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This paper reviews the current literature on theoretical and methodological issues in discrete choice experiments, which have been widely used in non-market value analysis, such as elicitation of residents' attitudes toward recreation or biodiversity conservation of forests.

We review the literature, and attribute the possible biases in choice experiments to theoretical and empirical aspects. Particularly, we introduce regret minimization as an alternative to random utility theory and sheds light on incentive compatibility, status quo, attributes non-attendance, cognitive load, experimental design, survey methods, estimation strategies and other issues.

The practitioners should pay attention to many issues when carrying out choice experiments in order to avoid possible biases. Many alternatives in theoretical foundations, experimental designs, estimation strategies and even explanations should be taken into account in practice in order to obtain robust results.

The paper summarizes the recent developments in methodological and empirical issues of choice experiments and points out the pitfalls and future directions both theoretically and empirically.

The ability of a company to achieve excellence in service quality depends on the determination of service attributes and their desired levels. It depends also on the prioritization of service attributes, using appropriate quality improvement indices, in a consistent manner within the constraints of limited resources. There is a need to develop an operational procedure that would prioritize customer service attributes in a simple, inexpensive, and accurate manner. Well‐established instruments that measure service quality, such as SERVQUAL, have conceptualized the linear and symmetric relationship between service quality gaps and overall service quality. This paper investigated the asymmetric and nonlinear nature of this relationship and developed a model to advance utility theory into prioritization at the attribute level as well as at the dimensional level. In the service literature, this is a first attempt to apply utility theory in the prioritization of service attributes to help achieve quality in customer service.

With this study we investigate the preferences of an important category of consumers of organic products (regular consumers of organic food or RCOFs) allowing for preference heterogeneity. A survey instrument was developed to elicit preferences for important qualitative and quantitative attributes of extra virgin olive oil. The survey was administered via questionnaire to a random sample of 198 RCOFs in organic food stores of Naples, Italy. The choice task was organised around a fractional factorial main effects orthogonal design. Each respondent made eight choices to rank‐order nine product profiles in terms of their individual preference. Product attributes included price, origin of production, type of certification and visual appearance. Interestingly, the set of observed responses appears to display significant preference heterogeneity for origin of production and price. Once heterogeneity and correlation among repeated choice by the same respondent are accounted for by means of random‐parameter panel logit models, the fit increases dramatically with respect to the more restrictive fixed‐parameter logit models. Results also suggest that price plays an important role as quality proxy, while visual appearance is not significant in preference modelling and the type of certification programme has a fixed effect.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the perceptions of Nigerian banking customers regarding customers’ evaluation of their banks service quality based on their banks actual performance on current banking service delivery.

A survey has been used to collect primary data and 1,245 usable questionnaires were used in the analysis. A conjoint analysis with stated preference data were used to construct the consumers’ behavior, while discrete choice method was employed to evaluate the preferences. More information was obtained by in cooperating heterogeneity into the model by the random coefficient and the test variance with the primary attributes and social demographics and individual characteristics.

Discrete choice analysis shows that bank management should focus on: reduction of transaction errors, transaction cost, waiting time and initial online learning time. This four attributes have strong impact on customer’s satisfaction depending on quality performance. Relative to other services the reduction in waiting time and transaction cost are the most important services to the Nigerian banking customers. Other findings of willingness to pay and consumer preference for other attributes reveal more information for improved banking policies.

The sample only focussed on the urban areas and did not consider rural dwellers. Future research should aim to improve on these by including a variable in the utility set up that captures the distance of the respondent to the main city.

Nigerian banking customers do not care about a friendly smile as customer care. Rather, they value more on the waiting time and transaction cost showing that convenience and cost dimensions have strong and direct effect on service quality. Other dimensions identified includes, reliability, product portfolio, security and privacy, ease of use, accessibility, and competence and credibility.

This study has drawn on a sample of 1,245 Nigerian banking customers and evaluating how the survey respondents perceive their respective banks’ performance by their evaluation of the current banking service delivery.

Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE), this study aims to better understand the job preference of postgraduate students studying at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology-Institute of Distance Learning, Ghana and also rank the attributes of a job they deem important.

The research adopted a positivist epistemological design contextualised within a deductive approach and case study strategy. Primary survey data was collected from a stratified random sample of 128 postgraduate students with multi-sectorial career prospects. Sample students were subjected to a DCE in which their stated preferences were collected using closed-ended questionnaires with 28 pairs of hypothetical job profiles. Respondents’ preferences from the DCE data were then modelled using the conditional logit.

The research reveals that: salary in the range GHC 2,800.00 to GHC 3,400.00 ($1 = GHS 5.3); supportive management; very challenging jobs; and jobs located in the city were the top attributes that were significant and had the most impact in increasing the utility of selecting a particular job. Interestingly, jobs with no extra hours workload were not significant hence, had a negative impact upon student preferences.

This novel research is the first to use a DCE to better elicit preference and trade-offs of postgraduate students in a developing country towards varying job characteristics that have an impact on their future employment decisions. Knowledge advancements made provide invaluable insight to employers and policymakers on the key criteria that should be implemented to retain the best candidate.

This study investigates whether higher catch rates near a marine protected area (MPA), and/or in other fishing areas within a choice set, attract more fishers. A survey conducted in the fishing grounds near an MPA located in south east of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean shows concentration of fishers in regions with lower catch rates. This contrasts with the predictions of the “fishing the line” hypothesis and the ideal free distribution (IFD) that fishers are likely to be attracted near the MPA with higher resource abundance.

Using the random utility model as the framework and the random parameter logit (RPL) model, the study attempts to explain spatial behaviour of fishers. Expected catch and catch variability are modelled using the Just and Pope (JP) production function. The study also estimates effort elasticities with respect to expected catch and catch variability and simulates the relocation of effort from area closure.

The paper concludes that higher catch does attract fishers but is a partial and very restrictive explanation of fishers' behaviour. The “fishing the line” hypothesis does hold to some extent, but it should not be taken for granted that rising catch rates in adjacent waters will increase fishing pressure. The paper concludes that factors such as catch variability, distance from homeport to fishing ground, potential physical risk and attitudes towards risk of fishers affect spatial behaviour of fishers and should be considered for the placement and size of MPAs. The study also finds that the responsiveness of effort to catch rates is lowest in areas which are already heavily fished and easily accessible.

The identification of fishing areas as complements (when fishing in one area increases fishing effort in another) and substitutes is valuable information for determining the placement and size of an MPA. A larger reserve is likely to have more displacement effect in this case than a smaller one. Therefore, a small or a network of a small reserve may be appropriate. The premise to select the site and size of the reserve is to avoid overconcentration of fishers in alternative fishing areas, which can be vulnerable to excessive fishing and unintended effects from fishers.

The paper contributes to an understanding of fishing behaviour and its impact on the configuration of marine reserves. It discusses the importance of effort elasticities to determine the placement and size of an MPA. Studies on this topic are very scanty in the Indian Ocean region. It also shows the application of location choice model, the RPL model and the JP production function in the fisheries sector for a small island.

This study provides empirical evidence of the economic valuation of ecosystem services. It examines the willingness-to-pay (WTP) and compensating surplus (CS) in response to policy change based on focus group discussion (FGD) and survey.

A randomized conjoint analysis based experiment was conducted in seven villages of Sundarbans in Bangladesh to elicit stated preference data and measure WTP and CS. Each respondent faced three options in every choice card-two hypothetical alternatives and one status quo scheme. Four alternatives – payment for ecosystem services, storm protection, erosion control and habitat for fish breeding – are randomly and simultaneously assigned to the two alternatives.

The findings suggest that age, income, education, family size and occupational status are the influential factor to choice the relevant attributes of ecosystem services and their levels. Villagers would like to pay annually Tk. 703, Tk. 281, and Tk. 59 for lower, moderate, and higher ecosystem services. With these WTP, they get surplus Tk. 760, Tk. 138, and Tk. 346 respectively.

The lower WTP does not necessarily imply low demand for ecosystem service, as the findings from WTP illustrate potential demand for ecosystem services of Sundarbans.

The study provides an important insight into the ecosystem services and values of Sundarbans mangrove forests for welfare and can inform policy for sustainable use of resources of this forest.

There is a crucial gap in understanding what could villagers be ready for WTP for better ecosystem services of Sundarbans mangrove forest, how do payment based ecosystem services, as a proxy for the conservation of Sundarbans mangrove, and to what extent the policy can be strengthened.

This study aims to incorporate visitors’ preferences for sustainable development into the policy framework of Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC), Sabah, Malaysia.

A stated preference technique known as choice experiment (CE) method is used in this study. Four management attributes, namely, information provision (IP), protection level (PL), guided tour (GT) and entrance fee (FEE), were identified as the most relevant aspects of the RDC in Sabah. Two econometrics models which are conditional logit and random parameter logit were estimated to achieve the purpose of the study.

This study finds that visitors support the proposed development of RDC. The alteration of protection level (i.e. improvement of “PL” attribute) is the most concerning matter among visitors. Since the random parameter logit model revealed that PL is specified as random, the individual heterogeneity exists for PL.

The current issues in ecotourism were studied and integrated into the methodology. A unique and comprehensive policy structure was developed, and enables to respond with any contemporary issues linked to protected areas (PA) without neglecting the natural and cultural endowments.

This study presents an in-depth understanding of visitors’ preferences in the ecotourism industry and used CE as a mechanism tool to explore visitors’ preferences. This study incorporates the conceptualisation of visitors’ preferences and sustainable tourism development into the PA framework structure.

这项研究的目标是将游客的偏好纳入马来西亚沙巴的热带雨林探索中心(RDC)的政策框架中以促进可持续性发展。

种陈述偏好的技术称为选择实验(CE)的方法被采用在本文。,其中四个管理属性; 包括资讯供应(IP) 、 保护水平(PL) 、导游陪同的旅游(GT) 和入门收费(FEE), 视为沙巴RDC最相关的方面。,另外两项計量經濟模型有条件Logit和随机参数Logit模型也被用以估计来达到研究目的。

这项研究发掘游客是支持RDC的拟开发。,保护级别的改造（即“ PL”属性的改进）也是访客中最关注的事。,由于随机参数Logit模型被指定为随机, 因此PL是存在个别异质性。

此项研究研证了生态旅游中的当前问题, 并且将其综合到方法论中。,研发了独特而全面的政策结构, 以便能应对任何与受保护区域相关的当前问题, 同时非忽视自然和文化禀赋。

这项研究使用了CE作为一种机制来探索游客的偏好, 及深入了解生态旅游业中游客的偏好。,此项研结合游客偏好和可持续旅游业发展的概念并纳入了PA框架结构。

Este estudio tiene como objetivo incorporar las preferencias de los visitantes por el desarrollo sostenible en el marco de políticas de Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC), Sabah, Malasia.

En este estudio se utiliza una técnica de preferencia declarada que se conoce como método del experimento de elección (CE). Cuatro atributos de gestión, a saber, suministro de información (PI), protección nivel (PL), visita guiada (GT) y tarifa de entrada (FEE) fueron identificados como los aspectos más relevantes de la RDC en Sabah. Dos modelos econométricos que son logit condicional y logit de parámetro aleatorio fueron estimado para lograr el propósito del estudio.

Este estudio encuentra que los visitantes apoyan el desarrollo propuesto de RDC. La alteración de El nivel de protección (es decir, la mejora del atributo "PL") es el asunto más preocupante entre los visitantes. Ya que El modelo logit de parámetros aleatorios reveló que PL se especifica como aleatorio, la heterogeneidad individual existe para PL.

Los temas actuales en ecoturismo fueron estudiados e integrados en la metodología. Se desarrolló una estructura de política única y completa que permite responder con los temas contemporáneos vinculados a las áreas protegidas (AP) sin descuidar los aspectos naturales y culturales dotaciones.

Este estudio presenta una comprensión profunda de las preferencias de los visitantes en el industria del ecoturismo y utilizó CE como una herramienta de mecanismo para explorar las preferencias de los visitantes. Este estudio incorpora la conceptualización de las preferencias de los visitantes y el desarrollo del turismo sostenible en el Estructura del Marco PA.

New food technologies based on biotechnological organisms are increasingly becoming a cause for debate and conflicting discussions. This paper aims to investigate hypothetical consumer behaviour, and the willingness to pay (WtP), towards a specific type of genetically modified food in relation to particular indications on the label about the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives by manufacturing companies.

For this purpose a choice experiment was used on a representative sample of more 1,300 Italian families, interviewing the component in charge of the buying choices within the selected household. A random parameter logit-error component model allows for heterogeneity in consumer preferences and potential correlation across utilities and across taste parameters. Beyond investigating consumers’ preferences regarding that product through a choice experiment, the aim was to detect the drivers of that purchase and preference heterogeneity across consumers’ choice, and the WtP, for the products with those features.

Results also offer a topic for further discussion and are useful for companies’ strategies to understand how to address such concerns through appropriate CSR policies. The main results are: CSR initiatives always have a strong effect on consumer choice; the price is consistently important, exerting a negative influence in the decision-making process for individuals; consumers may also know possible effects of genetically modified foods, but that does not always translate into purchase behaviour.

The research considers a particular link between genetically modified food and CSR not addressed in details; moreover, it is also based on the author’s own previous research and is its natural continuation and development, but also important for future researches.

Infection and cross-contamination have been massive concerns in the medical field. This study aims to investigate consumers’ awareness and their choices of endoscopes, which may deter them from the cross-contamination problem.

A discrete choice experiment survey was administered to 166 respondents in Penang, Malaysia. Participants were asked to make hypothetical choices and estimate their preference for endoscopes. The multinomial logit model was used to estimate the assumptions based on the stated preference data collected.

Only two-fifths of respondents are aware of their rights regarding endoscope selection. The findings are consistent with utility theory, where choices are made to maximise personal satisfaction. If given the choice, consumers preferred the single-use endoscope over the reusable or the doctor’s preferred endoscope. Price, insurance coverage and personal income are significant determinants of the consumer’s choice of endoscopes.

This study only investigates subjects living in Penang. Other possible important attributes to endoscope choices, such as environmental and device availability may be considered in future study.

The findings may create awareness among consumers about their rights when choosing medical devices. It may also improve health-care institutions’ (users’) and device manufacturers’ (industry players’) understanding of consumer needs and demands from socioeconomic perspectives.

The research offers insights into consumer rights and awareness of health-care services. Ultimately leading to better policy to protect consumers’ rights and safety.

This study contributes to the rare literature on consumer rights toward medical devices, in particular, the consumer’s awareness of the choice of endoscopes.