Global Social Preferences and the Demand for Socially Responsible Products: Empirical Evidence from a Pilot Study on Fair Trade Consumers

We analyse behaviour and motivations of a sample of about 1,000 consumers purchasing ‘fair trade (FT) goods’, i.e. food and artisan goods which include socially responsible (SR) characteristics and a price premium for primary product producers with respect to equivalent non‐FT products. By estimating a simultaneous two‐equation treatment effect model we find that FT products have less than unit of income elasticity and their demand is negatively (positively) correlated with geographical distance from the nearest shop (age and awareness of SR criteria). Awareness of SR criteria depends, in turn, on a series of factors (consumption habits, membership of volunteer associations) which, indirectly (via increased awareness), significantly affect consumption. We also measure consumers’ willingness to pay in excess for the SR features of FT products with a contingent evaluation approach and find that it is positively correlated with awareness of SR criteria.     

品牌形象对消费者行为倾向影响的实证研究

本文认为,品牌形象影响并决定着人们的购买和消费行为,独特的品牌形象可以帮助企业确立品牌定位,阻止品牌竞争,改善品牌的市场表现。品牌形象由品牌表现、品牌个性、公司形象三个维度构成,三者不存在层级关系。其中,品牌表现是影响消费者行为倾向的主要因素;品牌个性影响消费者行为倾向,但影响程度较弱;公司形象通过品牌表现和品牌个性间接影响消费者行为倾向,对消费者行为倾向无显著影响。文章提出,企业可以通过三种品牌形象进行品牌定位,即品牌功能属性定位、品牌个性定位、公司形象定位,品牌形象管理即企业进行品牌定位的过程。对于中国企业来讲,品牌个性和公司形象的定位更值得关注。开发独特的品牌形象,建立吸引人的差异化的品牌形象的品牌战略,加强企业品牌形象的推广,是提高顾客忠诚度的根本途径。     

消费者创新性的结构测量及对创新性行为的影响

现有文献比较全面地揭示了消费者创新性与新产品创新性行为之间的多重关系,并探讨了这些关系产生的条件和机制。但绝大多数的理论和经验研究都将消费者创新性视为一个单维构念来进行操作性界定和测量,很少有研究去探索其内在结构并在此基础上检验每个维度与新产品创新性行为之间的关系。文章旨在探讨消费者创新性的结构维度并在此基础上观察不同类型的消费者创新性对创新性行为的影响。结论表明,消费者创新性是一个包括感知创新性和认知创新性的双维构念;作为整体的消费者创新性与新产品采用行为并没有显著的相关性,只有认知创新性才与新产品的采用行为正向相关,而感知创新性只与新产品的创新性信息搜寻正向相关。上述结论为消费者创新性提供了一个新的认识,也为今后学者从该角度来研究有关消费者创新性的其他问题提供了变量测量的工具,而且还为新产品的营销实践提供了新的管理启示。     

Through Thick and Thin: How Fair Trade Consumers Have Reacted to the Global Economic Recession

Research on fair trade has flourished over the past decade as fair trade food products have gained popularity amongst consumers in many developed economies. This study examines the effects of recessionary economic conditions on fair trade consumers’ purchasing behaviour. An online survey was administered to 306 fair trade consumers from Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The results reveal a discrepancy among fair trade consumers as only consumers that purchase fair trade on an occasional basis adhered to established consumer behaviour norms, i.e. decreasing their purchases of fair trade products and becoming significantly more price aware. Respondents who actively consume fair trade generally remained loyal to their purchase. While some active consumers altered their purchasing behaviour, this phenomenon was not common amongst this group as no statistically significant changes were observed. Differences were also noted among the three countries as the Canadian and US fair trade consumers significantly decreased their consumption of fair trade as a result of the recession, whereas the UK consumers did not. In addition to the research results, theoretical and managerial implications will be discussed along with future research directions.     

铁路大宗货物运输定价的影响因素和定价对策建议

我国铁路大宗货物运输需求具有普遍性、多样性、时间的不确定性、目的地的不均衡性、运输方式的替代性等特点.铁路大宗货物运输定价的主要影响因素是:运输能力、市场需求、货物运输量、货物运输距离、客户与货物性质、替代运输价格等.针对当前我国铁路大宗货物运输定价中存在的问题,建议通过试行差别定价、以成本核算加强运价监管、提高铁路运价透明度等措施加以解决,以完善我国铁路大宗货物运输定价体系,有效提高铁路大宗货物运输市场竞争力.     

What Makes Consumers Willing to Pay for Online Services? Discovering Consumer Opinions and Determinant Factors on Charged Online Services

ABSTRACT

Recently, more and more service e-businesses began to charge their consumers on the services provided to assure revenues for their survival. An understanding of consumer opinions on and behaviors toward the charged online services is critical to successful business models for service e-business. Through survey data analyses, the exploratory study reported herein attempts to discover consumer opinions and behaviors regarding charged online services. The findings of this study would contribute effectively to the formulation and implementation of sustainable business models for e-businesses in the service sector.     

Application of Expectation Confirmation Theory to Consumers’ Impulsive Purchase Behavior for Products Promoted by Showgirls in Exhibits

Vendors and agencies rely on showgirls to promote their products or services. However, customers’ time and money available, cost savings, and increasing utilitarian motivation are their basic concerns. The model extended the expectancy confirmation theory (ECT) constructs (cost saving, utilitarian motivation, time available, money available, and impulsive purchase) to investigate customer impulsive purchases of products promoted by showgirls in exhibits. The study successfully found the precursors of impulsive purchase products promoted by showgirls in the exhibits with 445 data with Amos 18.0. Beyond the current impulsive purchase issue, the reasons for customers’ purchase without thinking include, in descending order: interaction with showgirls, promotions, the desire of purchase, and sensation seeking. Practical implications are presented, along with suggestions for future studies.     

试论"真实与公允"理念及其对我国的启示

“真实与公允”在欧美会计中是一个至关重要的理念,是国际会计准则理事会研制和评价国际财务报告准则的指导思想,也是主体选择会计政策、进行会计处理和编制财务报告的依据。研究和推广这一理念,能够引导会计信息各项质量特征的提高,推进财务报告编报目标的实现,对我国会计理论与实务都有重要价值。     

Traditional Sushi for Modern Consumers: A Comparison Between Sushi Consumption Behavior in Japan and Norway

This study focused on differences between uses and users of sushi and sashimi in Norway and Japan. The study was based on a consumer survey that was completed by a representative sample of 902 participants from Norway and 897 participants from Japan. The survey included questions about food consumption frequency, ways of sourcing sushi and sashimi and situational factors related to consumption. Participants also reported their knowledge about, attitudes toward, and ambivalence related to sushi and sashimi, social acceptability of sushi and sashimi consumption, domain-specific innovativeness, and social and demographic characteristics. Differences in sushi consumption behavior between Japanese and Norwegian consumers considering the situational parameters surrounding sushi and sashimi consumption were revealed. Considerations for future research and implications on export strategy development were discussed.     

国外商业促销行为的立法规范及启示

促销具有促进商业成长、增加就业机会、刺激经济发展的积极作用,不当的促销行为则会破坏公平竞争的市场环境,损害消费者和其他经营者的合法权益,甚至造成比较严重的社会危害后果。对于商业促销行为,我国应在借鉴两大法系相关国家成功立法模式和经验的基础上,建立起内容全面、结构严密的多层次立法体系。     

The Internet and Its Relationship to Buyer Behavior Theory

ABSTRACT

The Internet is the newest, most-rapidly changing and fastest-growing buying medium existing today. Its markets are increasing in number and complexity, more nearly reflecting the population in general. A valuable academic model for Internet marketers to consider when developing a business plan is an early buyer behavior model developed by Phillip Kotler, his Input-Output Model. Internet marketers should investigate outside influences on the potential buyer (Kotler's Inputs), means of reaching the prospect effectively (channels), the buyer's frame of mind (processor), and the choices available (outputs). Current “e-tail” examples are given for each of the four components in Kotler's model. Consulting companies that can assist marketers in attracting buyers have found the following techniques helpful: developing or fine tuning Internet sites, developing site-partnering strategies and online focus groups, as well as providing programs that watch prospects as they peruse a site.     

公允价值的内涵、本质、计量追求与运用关键

本文在探讨公允价值的产生背景的基础上,比较了不同时期各国或组织的公允价值定义,并重点对FAS157的最新定义进行了分析。本文认为广义的公允价值包括过去、现在和未来三个时间界区的计量属性,狭义的公允价值即未来现金流量现值。公允价值的计量追求是对经济收益的计量。根据效用价值理论公允价值的本质是一种效用价值,根据马克思主义劳动价值理论公允价值的本质是交换价值,两者都是一种价格的估计。会计信息相关性与可靠性的权衡是公允价值的运用关键。     

国际碳排放权交易典型定价理论及其对我国的启示

由于全球气候变暖和雾霾天气的持续增多,温室气体排放导致的环境问题成为国内外关注的焦点,节能减排成为全球共识,国际碳排放权交易市场发展已经日趋成熟.碳排放权交易价格是碳排放权交易市场的重要组成部分,也是碳排放权交易市场有效运行的基础.在介绍国际碳排放权交易兴起和发展现状,并充分借鉴国内外相关文献的基础上,提出应尽快建立符合中国国情的碳排放测量体系、完善碳排放权价值估价方法、实施总量控制和初始合理分配相结合的配额机制、加快构建全国统一的碳排放权交易市场,以期为我国碳排放权交易定价实践提供参考.     

Measuring consumer's willingness to pay for organic and Fair Trade products

Previous research has extensively studied consumer's environmental and social concerns. However, measuring the value of the environmental or social dimension of a product remains a challenge. This paper proposes to partially fill this gap by measuring the double ‘Fair Trade and organic’ labels' value using an experimental method – the Becker‐DeGroot‐Marschak's mechanism. Two ‘organic and Fair Trade’ and two conventional chocolate products were tested on a sample of 102 consumers. Results show that organic and Fair Trade labels increase consumers' willingness to pay, and allow the identification of three consumers clusters. The first cluster represents people insensitive to the label. For the second cluster, the ‘organic and Fair Trade’ labels' influence on the improving image of the products is positive and important. And finally, for the third cluster, the valuation of the ‘organic and Fair Trade’ label is determined by the product's taste. Our research contributes to a better understanding of consumers' valuation of Fair Trade and organic labels, leading to our conclusions, which offer managerial implications with respect to this market (importance of taste and usefulness of double labels).     

失能老人的照料需要满足状况及其影响因素分析

通过对2005-2018年中国老年人健康长寿影响因素调查数据的分析,评估失能老人的照料需要满足状况及其变化,探讨什么因素会影响未满足的需要,并重点比较这些因素对部分未满足与完全未满足的需要的影响的差异。研究的主要发现是:截至2018年,超过一半的失能老人的照料需要部分未满足,照料需要完全未满足的比例约为3%,并且2005-2018年间照料需要未满足的比例始终维持在50%以上;照料资源倾向于中重度失能老人,轻度失能老人是照料盲区;虽然中重度失能老人几乎都有人照料,但他们仍需更多照料。据此提出,关注长期照料服务与一般养老服务之间的空白地带,构建从重度失能到健康的连续性健康养老服务体系;为功能严重衰退的失能老人建立以专业长期照护为主、家庭照料支持为辅的服务模式。     

专利实物期权定价的蒙特卡罗模拟方法及其改进技术

专利作为现代企业重要的无形资产,对企业募集发展资金、扩大收益回流、形成竞争优势发挥着巨大的作用,因此专利定价问题也成为现代企业管理决策中的重要内容.本文基于专利的实物期权特征,运用蒙特卡罗模拟方法对专利的实物期权定价问题进行研究与探讨.首先,分析探讨专利投资项目的决策过程及其实物期权特征;在此基础上,建立专利定价的实物期权蒙特卡罗模拟模型,并引入对偶变量技术用以提高蒙特卡罗模拟的效率;最后,以生物医药企业专利定价为例进行实证模拟.研究结论认为,引入适当方差减少技术的蒙特卡罗模拟则成为专利实物期权定价的一种有效的分析方法.     

存贷款利率隐含期权定价的蒙特卡罗模拟及其改进

银行存贷款合约隐含的可提前偿还条件具有很强的期权性,用期权定价方法对其进行研究分析是一个重要的手段。本文首先在隐含期权标的利率特性分析的基础上,建立了符合利率运动规律的跳跃扩散模型;其次用期权定价的蒙特卡罗模拟方法对包含在可提前偿付存贷款合约中的隐含期权问题进行研究;最后引进对偶变量方差减少技术,并以实证数据说明了其有效性。研究结论认为,基于诸如对偶变量等方差减少技术的蒙特卡罗模拟改进方法是解决银行存贷款隐含期权定价问题的一种有效途径。     

出口退税、行业集中度与出口行业“盯市”行为研究

本文以金融危机前后曾出现的出口退税较大调整为背景,应用面板平滑转换模型（ PSTR）对出口行业“盯市”（依市定价）程度与出口退税、行业集中度之间的关系展开探讨。研究结果表明,就行业集中度而言,无论危机前还是危机后始终对出口行业的PTM行为产生影响,且均与PTM存在平滑转变的非线性关系;出口退税仅在危机后的大幅提升后才对PTM影响显著,并表现为突变的快速向下的门限效应,而危机前对PTM并无影响;与出口退税相比,行业集中度对PTM的影响虽非立竿见影但却是缓慢且持久的。     

Increasing Price Transparency: Implications of Consumer Price Posting for Consumers' Haggling Behavior and a Seller's Pricing Strategies

In an attempt to gain a better position in haggling, consumers often seek a seller's pricing information (e.g., whether the posted price is negotiable, the discount and transaction prices) before going to that seller. Although traditionally difficult to obtain, such information is becoming increasingly available due to consumer price posting (CPP), whereby consumers post and share their purchase price information on the Internet. In this analytical study, we consider a market in which a seller, who chooses between a fixed price policy and a haggling policy, serves two types of consumers who differ in their willingness to pay and haggling costs. We explore how CPP can affect consumers' behavior and the seller's pricing strategies (i.e., pricing policy and the associated prices). In the absence of CPP, our model features a two-sided uncertainty: the seller does not know individual consumer's type and thus may find it optimal to use a haggling policy to price discriminate consumers, whereas consumers do not readily observe the seller's cost type and pricing policy, and thus are uncertain whether their haggling will be fruitful. In the presence of CPP, consumers' uncertainty about the seller's pricing policy is resolved. Because CPP can improve price transparency, inhibit consumers' acceptance of a posted price and spur price haggling, it seems apparent that it should benefit consumers and hurt the seller. However, our analysis shows that CPP can lead to fewer purchases, higher prices and even a greater seller profit. It further shows that although CPP surely increases information accessibility, it can also reduce the amount of information available to consumers. These results are in sharp contrast to the conventional wisdom in the literature.