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Food products' quality information is advertised on labels but do customers trust them? This study investigates how the consumers' Willingness-To-Pay (WTP) for food products can be increased by deploying managerial effort and advanced technologies, such as the Blockchain Technology (BT). Our model explains how revealing verified information about product quality throughout the supply chain will generate optimal consumers' WTP and maximise profit. At each echelon of a multi-echelon supply chain, a buyer holds a Bayesian belief about the quality of the input to be procured. This belief is shaped by the accuracy and veracity of the information about this quality. Managerial effort is required both to enhance quality as well as ensure full and verified information. We show why this effort must be made across the chain and how opportunistic behaviour may be circumscribed. Using empirically grounded analytics and real prices of olive oil intermediate produce from various official bodies, we show how the application of BT may be financially justified. This research shows how trust and WTP can be further enhanced through the use of BT and additional smart technologies in a supply chain, which may be projected on other supply chains of organic and sustainable food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marketers often assume that consumers comparing products (e.g., two TVs) will show a hedonic contrast. In other words, a product seems more appealing and consumers are willing to pay more for it when it is compared with an unappealing competitor than when it is compared with a highly appealing one. However, hedonic judgments (e.g., how appealing is this TV?) are confounded with underlying attribute judgments (e.g., how big is this TV?), and it is important to delineate their effects. This article presents six studies to disentangle them and shows evidence for two separate effects in opposite directions: while a product's attribute judgments contrast with those of a competitor, its hedonic judgments assimilate. Thus, marketing tactics based on the assumption of the hedonic contrast hypothesis can potentially backfire, reducing willingness to pay. More generally, this research reveals the hidden complexity underlying product comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of social media and the peer-to-peer economy, sellers can easily tell potential buyers about themselves and their process of producing products and services. This research investigates the influence of a central aspect of the production process that sellers can communicate—their production enjoyment. Buyers are willing to pay a higher price, are more likely to click on ads, and are more likely to choose a product or service when the seller signals that they enjoy producing it. In contrast, sellers are willing to accept lower prices, and actually charge less, for products and services they enjoy producing. Both buyers and sellers make the inference that production enjoyment leads to higher quality products/services, but only buyers rely on this inference when forming their pricing judgments relative to sellers. Nine studies illustrate these effects across a wide variety of products and services, participant samples, and operationalizations of production enjoyment. They show that signals of production enjoyment can influence buyers more than other established signals (e.g., effort) and demonstrate contexts where these effects are more and less likely to occur. These findings offer practical recommendations for both buyers and sellers as well as a variety of theoretical contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers frequently receive refunds from prior purchases. In this research, we examine if money refunded from previous purchases is more likely to be spent than money that does not go through a refund process. Across nine pre-registered studies, we test how consumers' willingness to spend depends on the transaction history of their money. We find that, when people receive a refund and do not need to replace the originally purchased item, they are more likely to spend the refunded money on a discretionary purchase than they are to spend non-refunded money that is otherwise identical. We suggest that this pattern arises because refunded money is earmarked as "spending money" at the time of the initial purchase and then retains that earmark even after the refund is issued. When refunds arrive, therefore, they seem free from obligations and easy to spend. This research documents the psychology of purchase refunds, a topic largely unaddressed in the mental accounting literature to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Willingness to pay (WTP) is a metric that is widely valued and utilized among both practitioners and academics. However, the conceptualization of WTP is ambiguous, and this ambiguity is reflected across existing methods of measuring WTP. The authors first present a formal mathematical framework that clarifies WTP as a distributional concept—rather than a single number—constructed as a function of customers, comparisons, and situations. The framework further reveals the operation of two comparative mechanisms, direct and indirect, by which situational factors affect WTP. They then introduce a new method to measure WTP—the comparative method of valuation (CMV)—that, unlike existing methods, is designed to account for the inherently comparative and situational nature of WTP. Across nine studies reported in the article and four additional studies in the Web Appendix, the authors (1) examine differences in results between CMV and choice-based conjoint as well as between CMV and the classic Becker–DeGroot–Marschak methodology, (2) demonstrate that CMV is a valid and reliable measure of WTP, and (3) illustrate applications of CMV to managerial problems. This article offers both conceptual clarity and methodological advances to understanding the construction and measurement of WTP for practitioners and academics alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although consumers often value minimalist aesthetics, little work has examined why and when simple packaging designs of consumable products enhance consumer outcomes. The authors theorize that simple packaging evokes a symbolic association whereby minimizing design complexity signals that the product contains few ingredients, which increases perceived product purity and willingness to pay (WTP). A field study examining a supermarket chain's product packages (N = 1,353) provided preliminary support for this increase in WTP and two boundary conditions. Six preregistered studies replicated these effects and tested the underlying process. Studies 1a and 1b showed that the increase in WTP for simple packaging is driven by few-ingredients inferences increasing perceived product purity. Study 2 demonstrated the increase in WTP using an incentive-compatible design. Study 3 reinforced the proposed process via moderated mediation. Lastly, Studies 4 and 5 tested the boundary conditions in the field study, showing that WTP for simple packaging decreases when the product is from a store (vs. nonstore) brand and when consumers have an indulgence (vs. health) goal. These findings offer theoretical and managerial insight into minimalist aesthetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the authors examine how consumers perceive the fruits of university–industry collaborations (i.e., new products codeveloped with universities). Eight studies document a positive university effect and highlight its practical significance and boundary conditions. An Instagram A/B test utilizing a video that refers (vs. does not refer) to the underlying university–industry collaboration results in higher click-through rates and ad engagement levels. Another field study demonstrates that university-codeveloped products are more attractive to consumers, even after an actual product trial. Further, several consequential studies reveal that consumers are willing to pay up to 65% more for products marketed as codeveloped with a university. The authors argue and show that collaborating with a university infuses the underlying firm with a stronger sense of scientific legitimacy, thereby making the resulting product more attractive to consumers. Congruously, the authors find that the effect is more pronounced when the scientific legitimacy engendered by universities is more important to the focal product (i.e., high tech vs. low tech), underlying company (i.e., new vs. established), or target customer (i.e., high vs. low belief in science). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Packaging waste makes up more than 10% of the landfilled waste in the United States. While consumers often want to make environmentally friendly product choices, we find that their perceptions of the environmental friendliness of product packaging may systematically deviate from its objective environmental friendliness. Eight studies (N = 4,103) document the perceived environmental friendliness (PEF) bias whereby consumers judge plastic packaging with additional paper to be more environmentally friendly than identical plastic packaging without the paper. The PEF bias is driven by consumers' "paper = good, plastic = bad" beliefs and by proportional reasoning, wherein packaging with a greater paper-to-plastic proportion is judged as more environmentally friendly. We further show that the PEF bias impacts consumers' willingness to pay and product choice. Importantly, this bias can be mitigated by a "minimal packaging sticker" intervention, which increases the environmental friendliness perceptions of plastic-only packaging, rendering plastic-packaged products to be preferable to their plastic-plus-paper-packaged counterparts. This research contributes to the packaging literature in marketing and to research on sustainability while offering practical implications for managers and public policy officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospital quality ratings are widely available to help Medicare beneficiaries make an informed choice about where to receive care. However, how beneficiaries trade-off between different quality domains (clinical outcomes, patient experience, safety, efficiency) and other considerations (out-of-pocket cost, travel distance) is not well understood. We sought to study how beneficiaries make trade-offs when choosing a hypothetical hospital. We administered an online survey that included a discrete choice experiment to a nationally representative sample of 1025 Medicare beneficiaries. On average, beneficiaries were willing to pay $1698 more for a hospital with a 1-star higher rating on clinical outcomes. This was over twice the value of the patient experience ($691) and safety ($615) domains and nearly 8 times the value of the efficiency domain ($218). We also found that the value of a 1-star improvement depends not only on the quality domain but also the baseline level of performance of the hospital. Generally, it is more valuable for low-performing hospitals to achieve average performance than for average hospitals to achieve excellence.

The embedding effect represents one of the most challenging problems of the contingent valuation (CV) method. The purpose of this study is to address the issue of embedding effect in the context of museums, by estimating the size and extent of the problem. A CV study conducted in Denmark asked respondents to evaluate both the Danish museum-system (inclusive good) and the specific local museum in their municipality of residence (embedded good). Typically, an equal or very close willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the two goods would indicate the presence of an embedding effect. However, we show that this will only be the case for some respondents, while for others the similarity between the two WTP reflects an exclusive interest for the local museum. We demonstrate the existence of these two different types of respondents by using a latent class model where respondents are clustered based on answers to the CV survey. Consequently, the aggregate WTP and the bias associated with the embedding effect are estimated. Our results have implications in terms of the reliability of CV studies and its implementation in actual policy issues, demonstrating that the right questions and techniques will facilitate the separation of 'true' answers from biased ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Willingness to communicate (WTC) in a target language is considered a critical variable impacting engagement when students learn the language. Notwithstanding the research conducted on WTC of students, fewer attempts have been made to investigate their willingness to listen (WTL), especially WTL augmentation. To address this gap, this research explored the impact of a long-term listening course on preservice teachers' WTL in English and identifies underlying factors influencing their WTL. To this end, a mixed-methods research design consisting of pretest, post-test and interviews was adopted. Quantitative data were collected from 45 students with a 19-item WTL scale and qualitatively from 10 students through semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were subjected to descriptive (means and standard deviations) and inferential (Mann–Whitney U -test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test) statistics, while qualitative data were analysed through qualitative content analysis. Results indicated that the long-term listening course was inadequate to improve preservice teachers' WTL significantly and pointed to various individual, speaker, listener and skill variables that influenced participants' existing and increasing levels of WTL in English. These results are beneficial to English practitioners when designing practical activities and courses to enhance English listening skills, especially when communicating with interlocutors from diverse linguacultural backgrounds amid today's English diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper investigates how environmental amenity and economic benefits are balanced in migration dynamics from the individual perspective. • We use thermal inversions strength as IV. • We find that if the ambient concentration of PM2.5 increases 1 μg/m3, the probability of migration at the individual level will decrease by 0.90 %. • We find heterogenous effects across gender, household, and occupation. This paper investigates how environmental amenity and economic benefits are balanced in migration dynamics from the individual perspective. We construct a structural model based on the dataset that combines PM2.5 concentration data from NASA and migration information from the China Migration Dynamic Survey (CMDS). Thermal inversion is used as a source of exogenous shock in air pollution to address the omitted variable bias. The results indicate that if the ambient concentration of PM2.5 at destinations increases 1 μg/m3, the probability of migration at the individual level will decrease by 0.90 %. A battery of robustness checks is implemented, including different approaches to measuring migration decision, using imputed wage instead of disposable income, using different IV and proxy variable. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the deterrence effect of air pollution is more pronounced for the following groups: migrants who are male, move from a rural residence, or to a coastal destination, belong to working-age population, engage in a tertiary industry, have a postgraduate-level education, and support two or more elders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of accelerated losses in advertising revenue, news organizations are increasingly interested in strategies to increase subscription sales. Previous studies have found several predictors of paywall success in obtaining and maintaining subscriptions, willingness to pay, and paying for news. But these factors have not been linked together into one clear conceptual framework. This monograph introduces a new construct, News Subscription Motivation, that theoretically links different predictors of paying for news. Mixed-method research was employed to conceptualize and operationalize this new construct. Results of in-depth interviews and online surveys revealed six underlying motivations that drive people to pay for news: support for journalism, journalism quality, triggering by the paywall, community attachment, affordability, and content utility. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to validate the News Subscription Motivation Scale and used multiple regressions to demonstrate statistically significant relationships between subscription motivations and both the number of news subscriptions people report paying for and the types of subscriptions people buy (local vs. national). We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of studying news subscription motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have primarily focused on off-street parking lots, leveraging parking fees to reduce search time and enhance socioeconomic benefits. However, existing research overlooks the examination of parkers' choice behavior within a single parking lot and fails to incorporate differential parking fees in analyzing the choices of individual parking spaces. To this end, this study introduces the multinomial logit and mixed logit models to explore the influence of variables on parkers' choice of parking spaces. Moreover, the marginal willingness to pay is calculated for the four variables (i.e., parking fee, mechanical space, walking time, and search time) for work and recreation purposes to determine how much parkers are willing to spend for them. The results show that all four variables have a significant negative effect on parker's choice, and mechanical parking space is core for parkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid urbanization and subsequent motorization experienced in India have profound negative implications on the environment due to increased exhaust emission levels. India is one of the biggest global markets for the motorized two-wheeler (M2W) segment. Therefore, replacing M2Ws with electric two-wheelers (E2Ws) is considered essential to mitigate the adverse effects on the environment. However, developing the required infrastructure to support the operation, especially as desired by the prospective users, is essential to accelerate the acceptance of E2Ws by Indian commuters. Therefore, a travel behavior–based investigation was carried out in this study to evaluate the prospective users' preferences for the E2W infrastructure-specific attributes. The preferences were investigated in terms of willingness to pay (WTP) for the improvement of infrastructure attributes. The WTP is generally considered a measure of user benefit associated with a specific attribute. For the stated purpose, a stated preference experiment was designed, and preferences of the prospective users for different infrastructure settings were collected from E2W prospective users in Hyderabad. The preference data were analyzed by developing appropriate discrete choice models, namely, multinomial logit and random parameter logit (RPL) models. Further, the influence of socioeconomic and trip characteristics of the prospective E2W users on the infrastructure attributes was also evaluated by examining the heterogeneity around the means of random parameters in the RPL model. The results reveal that prospective users have a higher WTP for improving the public charging infrastructure and parking infrastructure availability. Characteristics such as gender, age, and journey time significantly influence the prospective E2W users' WTP associated with infrastructure attributes. Based on the results and inferences, the necessary policy measures for developing adequate infrastructure for E2Ws are also presented in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: COVID-19 put healthcare systems around the world under significant pressure, and led to a global recession. In response, governments implemented aid programmes to stimulate their economies. This, along with the outbreak of war in Ukraine, complicated the economic situation. All of this may have ramifications on people's access to essential healthcare services. This study aims to investigate the willingness to pay for healthcare among Saudi individuals at time of economic downturn. Methods: Questionnaires were used to collect data from 600 individuals across six provinces of Riyadh City between December 2017 and January 2018. The data were elicited using a closed ended format. A probit regression and marginal effects analyses were used to analyze the data. Results and conclusion: The results showed just over half the sample were willing to pay, suggesting that countries should give careful consideration to whether and when to involve people in financing healthcare services at time of economic turmoil. The results could be used by policymakers in decisions around funding allocation and priority setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research question: This paper attempts to disentangle the impact of overseas exhibition games, a strategic marketing tool frequently implemented by professional sports clubs in their endeavors to expand into foreign markets, on demand. As such, it contributes to the recently growing literature examining the internationalization processes of leagues and clubs. Research methods: We implement two different studies. Study 1 analyzes the effects of games played by English Premier League (EPL) clubs in the US in summer 2015 on US residents' willingness to pay (WTP) for add-on football packages on television. In doing so, we exploit the panel structure of geocoded data collected in two representative surveys and use inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment estimators. Study 2 focuses on regional audience data on EPL games televised in the US. We account both for summer 2014 and 2015 exhibition games by implementing propensity score stratification. Results and findings: Overall, we find that exhibition games played by EPL clubs have a positive effect on both the WTP for TV subscription packages as well as viewership. Further analysis reveals that these effects are primarily driven by top brands traveling abroad (though also some spillover benefits on EPL-wide demand emerge) and dissipate over time. Implications: Facilitating the organization of overseas exhibition games seems reasonable from a commercial point of view for league management. For broadcasters, requiring certain top brands to participate in preseason tours in their national markets might be essential if they seek to improve their return on investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the micro and macro predictors of Portuguese willingness to pay (WTP) more taxes to bolster funds channelled to the National Health Service (NHS). An online questionnaire was used to collect data from 584 Portuguese citizens. The statistical analysis was performed through the application of logistic regressions. The research shows that willingness to support increasing taxes depended on socioeconomic, behavioural, and psychological factors. The WTP more taxes to finance the NHS were associated with younger ages, life satisfaction and dispositional optimism, satisfaction with the NHS performance, current perceived risk exposure, and risk orientation. Identifying and understanding the main influencing factors associated with WTP more taxes for NHS is essential to assist policy-makers in developing healthcare reforms. Decision-makers may take this opportunity to improve the NHS since those who ultimately benefit from the measures can provide an additional source of health financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of communication style focusing on the family business brand's roots and virtues on inferences of manipulative intent and willingness to pay a price premium, applying the persuasion knowledge model. Design/methodology/approach: This study collects data involving 337 participants from France and applies partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypotheses. Findings: The results demonstrate that communication style plays an important role in inferences of manipulative intent: focusing on the family business brand's virtues has a positive effect while focusing on the family business brand's roots has a nonsignificant effect. In turn, inferences of manipulative intent have a negative and significant effect on willingness to pay a price premium. Furthermore, age does not moderate the effect of communication style focusing on the family restaurant brand's roots and inferences of manipulative intent but positively moderates the effect of communication style focusing on the family restaurant brand's virtues on inferences of manipulative intent. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to try to unpack the differing effects of communication styles in the context of family business brands. In this vein, it has insightful theoretical and managerial implications for family business brands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To preview digital content and arouse consumers' interest, online providers often use short teasers designed in an unfinished form, such that the teaser begins a new sentence but does not finish it. These teasers aim to create curiosity and trigger consumption of the advertised content. However, we reveal that consumers' reactions to unfinished teasers are not always positive. The results from a qualitative pilot study and five experimental studies show that consumers react negatively to unfinished teasers for paid content, as demonstrated by reduced purchases. This effect reverses for free content, in that unfinished teasers lead to more consumption. We explain this reversal by showing that the barrier associated with paid content (i.e., the payment requirement) activates consumers' persuasion knowledge and suppresses any positive curiosity‐induced effects, which does not occur when content is available for free. These findings offer novel insights into the complexity of consumers' reactions to prevalent advertising techniques designed to promote content consumption in digital marketplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When patients lack information about their medications, they are more likely to experience adverse events that may have costly health outcomes. One possible approach for improving the information that patients receive about their medications is to standardize the written information that pharmacies provide so that it is uniform and easier to read. While patients have expressed a preference for this standardization, no previous study has provided nationally representative estimates of its monetary benefits. In this paper, we estimate willingness to pay (WTP) to measure the potential benefits of standardizing the medication information leaflets that pharmacies provide to patients. We use data collected from an online, nationally representative, stated preference survey administered to non-institutionalized adults age 18 and over in the United States. Survey respondents were randomized to receive either open-ended valuation questions or referendum-style valuation questions. Responses from the open-ended questions suggest a mean WTP between approximately $3 and $13 per year depending on the treatment of outliers. Regression results suggest that those who received the referendum-style questions would be willing to pay, on average, just under $7 per year for the standardization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is the most common diagnosed disease, and the second leading cause of death among women. Thus, due to its importance, the current research is aimed at identifying the preferences of individuals for improving breast cancer screening programs and the related policies. Method: A systematic search was applied on databases including - PubMed, Scopus, the Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane, SID- up to October 2022. The including articles were original or review papers that assessed individuals' willingness to pay. Also, articles including the effective variables or attributes for breast cancer screening program were included. Meta-analysis was applied to calculate Willingness to Pay (WTP) as a mean for breast cancer screening followed by vote-counting for identifying the variables and attributes correlated with screening. Results: A total of 721 articles were identified during the first phase. After the screening process, thirteen papers were chosen, out of which, nine assessed mammography as a breast cancer screening program. The results of random effect meta-analysis on the including studies indicated that the rate of willingness to pay for screening was 0.28% of GDP per capita (95%CI: 0.14–0.43), which was found to be statistically significant. The result of stratified meta- analysis indicated that the rate of willingness to pay for screening was 0.22% of GDP per capita (95%CI: 0.07–0.37), which was found to be statistically significant. Generally, income was the basic factor for receiving screening services, and cost was an effective attribute for participating in screening programs. Conclusions: To increase women's participation in breast cancer screening programs; it is essential to provide legitimate information and eliminate the barriers to women's non-participation. Offering rapid tests at low costs in healthcare centers (both in terms of travel and screening time) delivered by female staff can lead to an increase in women's willingness to participate in breast cancer screening programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In this work, we look at the role played by cultural values on individuals' tax preferences towards contributing to public goods. More specifically, looking at the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Former Soviet Union (FSU), we analyse the role of specific cultural values in the willingness of an individual to pay more taxes with the aim of improving public good provision relating to education, health and support of people in need, as well as to combat climate change. To this purpose, we integrate Hofstede's cultural dichotomy individualism–collectivism with Schwartz's cultural dichotomy embeddedness–autonomy, as both capture similar values regarding group interest and self‐determination. We posit that individual values aligned with the concept of individualism/autonomy will be associated with a greater willingness to contribute towards public good provision. Our analysis exploits data from the third wave of the Life in transition Survey (2015–2016). Our analyses reveal that respondents' willingness to contribute to different types of public and common goods is positively associated with them holding values compatible with individualism/autonomy. These associations are statistically significant and robust to changes in specifications and estimators and to changes in the sample investigated.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn the randomized phase III IDHENTIFY trial, the IDH2 inhibitor enasidenib (ENA) showed improvement in event-free but not overall survival compared with conventional care regimens (CCR) among patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R), IDH2-mutant AML. We constructed a partitioned survival model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of enasidenib for the treatment of older patients with R/R, and IDH2-mutant AML. In the base-case scenario, ENA exhibited an incremental effectiveness of 0.234quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) compared to CCR, and an incremental cost of $126,800, leading to an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $540,300/QALY(95% CI: $197,800–$4,777,000/QALY). In probabilistic sensitivity analysis, CCR was favored in 99.8% of simulations. The cost of ENA would need to be decreased by 72% to be cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $150,000/QALY. Our findings suggest that ENA is unlikely to be a cost-effective treatment for older patients with IDH2-mutant R/R AML under current pricing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The operationalization of universal health insurance in Burkina Faso represents a significant challenge for health coverage. The willingness of households to pay is a crucial aspect of the process. This highlights the necessity of examining the factors that may explain their willingness to pay. The objective of this study is to analyze the determinants of households' willingness to pay for health insurance in Burkina Faso. Methods: The data used in this study were collected between March and September 2017 in the territory of Burkina Faso, covering six administrative regions. A total of 211 households were surveyed, 71 in urban areas and 140 in rural areas. The Tobit model was employed to analyze the determinants of willingness to pay, with the contingent valuation method used to obtain willingness to pay. Results: The results of the descriptive analysis indicate that households are willing to pay approximately 7,600 F CFA on average for health insurance. The estimation results demonstrate that income has a positive effect on households' willingness to pay. Additionally, the occupation of the head of household and the insurance reimbursement rate are identified as determinants of willingness to pay. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that income, the rate of repayment and the occupation of the head of household are the primary determinants of willingness to pay. In terms of implications, it is essential to ensure that the rate of protection is high, which could encourage households to pay the premium. Furthermore, the results of the evaluation suggest that interventions to increase household income may be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green transformation in the hotel industry represents an undeniable trend yet poses financial challenges, particularly in emerging economies. Expanding on the service quality-satisfaction-behavioral intention paradigm, this study investigates the influences of green emotional attachment, attitude towards green hotels, green image, green practice performance, word-of-mouth, guest satisfaction, functional value, and green experiential loyalty on green hotel premium payment. We collected 573 data points from China using purposive sampling. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed the positive effect of attitudes towards green hotels and green practices on guest satisfaction. The findings confirmed a positive correlation between guest satisfaction and willingness to pay a premium price for green hotels. This study also confirms the moderating effect of green experiential loyalty. Moreover, it recognizes gender, age, and income as partial moderating factors. These findings offer valuable insights into green hotel consumption research and assist practitioners in enhancing guest willingness to pay premiums and fostering sustainable industry development. The active implementation of strategies to boost guest satisfaction and willingness to pay premiums can further environmental conservation and support zero-carbon goals in the hospitality sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green consumption is critical for achieving sustainable development goals. Many studies have focused on explaining why customers choose green consumption, but rarely have scholars considered the significant impacts of the psychological costs. This study conducted an online survey of 677 sampled individuals in China. A structural equation model (SEM) was adopted to explore how three types of psychological costs (i.e., stress, stigma, and autonomy) moderate the indirect relationships of perceived hedonic value and perceived utilitarian value with green consumption (i.e., green purchasing, recycling, and refusing to use disposable products) through the willingness to pay a green premium (WPGP). The results show that perceived values can promote green consumption behaviours by increasing WPGP. In addition, the indirect benefit of perceived hedonic value was shown to be stronger than that of perceived utilitarian value. However, the direct association of perceived hedonic value with green consumption was shown to be weaker (compared to perceived utilitarian value) when the influence of WPGP was excluded. Moreover, the indirect associations of perceived hedonic value with green consumption were stronger among individuals with high stress than those with low stress. In contrast, the indirect associations of perceived utilitarian value on green consumption were weaker for people with high stigma than those with low stigma. However, no evidence was found to show that autonomy can moderate the indirect relationships. These findings emphasize the different mechanisms of perceived hedonic value and perceived utilitarian value on green consumption, as well as the moderating role of psychological costs in understanding the relationship between perceived value and green consumption. Accordingly, this study suggests that policymakers should highlight the hedonic value rather than the utilitarian when encouraging a green lifestyle that involves a green premium. This is particularly true of situations with a high level of customers' psychological costs. However, if there is no way to further increase people's WPGP, then promoting the utilitarian value should be used to promote green consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to electricity is a key indicator of a country's development. In developing nations like Ethiopia, this metric is particularly crucial for assessing progress. Currently, about 45.8% of Ethiopia's population lacks access to electricity, with rural areas experiencing even higher rates, reaching 57.2%. The Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's (SNNP) region faces the greatest challenge, with 62.1% of its population lacking electricity. Ethiopia aims to achieve universal electricity access by 2030, and microgrid (MG) development is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting this goal. This study employs a multi-tier framework (MTF) to categorize village households based on electricity access, considering factors like income level and willingness to pay, to support the MG development process. Three villages—Toba, Koza, and Womba—in the SNNP region were selected for optimal MG sizing. Sensitivity variables such as global horizontal irradiance (GHI) variation, photovoltaic (PV) and battery prices, battery usage limits, and capacity shortage levels were analyzed for their impact on net present cost (NPC), initial capital cost, and cost of energy (COE) using HOMER Pro software. For example, in the Toba MG, increasing the capacity shortage from 0 to 10% reduced the COE from 0.1195 $/kWh to 0.09104 $/kWh, a 23.82% decrease. Additionally, fluctuations in PV and battery prices had a direct impact on the system's NPC. The study also explored the impact of clustering the microgrids by interconnecting the three individual systems and conducting a techno-economic analysis. The comparison between standalone MG operation and clustered microgrids revealed that, despite the added cost of interconnection, the benefits in terms of technological, economic, and reliable operation of the clustered system were comparable to standalone microgrids. Finally, a feasibility study was conducted for the potential grid extension of the Toba MG, which is located 130 km from the nearest substation in Sawla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture in developing countries, including Mexico, primarily consists of artisanal activities characterized by low-scale production. No studies in these regions has analyzed consumer preferences regarding aquaculture products, specifically for snook and red snapper. Consequently, to explore consumer preferences, the primary objective of this study is to estimate a measure of welfare in the form of willingness to pay (WTP) for fish cultivated under small-scale production conditions in floating cages. To examine the variables impacting WTP, we employed the random utility model (RUM) theoretical framework and a grouping of econometric models belonging to the discrete choice framework. The results strongly suggest that product attributes, such as presentation, purchasing location, consumption-related characteristics, and certain socioeconomic variables, significantly influence the decision to select farmed products. Developing productive aquaculture projects in Mexico and other developing countries can enhance community development by providing producers with accurate information for decision-making and by expanding the fish supply in response to the growing consumer demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the preferences regarding injection, medication frequency and complexity of GLP1 receptor agonists among patients with type 2 diabetes, treatment-naïve for such drugs in Spain. Additionally, patients' willingness to pay according to these attributes was evaluated. Methods: A discrete-choice experiment survey designed to evaluate patients' preferences over three attributes discriminating by age, sex and patients experience with previous injectable treatment was fulfilled by patients. The resulting model was analyzed using a conditional (fixed-effects) logistic regression. Results: A total of 180 patients (63.35 ± 11.49 years, 63.28% men, 48.41% with previous cardiovascular disease, 54.69% with a time of evolution of diabetes >10 years) recruited from 5 health care centers in Spain completed the survey. Patients viewed positively weekly injections (vs daily injections), but rated negatively a complex preparation of the dose (vs simple preparation). Whereas naïve patients for injectable medications did not consider administration timing of importance, no naïve patients considered it relevant. No relevant differences were observed according to age or gender. Patients were willing to pay 83.25€for a "no preparation required" dose. No naïve and naïve patients were willing to pay 34.61€ and 14.35€; p = 0.000, to change daily injection for a weekly injection. Conclusions: Patients highly valued the avoidance of injections, with weekly dosing clearly preferred over daily dosing, as well as reducing the treatment complexity. These findings may provide a better understanding of what patients prefer and value in their treatment and provide guidance for clinicians making therapeutic decisions regarding treatments of patients with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall value of treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) depends on several factors, including preferences of the general population, who contributes to the financing of health systems. This study investigated societal preferences for attributes of CLL treatments in Italy. An online large-scale survey was designed using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) methodology and delivered to the Italian adult general population. Ten treatment attributes were identified, covering efficacy, safety, operational aspects and (hypothetical) out-of-pocket cost. DCE data were analyzed using a mixed logit regression model, estimating the willingness-to-pay for attribute levels' change. The general population significantly preferred more effective treatments, with shorter duration, administered orally rather than orally + intravenously. Changes in therapy duration, frequency of checkups and organ damage risk had the greatest impact on preferences. The integration of societal preferences in the value judgments of CLL therapies may help health authorities in establishing priority setting and taking pricing-reimbursement decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) is conducted to account for the uncertainty in cost and effect of decision options under consideration. PSA involves obtaining a large sample of input parameter values (N) to estimate the expected cost and effect of each alternative in the presence of parameter uncertainty. When the analysis involves using stochastic models (eg, individual-level models), the model is further replicated P times for each sampled parameter set. We study how N and P should be determined. We show that PSA could be structured such that P can be an arbitrary number (say, P = 1). To determine N , we derive a formula based on Chebyshev's inequality such that the error in estimating the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of alternatives (or equivalently, the willingness-to-pay value at which the optimal decision option changes) is within a desired level of accuracy. We described 2 methods to confirm, visually and quantitatively, that the N informed by this method results in ICER estimates within the specified level of accuracy. When N is arbitrarily selected, the estimated ICERs could be substantially different from the true ICER (even as P increases), which could lead to misleading conclusions. Using a simple resource allocation model, we demonstrate that the proposed approach can minimize the potential for this error. The number of parameter samples in probabilistic cost-effectiveness analyses should not be arbitrarily selected. We describe 3 methods to ensure that enough parameter samples are used in probabilistic cost-effectiveness analyses. • To conduct probabilistic sensitivity analyses in economic evaluation studies, the analyst should specify the number of times samples (N) from probability distributions of input parameters should be obtained. To ensure that conclusions provided by a probabilistic cost-effectiveness analysis is robust to the selected parameter samples, the general recommendation is to obtain a "sufficiently large" number of parameter samples. • In this article, we provide a formula to determine N such that the error in estimating the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of alternatives (or equivalently, the willingness-to-pay value at which the optimal decision option changes) is within a desired level of accuracy. • We also show that when the analysis involved using a stochastic model (eg, an individual-level model), the number of times that model should be replicated per parameter set can be one if N is sufficiently large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective carbon taxation is essential for achieving the green transition. However, there is typically stiff opposition to carbon taxation due to adverse equity and other impacts. Hence, it is essential to get a better understanding of which factors, including the use of tax revenue, can increase acceptability. To date, stated preference methods, rarely used to analyse this issue, have focused only on households. We conduct two national choice experiment surveys of Norwegian households and companies. The experiments include carbon taxes on transport fuel and associated emission reductions and different revenue recycling options as attributes. We find that both groups are more accepting of higher tax levels if the revenues finance climate change mitigation efforts. There is some heterogeneity among the groups with regard to using revenues to reduce different dimensions of inequality. Simulating policy scenarios, we find acceptance for the highest carbon tax among both groups when the revenues are used both to finance climate change mitigation efforts and to reduce rural-urban inequalities. This policy option points to an acceptable carbon tax close to an estimated level necessary for reaching the most ambitious climate target set by the Norwegian government. In Norway, further research should explore whether an effective carbon tax level could be achieved with modest efficiency loss, while also alleviating inequality. Key policy insights: Policymakers need a better understanding of the factors, including the use of associated tax revenues, that increase carbon tax acceptability in order to ensure that the tax is high enough to effectively reduce emissions. Simultaneously considering levels of carbon tax acceptance among households and companies could increase the chance of implementing higher, more effective carbon tax levels by identifying mutual interests and points of divergence. Our results show that companies and households concur to a certain extent on the most socially acceptable policy option; earmarking carbon tax revenues to finance climate change mitigation efforts and to reduce rural-urban inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approaches to solid waste management (SWM) in African cities have gone through various phases. Each phase is shaped by a range of factors, including population growth, urbanisation, government policies and political willingness to invest in SWM infrastructure as well as SWM services. In the Ghanaian context, the latter factor is said to be subject to public perceptions of SWM as a welfare service and hence the reluctance of people to pay for SWM services even though "others" are paying. In this paper, an attempt has been made to investigate how approaches to SWM in Ghana have transitioned over time and its consequences on willingness to pay for SWM services in the Kaneshie, Madina and Kantamanto open-air markets in Accra. Based on the study findings and the vital role that open-air markets (OAMs) play in African cities, a system of standardising SWM fees is recommended for SWM service providers in both formal and informal sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P2P platforms offer accessibility to individuals aspiring to become micro-entrepreneurs by sharing their resources through online platforms. Among users of P2P platforms, there exists a common misconception that hosts merely list their properties as products under the platform's brand. However, individual hosts on platforms actively establish and promote their own personal or host brand. Presently, recommending effective P2P brand management strategies for hosts to boost their performance and gain a competitive edge poses a challenge. This study achieves this through two main objectives: 1) conceptualizing the P2P brand and 2) examining the impact of host branding on consumer behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The profiling crisis-induced domestic tourist behavior in contemporary tourism is a burgeoning discourse. This study addresses the urgent need to proactively predict and manage domestic tourist behavior. Therefore, the study aimed to profile the South African domestic tourist to predict better tourists' behavioral and demand responses considering the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were generated from a pre-recruited panel of South African consumers as potential domestic tourists via an online survey, resulting in a sample of n = 427. Exploratory Factor analysis and a two-step cluster analysis were used to identify the clusters based on the respondents' socio-demographic variables, intrinsic (push) and destination attribute-related pull motives, and constraints and willingness to pay. South African domestic recreational tourists are primarily motivated to travel by their relaxation and self-fulfillment needs and seek primarily nature and adventure activity, with palpable differences in their perceived intrinsic and extrinsic constraints and their willingness to pay for domestic tourism. The study is novel in profiling (the contemporary South African domestic tourist) and contextualizing (tourist behavior during a crisis) domestic tourists within an African tourism context. Thus, providing empirical evidence-based insights into the heterogeneity of domestic tourists based on innate psychographic characteristics and salient perception-oriented attributes as viable market segmentation bases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food traceability is a critical approach that ensures the safety and quality of food. It has garnered significant attention, particularly in the aftermath of multiple food safety incidents reported in various countries. While there is extant literature available on consumer perspectives on food traceability, the findings are not consistent across studies. This systematic literature review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding by integrating findings from past studies. It includes 61 articles sourced from two databases, namely Scopus and Web of Science. This review outlines various stages of a consumer's decision for food traceability, starting from exposure, awareness, understanding, liking and disliking, attitudes and preferences, purchase intentions and willingness to pay, to the final purchase. It also identifies the determinants of consumer responses to food traceability, categorising them as factors internal to the consumers, determinants due to the perception of external factors and contextual factors. Moreover, it identifies gaps in the existing research and proposes research questions to expand the knowledge in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study aims to evaluate the preferences of Shanghai residents for four key attributes of carbon tax policies via the choice-based conjoint analysis method, with the goal of understanding the potential application of carbon tax policies in China. The findings indicate that the most critical concern for Shanghai residents is the annual cost of the ca trbonax (48.87%), followed by policy transparency (24.72%), revenue allocation (16.68%), and policy implementers (9.73%). The average willingness to pay is CNY 1435.28 annually, indicating a relatively high acceptance of carbon tax policies. Furthermore, increasing public awareness of carbon tax policies significantly enhances willingness to pay, which in turn helps increase tax revenue and promotes the development of low-carbon technologies. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers on carbon tax implementation, contributing to China's transition to a low-carbon economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The snack market in Thailand is growing fast, and yet it faces challenges from the growth in health-conscious consumption. Under these circumstances, it can be quite complicated for people involved in the snack-value chain to respond adequately to more sophisticated demands for snacks. Therefore, this study investigates Thai consumers' behavior with regard to snacks and its determinants. For the data used in this study, we surveyed 1077 respondents using a questionnaire. Based on a five-point scale, the questions covered respondents' snack consumption behavior and revealed their preference for additional payment regarding three aspects of snacks: safety and standards, quality, and carcinogen-free snacks. According to an ordered logistic regression, the results show that people's awareness of food safety and nutrition, and their health consciousness, increase their willingness to pay extra for better-quality snacks. Advertisements and people's recognition of input sources could also play an essential role in influencing consumers' preferences. These findings should provide insights for policymakers and producers to catch up with the new demand trend in the Thai snack market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature shows that tourists can make significant financial contributions towards efforts of erosion prevention, but very few studies are done in the context of developing countries, especially to protect World Heritage sites. This paper provides the first estimates of willingness to pay (WTP) for differing coastal erosion measures by domestic and foreign tourists visiting Hoi An, an UNESCO World Heritage site located in Vietnam. Using a discrete choice experiment, our study presents several new and important findings. Tourists support visible protection structures and trees on beaches even though these hard measures can affect the natural aesthetics. There exists preference heterogeneity among tourists. Most importantly, our analysis shows that WTP of each tourist is USD $13.45, nearly seven times greater than WTP by local residents estimated in previous literature for a similar erosion protection program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines smallholder farmers' preferences and willingness to pay for an improved irrigation water supply program in northwest Ethiopia. We employed a discrete choice experiment with five attributes and three levels. Data were collected from randomly selected sample households of both irrigation users and non-users. A total of 379 respondents participated, and a mixed logit model was used to analyze the household-level survey data. The result indicates that to deviate from the business-as-usual scenario, smallholder farmers are willing to pay between 3,228 and 8,327 Ethiopian Birr per hectare of irrigated land. Furthermore, the results showed a strong public preference for access to produce cash crops, followed by irrigation water availability in the dry season, and adequate access to improved farm inputs. The results also provide useful information for policymakers and suggested possibilities for generating finance from farmers to cover the operation and maintenance costs of irrigation schemes. Also, this study result reveals that irrigation development and expansion must be integrated into a comprehensive support package that combines irrigation water with access to improved farm inputs and access to produce cash crops on farmers' farm plots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers consider the wastefulness of brands and are predisposed to exhibit aversion to those perceived as wasteful. However, there is a lack of consensus on how consumers associate wastefulness with brands and how this impacts downstream consumer brand responses. Integrating conceptualisations in the literature with original consumers' insights, we conceptualise consumer perceived brand wastefulness (CPBW) as a multidimensional construct comprising perceptions of (1) unnecessary consumption, (2) inefficient utilisation, and (3) tangible waste. A multi-phase scale development process validated a CPBW scale measuring each dimension. The scale distinguished between consumer perceptions of more vs less wasteful brands and demonstrated CPBW as conceptually distinct from perceptions of brands' environmental friendliness and corporate social responsibility (CSR). CPBW was related to unfavourable consumer brand responses, including a reduced purchase likelihood, lower willingness to pay a price premium, negative self-conscious emotions, and lower perceptions of brand quality and credibility. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications and directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]