done the analysis of the civil legislation of Ukraine, the author makes a conclusion that there is application of the rules on a purchase agreement to gift certificates, the subject of which may be property rights in accordance with the Civil Code of Ukraine. The conclusion is made about the imperfection of the legal regulation of the procedure for circulation of gift certificates in the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine, as well as about the complex legal nature of the gift certificate, regarding which legal regulation should be more universal, defining a gift certificate as an independent object of civil legal relationship.

The effect of music tempo on consumer impatience in intertemporal decisions

Purpose This paper aims to examine the effect of music tempo on impatience in intertemporal tradeoff decisions. It finds that fast (vs slow) tempo music increases impatience. This occurs because fast (vs slow) tempo music makes temporal distance, and hence the waiting time until the receipt of delayed benefits, feel subjectively longer. Design/methodology/approach The study tests the hypotheses through four laboratory experiments. Findings In Studies 1a (N = 88) and 1b (N = 98), the results demonstrate that when participants listen to fast (vs slow) tempo music, they judge temporal distance to be longer. In Study 2 (N = 94), the results demonstrate that when participants listen to fast (vs slow) tempo music, they become more impatient when considering a smartphone purchase. In Study 3 (N = 218), the results demonstrate that when participants listen to fast (vs slow) tempo music, they become more impatient when considering a gift certificate, and that this delay discounting effect is attributable to the change in their temporal distance judgment. Research limitations/implications The current research reports a novel factor that influences impatience in intertemporal decisions and temporal distance judgment. Practical implications This research provides useful guidelines for retail managers and marketers regarding the effect of background music in stores. Originality/value This is the first study demonstrating a music tempo effect on temporal distance judgment and impatience in intertemporal tradeoff decisions.

High Tech Versus High Touch

Previous research in the area of how individuals respond to hard-copy versus electronic communications indicates inconsistent results. Although media richness theory suggests that there is no theoretical distinction between physical, hard-copy and electronic, text-based communications, other research has shown that an individual’s response varies depending on the type of communication. The present research explores the reaction to unexpected opportunities as a function of how the communications are received—either via email or as a hard-copy. Results indicate that participants were equally satisfied to receive either an electronic or a physical gift certificate; however, they redeemed them in unequal amounts. Participants who received a physical gift card were more likely to redeem their gifts and were more likely to spend a greater amount of the total gift card than those who received an electronic one.