&" !" #" $# % & & " " " & ' ( & & #" $# & & & & ' " " ) & " * " " " & % " $+ , -.'/ + !" #" $# & " " & 01 2334 * 5 6 , !"!" ! "!"#$%& ! $# ' " ( ' ! ) *+# ' $ $ +*,-.# ! /0 1 21 / 3-*4 $ # ' " ( ' ! ) After studying business administration, psychology and philosophy, Priv. -Doz. Prof. (FH) Dr. Jörg Kraigher-Krainer worked as a marketing manager in the business world for 15 years. Today, he teaches full-time and researches the subjects of customer focus and consumer behaviour at Campus Steyr of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria and works as a lecturer at the University of Graz, the University of Economics and Business Administration in Prague and the University of Applied Sciences Campus02 in Graz. In 2006, he attained the habilitation in Business Administration from the University of Graz. He has published numerous scientific papers and has already served in various academic roles; as head of degree programmes, as a developer and member of the development teams of degree programmes, as a member of the Advisory Board and as a reviewer for scientific journals and conferences, as head of research groups and as Vice Dean for research. i ii Jörg Kraigher-Krainer TWILIGHT OF THE GOODS Economies in the Shadow of Greed for Profit iii Originally published in German 2014 as Güterdämmerung. Wirtschaften im Zwielicht der Profitgier (Graz, Gotthard Verlag) ISBN: 978-3-9503772-0-0 © 2014, Gotthard-Verlag Graz Translated by Ruth Pohlhammer iv Kathi, Elisabeth, Nora and Michaela v vi Contents 7888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 :J:$VIVJ Q`VC`RJ V`V 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 R:II1 .;V$:H788888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 .V.:`V.QCRV`:C%V]]`Q:H.8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 : %`:C1I1 : 1QJQ` .V+%:J 1 : 10V-`Q1 . `: V$7888888888888888888888888888888888 HQCQ$1H:C1I1 : 1QJ88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Q$J1 10V1I1 : 1QJ88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 1I1 Q:VJVQ`%`]QV888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 :C%V`Q]Q1 1QJ .: :7Q V+%1 V1$. 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 .V`1JH1]CVQ` QI]V 1 1QJ88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 .V`1JH1]CVQ`:V:HV`%C 6H.:J$VQ`-QQR8888888888888888888888888888888888888888 `Q]V`1 7`Q`CC888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 HQJQI757`VVRQI:JR8VIQH`:H78888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 7`VV J V`]`VJV%`.1]`1J$:61I%I % QIV`VJV`1 888888888888888888 +%:J 1 : 10V-`Q1 .1 VJ 1:C888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 78888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 - 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 : 1`:H 1QJ888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 .: : 1`:H 1QJ-888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 : 1`:H 1QJ: .VV%C Q` QI]:`1QJ8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 .V .`QJ1H-:]88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 QH1:C:C%V7 VI8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 .V: V`1:C1 1H:C%V7 VI888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 : . 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How- ever, the focus of these analyses generally lies on monetary approaches: Sta- bilise the monetary union, pump money into markets, reduce debt, create cur- rency zones, reform banking systems, decree liquidity injections, build up de- posit protection, save money, etc. We know it all from the daily news and are no longer quite sure how all this is supposed to work and what it amounts to. In this book, I chose an approach to the subject which outlines this money- oriented viewpoint as the main problem of our current economic dilemma and not as its solution. It may be appropriate to regulate economies or companies by means of financial measures in the short term, but it will fail in the long term if there are no fundamental changes to the existing real markets. This approach is by no means new, and there are already numerous publications that approach the subject of consumer society in a critical way and from the per- spective of political scientists, philosophers or religious scholars. But since I do not know of a book by a decision and buyer behaviour researcher, that deals with the problem from the point of view and in the interest of the buyer as a representative of society, I found it was high time to write such a book. Over 200 years ago, Adam Smith showed that self-interested market partici- pants, as if guided by an invisible hand and observing a fair price-strategy arrive at fair bartering and thus contented barter partners and from there to contented, wealthy nations. This actually works for the West, and the societies living there enjoy incredible prosperity today. For this reason, these fundamen- tal market mechanisms will not be shaken in the future: Satisfaction for all through increasing prosperity, possession and consumption is and remains the declared goal of all economies. Marketing and customer satisfaction books now announce a further increase in customer satisfaction towards customer enthusiasm. Similar promises are made by the public relations departments