ABSTRACT
For many people, decision-making in the modern global economy seems remote, complex and liable to impact upon lifestyle and expectations in a sudden, unpredictable way. Against expectations at the time, post-war reconstruction and development, founded upon the demand management framework of the Keynesian approach to economic policy-making, ultimately generated an unprecedented wave of employment and affluence. Across Europe in particular the era of 'concertation' began to disintegrate as Monetarist ideology and market economics recaptured the political stage. Companies have adopted far more radical, fundamental changes in the way their organisations are structured and operate in order to enhance productivity. New business practices do not only involve manipulating the average economic actor as a flexible producer. The new 'science' of the consumer segmentation means that the corporate sector also seeks to manipulate that same economic actor through her or his consumption.
