Complexity in choice experiments: choice of the status quo alternative and implications for welfare measurement*

We examine the propensity of respondents to choose the status quo (SQ) or current situation alternative as a function of complexity in two separate state‐of‐the‐world choice experiments. Complexity in each choice set was characterized as the number of single and multiple changes in levels of attributes from the current situation and the order of the choice task in the sequence of multiple tasks provided to respondents. We show that increasing complexity leads to increased choice of the SQ and that a respondent’s age and level of education also influenced this choice. We outline the effects of the alternate approaches for incorporating the SQ into welfare measurement. These findings have implications for the design of stated preference experiments, examining passive use values and for empirical analysis leading to welfare measurement.     

选择代表:自然资源管理分权管理的机构及其权力

论述了有效的分权管理的中心条件——代表制。代表性是分权管理公式的关键,将代表性分为反应性和问责性是非常有用的。分权管理的结果似乎是代表性的功能和管理动机。为了评价选择的地方机构是否能够形成有效的分权管理,关键的问题是选择的机构是否对他们管理范围内的人民负责。许多国家缺乏可持续的具有代表性的地方政府。不管有或没有代表性的地方政府,也不管是哪个权威掌握对环境的权力,问责性措施都可以培育政府一定程度的向下的责任。选举并不是达到这样的问责制的唯一形式。分权管理改革的安全性和可持续性,大部分取决于中央政府向其它实体转移权力时采用的方式。制度转移是最安全的也是最具可持续性的。分权管理的有效和公正的潜力取决于地方机构的代表性。但是在几种情况下,选择民主负责的地方机构然后赋予其民主权力。     

中国民营经济的制度特征及其发展模式选择

构成中国现阶段社会主义市场经济重要基础的民营经济,不能简单等同于非国有经济,也不能作为一种企业经营管理方式,而是以私营企业占主体地位的非公有制经济.与传统的资本主义私有制不同,在我国社会主义制度下的民营(私营)经济具有相当的可塑性和可控性的制度特征,由此决定了我国民营经济发展具有经济变革初期的多样性,表现为发展目标模式的选择和实现,受到民营经济内外生因素的影响.因此,要促使民营经济健康、持续、快速发展,更好地发挥民营经济推动国民经济可持续发展的作用,就必须在民营企业的体制、管理和经营机制、产品技术和组织结构、企业观念和企业文化等方面进行创新.     

Consumer Preference and Willingness to Pay for a Local Label Attribute in Western Australian Fresh and Processed Food Products

This study investigates Western Australia’s consumer attitudes toward and preferences for locally produced food products signified by a state-funded campaign logo, Buy West Eat Best (BWEB). A choice experiment using both a fresh and a processed food product (skinless chicken breast and fruit yogurt) is conducted to assess willingness to pay for a local production attribute and other label claims. We find that consumer awareness and preference for local foods is high. However, this high preference is not because the product is locally produced but because of the local attributes associated with high-quality products. The study highlights the importance of successfully differentiating products through credible labeling schemes in order to capture market premium.     

Would You Choose Your Preferred Option? Comparing Choice and Recoded Ranking Experiments

Previous research has shown that results from a choice experiment are statistically different from those obtained from a ranking experiment that is recoded and treated as a choice experiment using only the first rank. By avoiding some of the shortcomings of previous comparisons, we obtain the opposite results using data from the valuation of a cork oak reforestation program in the south of Spain. Structural models and welfare estimations are statistically indistinguishable irrespective of the use of parametric or bootstrapping tests. Further, we employ follow-up questions and subsample analysis to test whether divergences appear when potential effects are isolated.     

Valuing the Impacts of An Invasive Biological Control Agent: A Choice Experiment on the Asian Ladybird in France

Initially used as a biological control against aphids, the Asian ladybird has become highly invasive in many regions, including Europe. While biological control is usually considered as an environmentally‐friendly alternative to chemical pesticides in controlling pests in crops, there is growing concern that these environmental benefits could be outweighed by the negative consequences of the invasion. These include (i) biodiversity losses as populations of native ladybirds suffer from intraguild predation and competition for resources; (ii) human nuisance in houses, including risks of allergy and (iii) potential losses to wine‐growers. We provide an economic valuation of environmental and private characteristics affected by the Asian ladybird's invasion. We conduct a discrete choice experiment among a representative sample of the French population. Our results show that the consequences of the Asian ladybird's introduction do affect significantly the population's welfare. Among these, the impact on biodiversity through the threat on native species appears to be a significant concern.     

Choice of Rice Production Practices in Ghana: A Comparison of Willingness to Pay and Preference Space Estimates

Rice has been identified as an important food security crop in Ghana. However, there is a production deficit and new technologies to reduce the deficit are not widely adopted. Although poor adoption by farmers’ is often linked to constraints such as access to information, farmers’ perceptions of the technologies are also important. We apply an advanced discrete choice experiment to evaluate farmers’ preferences for rice production practices. Specifically, we generate willingness to pay (WTP) estimates using willingness to pay space (WS) and compare these with values from the indirect or preference space (PS) method. Our modelling also accounts for the effects on WTP estimates of farmers’ stated attribute importance (SAI) information. Empirical results from WS and PS models reveal that on average, farmers value higher yields and are negatively affected by higher risk of crop failure and labour requirements. Comparing the performance of the two models, we find the WS model provides a superior fit to our data and reduces the likelihood of producing implausible WTP estimates. Further, SAI inclusion did not produce much variation in our WTP estimates.     

Information processing strategies and framing effects in developing country choice experiments: results from rice farmers in India

This study explores the effect of various information processing strategies specifically related to attribute nonattendance in stated choice experiments. Our approach includes two forms of stated choice task nonattendance, each derived from separately framed questions asked immediately following the completion of each choice task. We also evaluate a measure of inferred serial nonattendance based on the posterior distributions of random coefficient estimates. We find that choice task nonattendance question framing statistically impacts marginal utility coefficients and, to a lesser degree, willingness‐to‐pay estimates. While direct questions addressing attribute attendance or nonattendance affect these estimates, inferred indicators of serial nonattendance suggest that many attributes are not likely ignored as often as respondents may indicate. Further research is needed to assess inferred versus stated approaches to modeling respondent information processing strategies.     

基于地方情感的旅游目的地选择模型建构研究

旅游目的地选择模型建构的研究多数以微观经济学、认知心理学与市场营销学等为基础理论,较少从个体与地方感情连结的视角探讨游客旅游目的地选择决策行为。文章以旅游目的地选择为研究主轴概念,结合地方情感概念中的旅游目的地意象和地方依恋,根据研究文献梳理结果、基础理论界定模型建构的路径变量与逻辑框架,进而提出基于地方情感的旅游目的地选择模型及模型过程步骤。文章建构模型表明,游客旅游目的地选择始于旅游目的地意象的形成,随着整体认知意象的深化,游客对旅游目的地将产生地方认同感,再通过选择决策行为选择意向的旅游目的地从事旅游活动,通过对旅游目的地旅游体验的功能满足产生依赖感,最终形成对旅游目的地的地方依恋感。研究成果对于旅游目的地选择具有交叉研究的创新价值,对于旅游目的地市场战略规划实践活动而言具有参照价值。     

文化距离对旅游目的地选择的影响--以日本和中国大陆出境游为例

在全球化和出境旅游日益发展的大背景下,了解国家文化和文化差异对出境旅游的影响越来越重要。文章以日本和中国出境旅游市场为案例,定量研究客源国与目的地国家之间的文化差异对旅游者出境旅游目的地选择的影响。文章数据来源于对日本和中国城市居民的一手数据,包括受访者的过往出境目的地选择和计划前往目的地选择情况。条件Logit模型的估计结果显示,日本居民在过往目的地和计划前往目的地的选择上都显著偏好总体与日本文化差异大的国家。具体而言,他们偏好在“权力距离”和“不确定性避免”维度差异较小,而在“集体主义“”性别气质”和“长远考虑”维度差异较大的目的地。相比而言,中国大陆居民在出境目的地选择上受文化距离的影响较少。