The effects of choice set size and information filtering mechanisms on online hotel booking

Online booking is one of the most popular ways of making reservations for hotel guests. Thus, hoteliers are paying increasing attention to hotel website information presentation and design. The purpose of this study, then, is to examine the joint influence of choice set size and information filtering mechanisms on consumers’ decision confidence towards online hotel booking. Choice set size was operationalized through 3-, 9-, and 30-hotel room choice sets. Through experimental design, this study shows that the presence of an information filtering mechanism reduces consumers’ perceptions of choice overload with a large number of choices (30 choices), whereas its impact is attenuated with smaller choice sets (3 and 9 choices). In addition, choice overload mediates the impact of choice set size on decision confidence. Theoretical contribution and managerial implications are also discussed.     

If It Works,I like It: Consumer Acceptance of Food-Related Nudging

Abstract

The aim of the current study is to investigate factors that influence consumer acceptance of food-related nudging. Previous studies indicate that perceived effectiveness may positively influence acceptance of nudging, while limited freedom of choice may reduce acceptance. On this basis, acceptance, perceived effectiveness and perceived limited freedom of choice were measured for 11 different food-related nudges in a national representative sample of 455 adults. Five of the nudges were variations of placement alteration, while six were variations of informational labeling. Perceived effectiveness was identified as a significant positive predictor for acceptance of all of the investigated nudges (p?<?0.001), while perceived limited freedom of choice decreased acceptance of all investigated nudges (p?≤?0.02). Perceived effectiveness was the strongest predictor for acceptance of all types of nudges (β-values from 0.55 to 0.75), yet perceived limited freedom of choice was also a significant factor (β-values from ?0.07 to ?0.23).     

Capitalization of land development rights in rural China: A choice experiment on individuals’ preferences in peri-urban Shanghai

The capitalization of land development rights is acknowledged as the key to improving compensations for rural landholders and ameliorating land-related social conflicts in peri-urban China. Investigations into reasonable as well as feasible compensation standards and the capitalization mechanism are yet to be done. This study uses a survey-based choice experiment to empirically estimate the value of land development rights in peri-urban Shanghai for three forms of rural land conversion – acquisition, consolidation and (informal) sale. The results show that heterogeneity across individuals’ preferences translates into different utilities from land development, which affects individual’s willingness to participate in this process. This effect is found to be the strongest for land sales on the informal market. If, however, land conversion is managed by local governments and rural collectives, the expected utilities of individuals have no significant effect on the amount of land development. The results suggest that capitalizing land development rights under consideration of land attributes and individuals’ preferences would lift compensation standard to a level that strikes a balance among competing land-related interests. In addition, it would promote China’s land development by bypassing the institutional constraints imposed by the current land tenure system.     

行业视阈下企业“并购或联盟”的选择偏好研究

企业并购和联盟的行为并不仅仅是特定的企业层面的问题,很多行业内都出现了大规模并购或联盟的风潮,这已成为了一种显著的行业性现象。在一个既定的行业中,大部分的企业都面临着相似的技术要求和市场态势。行业对于企业选择其外部成长战略的偏好有着重要的影响。在本文中,作者将提出三个行业层面的影响维度,通过两分法,将行业分为八种情景,分别讨论在不同行业情景下企业对兼并收购或战略联盟的选择偏好。     

大饥荒与宗教信仰——基于CGSS数据的微观分析

文章采用2010—2013年中国综合社会调查(CGSS)微观数据,发现大饥荒对于个人宗教信仰选择具有长期影响。实证结果表明,在控制其他变量影响的情况下,成年时期经历过大饥荒的人群更加倾向于选择信仰宗教,并且考虑流动人口、DID方法和安慰剂(placebo)检验下的回归结果也非常稳健。同时,基于宗教社会网络模型和宗教事后保障模型,文章发现社交动机和个人健康状况是两者的重要影响机制。最后,文章提出了相应的政策建议。     

Combining Sources of Preference Data for Modeling Complex Decision Processes

We review current state-of-the-art practices for combining preference data from multiple sources and discuss future research possibilities. A central theme is that any one data source (e.g., a scanner panel source) is often insufficient to support tests of complex theories of choice and decision making. Hence, analysts may need to embrace a wider variety of data types and measurement tools than traditionally have been considered in applied decision making and choice research. We discuss the viability of preference-stationarity assumptions usually made when pooling data, as well as random-utility theory-based approaches for combining data sources. We also discuss types of models and data sources likely to be required to make inferences about and estimate models that describe choice dynamics. The latter discussion is speculative insofar as the body of literature on this topic is small.     

Effects of price sorting display on extreme option choice aversion: The role of ease of comparison in multiple option displays

Due to the popularity of online travel agency (OTA) booking platforms, OTAs display diverse information, including features of products, on their websites. Based on choice architecture literature, this study aimed to examine the effect of product quality and price sorting (vs. non-sorting) on extreme option choice aversion and identify the moderating effect of displays that made it difficult to read information. The results of a series of four experimental studies (total n = 2838 online panel members) demonstrated that the tendency to choose the non-extreme or middle-attributed options was stronger when quality and price were displayed sorted (vs. non-sorted). It was theorized that easy comparison of multiple options leads to decision-making. The positive effect of quality and price sorting on extreme option choice aversion was significantly reduced when customers had difficulty reading the displayed information.     

Race and the development of career interest in accounting

Data from the AICPA (2009b) show that African–Americans comprise only 1% of CPAs and were only 4% of new hires by CPA firms in academic year 2007–2008. The current study uses social cognitive career theory to examine whether this shortage of diversity may be caused by differences between African–American and Caucasian students in factors that lead to career interest in accounting. Students were surveyed on two key personal variables: self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Results suggest that African–American students are more likely than Caucasian students to perceive accounting as providing outcomes that match their values. However, favorable perceptions may be countered by differences in self-efficacy. African–American students value outcomes provided by accounting, but they may have less confidence, compared to Caucasian students, that they can successfully complete the course of action necessary to enter the profession.     

现代农村物流金融产品的经济学分析与科学选择

现代农村物流金融产品是以一种标准化的程序或服务的形式存在。成本收益分析是利用成本与收益之间的相互约束关系,直接评价现代物流金融衍生产品及其经济效益的一种方法。经济学分析表明:我国东部发达地区宜选用高级别的现代农村物流金融产品,中部与东北老工业区宜选用较高级别的现代农村物流金融产品,西部欠发达地区宜选择低级别的现代农村物流金融产品;随着现代农村物流业的发展及其规模的扩大,相应地调整和创新现代农村物流金融产品,以满足不断发展的现代农村物流业需要。同时,现代农村物流金融产品的经济学分析,无疑为科学地选择现代农村物流金融产品提供重要的决策参考。     

The Effects of Multiple Health and Nutrition Labels on Consumer Food Choices

Consumers face an increasing availability of information on health and nutritional aspects of foods, especially on food package labels. Previous research has identified that this information is positively valued, but the effect of presenting several items of information simultaneously is not well understood. We conduct a choice experiment to identify the effects of multiple health and nutrition information labels for two products representing a healthy and less healthy food choice. Although our consumers attach positive utility to most of the individual labels evaluated here, the simultaneous presence of more than one label only has positive impact on utility in one of nine possible cases. Therefore, promotion of multiple labels should not be considered beneficial a priori either from a regulatory or business perspective. In addition, results show that consumers show a higher willingness to pay for nutrition and health labels for less healthy products.