Dual scaling and correspondence analysis of preferences, paired comparisons and ratings

The methods of dual scaling (DS) and correspondence analysis (CA) are used extensively in marketing research for analyzing categorical data. When applied to preferences, paired comparisons and ratings, dual scaling has been contrasted with correspondence analysis, as if the two techniques operated differently on these data. In this note, we show that correspondence analysis provides exactly the same solution as dual scaling once the data have been transformed by a so-called “doubling” with respect to the respondents.     

资本结构选择偏好、成长性与公司绩效

本文通过基于不同资本结构选择偏好和成长性分类对上市公司资本结构和绩效的关系进行研究,研究发现:我国上市公司资本结构与绩效整体呈负相关;考虑内生性基础上,资本结构对绩效的负面影响提高了;不同负债水平下,资本结构对绩效的影响存在显著差异,且负债水平越高,资本结构对公司绩效的影响越大;在不同成长性水平下,资本结构与绩效都是负相关的,且成长性越低负面影响越大。     

基于公平心理偏好的投资博弈——敲竹杠问题的一个行为解决

敲竹杠问题是不完全合约理论的中心话题,经典文献认为,如果合约是不完全的,当事人的专用性投资会引发敲竹杠风险从而导致无效率的专用性投资。但是,关于敲竹杠问题的文献通常假定事后谈判结果对事前投资成本不敏感。通过在雇佣双方的投资博弈中引入投资成本相关性这种合作的谈判方式,将传统敲竹杠模型中影响谈判力的因素与当事人对公平偏好的行为因素二者融合,本文证明:与传统的投资博弈相比,在投资成本影响企业(雇员)谈判力的情况下,双方有更强的专用性人力资本投资激励。雇佣双方所面临的敲竹杠风险取决于双方的初始谈判力,且双方有可能在事前做出社会最优甚至过度的投资。这也从一个方面解释了现实中大量存在的有效投资现象。     

CONTINUOUS PREFERENCE ORDERINGS REPRESENTABLE BY UTILITY FUNCTIONS

This paper surveys the conditions under which it is possible to represent a continuous preference ordering using utility functions. We start with a historical perspective on the notions of utility and preferences, continue by defining the mathematical concepts employed in this literature, and then list several key contributions to the topic of representability. These contributions concern both the preference orderings and the spaces where they are defined. For any continuous preference ordering, we show the need for separability and the sufficiency of connectedness and separability, or second countability, of the space where it is defined. We emphasize the need for separability by showing that in any nonseparable metric space, there are continuous preference orderings without utility representation. However, by reinforcing connectedness, we show that countably boundedness of the preference ordering is a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a (continuous) utility representation. Finally, we discuss the special case of strictly monotonic preferences.     

A field experiment to estimate the effects of anchoring and framing on residents’ willingness to purchase water runoff management technologies

Watersheds throughout the world have been severely polluted by nutrient-laden runoff that comes from industrial, agricultural, and residential sources. Efforts to reduce this runoff have focused on industrial and agricultural sources, while little attention has been paid to encouraging residents to reduce runoff from their properties. To study residents’ willingness to adopt landscaping practices that reduce runoff, we conducted a field experiment in the Delaware River watershed. In the experiment, over three hundred adults participated in a series of random-price auctions that revealed their willingness to pay (WTP) for five products that reduce nutrient runoff. To study how WTP can be influenced by attributes of the choice architecture, we randomized the starting bid values (anchors) and the way in which the external benefits of the five practices were framed. Compared to a neutral framing, a positive framing (using the product can improve water quality) increased average WTP by about one-third, while the estimated effect of a negative framing (failing to use the product can worsen water quality) was also positive, but smaller and not statistically different from zero. The estimated effect on average WTP from the anchor depends on how bids of $0 are modeled, but the results imply that higher anchors lead to higher WTP. Although we believe the magnitudes of our results should be considered suggestive and we recommend replications with higher statistical power, the results add to the evidence base that environmental programs can achieve policy-relevant gains in program performance through a series of small changes to the decision environment.     

The role of fundamental motivations in willingness-to-pay online

This study aims to determine whether an understanding of chronic fundamental consumer motivations can help determine the mechanisms of willingness-to-pay for products online. To do so, it employs a simulated buying task on a fictional e-commerce site for a consumer product (branded either as a “new arrival” or a “classic”) to investigate the effects of two fundamental motivations (mate acquisition vs. self-protection) on willingness-to-pay for the product online. The primary focus of the paper to investigate the capacity of mate acquisition and self-protection motives to moderate the relationship between attitude toward the product and willingness-to-pay, as well as, the effects of the motives on willingness-to-pay are considered. Through regression and interaction effect analyses, it is shown that chronic fundamental motivation for mate acquisition is directly correlated with an increased willingness-to-pay for both product types, and it moderates the relationship between attitude toward a product and willingness-to-pay. Self-protection motivation increases willingness-to-pay for classic products but not new arrivals. By offering a rare look at chronic fundamental motivation in the consumer context and potentially being the first investigation of the moderating effects of fundamental motivations, the results mostly support the notion of predictable motivation induced behavioral tendencies.     

中国股市的崩盘系统性风险与投资者行为偏好

股价崩盘作为金融市场上普遍存在并且具有广泛影响力的极端现象,对股票的定价产生了至关重要的作用。本文主要研究我国股市中股票的崩盘系统性风险,研究发现:(1)股票的崩盘系统性风险与预期收益率显著正相关,并且对冲组合可以获得8.86%的年化收益;(2)投资者的博彩型股票偏好和吉祥数字偏好都会显著影响崩盘系统性风险与预期收益率之间的关系。本文的研究对于进行投资决策、风险管理以及理解投资者行为都具有参考意义。     

李嘉图国际贸易理论的新兴古典分析--交易效率、偏好对国际贸易的影响

李嘉图的比较成本理论作为国际贸易理论不可动摇的基础,具有重要的理论价值。而新兴古典贸易理论的发展,为解释国内贸易和国际贸易提供了一个统一的理论框架。其核心在于该理论独特的分析工具:超边际分析方法。采用新兴古典经济学的超边际分析方法,引入交易效率和偏好,对李嘉图的国际贸易理论进行新的分析,可以得出很多有价值的结论。本文通过建立同时存在李嘉图外生比较技术差异和交易成本的新兴古典模型,探讨了交易效率和偏好对国际贸易的影响。为贸易政策的制定提供了理论依据。一国在制定对外贸易政策时,应从改变交易效率、偏好结构的角度出发,制定有利于本国的贸易政策,从而改善其外贸条件,进一步促进其国际贸易的发展。     

Temporal variance of revealed preference on-street parking price elasticity

This paper utilises revealed-preference parking trend data from parking meters ex ante and ex post of a general 50% price increase in the hourly cost of on-street parking to estimate the on-street parking price elasticity of demand in an area of Dublin, Ireland. Estimates are presented for the aggregate price elasticity of demand level and individual estimates for specific time periods and days of the week. In terms of reduced parking frequency, the average price elasticity of demand reported is −0.29. Daily average estimates are consistent, with one notable exception being Thursday, a ‘late night shopping’ day for which a lower price sensitivity is reported. Morning periods are also shown to be more responsive than other time periods in the test area, indicating some potential for influencing morning inbound peak traffic levels.     

中小板上市公司股权结构对融资偏好的影响研究

本文从代理成本和控制权收益角度分析了股权结构对融资偏好的影响,以2006年年底之前在中小企业板上市的102家公司2007至2009年的数据为样本进行了实证分析。研究结果表明,不同类型的股权结构对公司融资偏好的影响有着很大差异。法人股比例与股权融资率显著正相关,限售自然人持股比例和股权融资率呈负相关关系,国有股、高管持股比例、股权集中度、股权制衡度则对股权融资率影响不显著。中小板上市公司并未表现出主板上市公司偏好股权融资的特征,但高管持股比例过低、一股独大是中小板与主板上市公司的共性。我国中小板上市公司的高管持股比例需要提高,股权激励制度仍需进一步完善,股权集中度和股权制衡度应适度提高。