Sample bias in contingent valuation: A comparison of the correction methods

Abstract

This article compares various methods for correcting contingent valuation aggregate benefits when the sample is known to be biased. A sample is defined as the population, and response rates are simulated on the basis of a measure of salience. The simulated response rates suffer from nonresponse bias and selection bias. Coefficient and benefit estimates that result from weighting and self‐selection correction approaches are compared with the true coefficient and benefit estimates. Our results indicate that at both low and high response rates the standard approach leads to bias, and either correction approach will reduce the bias in coefficient and benefit estimates.     

Fisher Ideal Indexes in the National Income and Product Accounts

The mastery of the spreadsheet technique has become almost universal in economics departments. The authors explain, step-by-step, how the spreadsheet can be used as an instructional aid to teach basic microeconomic concepts.     

Stated Willingness-to-Pay for Organic Fruit and Pesticide Ban

Abstract

Income growth in highly industrialised countries has resulted in consumer choice of foodstuffs no longer being primarily influenced by basic factors such as price and organoleptic features. From this perspective, the present study sets out to evaluate how and to what extent consumer choice is influenced by the possible negative effects on health and environment caused by the consumption of fruit containing deposits of pesticides and chemical products.

The study describes the results of a survey which explores and estimates consumer willingness to pay in two forms: a yearly contribution for the abolition of the use of pesticides on fruit, and a premium price for organically grown apples guaranteed by a certified label. The same questionnaire was administered to two samples. The first was a conventional face-to-face survey of customers of large retail outlets located around Bologna (Italy); the second was an Internet sample. The discrete choice data were analysed by means of probit and tobit models to estimate the utility consumers attribute to organically grown fruit and to a pesticide ban. The research also addresses questions of validity and representativeness as a fundamental problem in web-based surveys.     

Applying the dissonance‐minimising format to value cultural heritage in developing countries*

We adapt the dissonance‐minimising (DM) format proposed by Blamey et al. [Land Economics, 75 (1999) 126] in a dichotomous choice contingent valuation survey to estimate the economic benefits of preserving a cultural heritage site in Vietnam. We find that the DM format can be successfully applied to avoid biases because of yea‐saying in a developing country context.     

黑龙江省农业产业化发展综合评价研究

黑龙江省是农业大省,自然资源丰富,具备较好的农业产业化发展的条件。但是产业化发展水平还与建设现代农业的需要不相适应。文章运用数理统计分析方法,结合国家及黑龙江省政府在农业方面的方针政策,建立了农业产业化发展评价指标体系。对黑龙江省内各地区的农业产业发展情况进行定量分析,并提出了对策建议。     

林地估价技术体系研究

林地估价是绿色国民经济核算体系框架背景下林地资产化管理的一项新工作。从林地的收益估算理论入手,结合现行林地和林木资产评估方法,在林地分等定级相关研究成果基础上,建立以评估林地基准地价为核心的一整套林地估价技术体系,以期为今后绿色国民经济框架下,森林资源的商品化推进工作奠定基础。     

公司估价中股权自由现金流折现模型分析

自由现金流量折现估值法是企业价值评估理论中最为成熟的模型。运用由自由现金流量定义衍生出的股权自由现金流量折现方法作为研究对象,选取3家上市公司进行案例分析,通过对永续增长模型、两阶段增长模型、三阶段增长模型在企业价值评估中具体应用的比较,并与真实市值对比,其结果表明,股权自由现金流折现法下采用永续模型和两阶段模型得到的估算值能够最好的拟合上市公司的流通市值。股权自由现金折现流模型对于我国A股市场中一些成熟行业且发展稳定公司的价值评估是比较准确的,从而一定程度上能为投融资双方、收购企业和目标企业的决策者提供参考。     

高职院校加强绩效管理的探讨

目前高职院校绩效管理存在目的和定位不准确,绩效管理基础工作不完善,绩效管理模式多为刚性模式,绩效反馈沟通缺失等问题。加强高职院校的绩效管理,应明确绩效管理的最终目的,做好绩效管理的准备工作,制定科学的绩效计划,进行持续不断的绩效辅导与沟通,开展客观公正的绩效评估,实施及时的绩效反馈沟通。