Search results
1 – 10 of over 93000Sarah Kühl, Gesa Busch and Matthias Gauly
Local origin of meat acts as a key quality indicator for consumers. How an ideal local meat production should look like is rather unknown. The purpose of this study is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Local origin of meat acts as a key quality indicator for consumers. How an ideal local meat production should look like is rather unknown. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively analyse how an ideal local beef production should be constituted.
Design/methodology/approach
432 consumers from a North Italian province (South Tyrol) were questioned online about their views regarding (local) beef production. 12 attributes, from calf rearing to transport times, were presented with different options. Participants selected the most ideal options from their perspective. Further, willingness to pay for local beef and for the ideally produced local beef as well as the importance of local production for different food categories were assessed.
Findings
The results are quite heterogeneous but show that local production is especially of importance for eggs, dairy products and beef. Traceability to the farms, daily access to a paddock and access to pasture during summer, silage-free feeding, low transport times and suckler cow husbandry are aspects that are mostly selected as ideal. A price premium of 35% for locally produced beef and up to 50% for this ideal production seems reasonable for most consumers.
Research limitations/implications
The study only includes South Tyrolean consumers and thus the validity is limited to this area. Although transferability to other regions can be assumed, future studies are necessary to confirm this assumption.
Originality/value
This is the first study analysing consumers expectations towards local beef production considering several production levels.
Details
Keywords
Paula Jach, Jiju Antony, Scott Paul Thomson, Beth Cudney and Sandra Furterer
The purpose of this paper is to explore the voice of the customer (VOC) of public transport (PT) users and non-users and to identify the role VOC plays in PT service quality…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the voice of the customer (VOC) of public transport (PT) users and non-users and to identify the role VOC plays in PT service quality analysis and improvement practices.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is based on quantitative and qualitative data collection. Quantitative data were collected through two questionnaires; the first is based on ranking data: 192 responses and the second on the Kano model: 46 responses. The qualitative data was obtained through 10 semi-structured interviews with senior management from seven bus companies in the UK.
Findings
Findings indicate that VOC differs between PT users and non-users and compared with the perspectives of PT Providers. The research also revealed that VOC plays a crucial role in PT service quality improvement (QI).
Practical implications
The findings can be used by PT service providers to better understand the VOC of PT users and non-users, which will assist in strategic and QI decision-making. Furthermore, an in-depth study of VOC in PT is provided, which progresses the academic field on this topic and advances research in this area.
Originality/value
This research brings new insight into the most important quality attributes for PT users and non-users. Moreover, the paper fundamentally contributes to the literature, which until now had severely limited input pertaining to the role of VOC in PT and little knowledge of service QI tools and practices in this sector.
Details
Keywords
Yicha Zhang, Alain Bernard, Ravi Kumar Gupta and Ramy Harik
The purpose of this paper is to present research work based on the authors’ conceptual framework reported in the VRAP Conference 2013. It is related with an efficient method to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present research work based on the authors’ conceptual framework reported in the VRAP Conference 2013. It is related with an efficient method to obtain an optimal part build orientation for additive manufacturing (AM) by using AM features with associated AM production knowledge and multi-attribute decision-making (MADM). The paper also emphasizes the importance of AM feature and the implied AM knowledge in AM process planning.
Design/methodology/approach
To solve the orientation problem in AM, two sub-tasks, the generation of a set of alternative orientations and the identification of an optimal one within the generated list, should be accomplished. In this paper, AM feature is defined and associated with AM production knowledge to be used for generating a set of alternative orientations. Key attributes for the decision-making of the orientation problem are then identified and used to represent those generated orientations. Finally, an integrated MADM model is adopted to find out the optimal orientation among the generated alternative orientations.
Findings
The proposed method to find out an optimal part build orientation for those parts with simple or medium complex geometric shapes is reasonable and efficient. It also has the potential to deal with more complex parts with cellular or porous structures in a short time by using high-performance computers.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed method is a proof-of-concept. There is a need to investigate AM feature types and the association with related AM production knowledge further so as to suite the context of orientating parts with more complex geometric features. There are also research opportunities for developing more advanced algorithms to recognize AM features and generate alternative orientations and refine alternative orientations.
Originality/value
AM feature is defined and introduced to the orientation problem in AM for generating the alternative orientations. It is also used as one of the key attributes for decision-making so as to help express production requirements on specific geometric features of a desired part.
Details
Keywords
Benjamin J. Gillen, Matthew Shum and Hyungsik Roger Moon
Structural models of demand founded on the classic work of Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes (1995) link variation in aggregate market shares for a product to the influence of product…
Abstract
Structural models of demand founded on the classic work of Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes (1995) link variation in aggregate market shares for a product to the influence of product attributes on heterogeneous consumer tastes. We consider implementing these models in settings with complicated products where consumer preferences for product attributes are sparse, that is, where a small proportion of a high-dimensional product characteristics influence consumer tastes. We propose a multistep estimator to efficiently perform uniform inference. Our estimator employs a penalized pre-estimation model specification stage to consistently estimate nonlinear features of the BLP model. We then perform selection via a Triple-LASSO for explanatory controls, treatment selection controls, and instrument selection. After selecting variables, we use an unpenalized GMM estimator for inference. Monte Carlo simulations verify the performance of these estimators.
Details
Keywords
Mohammad Younus Bhat, M.S. Bhatt and Arfat Ahmad Sofi
Biodiversity loss has become widespread since current rates are potentially catastrophic for species and habitat integrity, and the Dachigam National Park in Jammu and Kashmir…
Abstract
Purpose
Biodiversity loss has become widespread since current rates are potentially catastrophic for species and habitat integrity, and the Dachigam National Park in Jammu and Kashmir (India) is not a distinctive case. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to elicit the willingness to pay (WTP) for biodiversity conservation of the Park.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey-based choice experiment method was carried out at the Dachigam National Park, an area that is threatened by several anthropogenic pressures. Attributes selected for analysis through choice experiments were endangered species, national park area, research and education opportunities the park withholds. To estimate WTP, a monetary variable involving an increase in entry fee was also incorporated. To obtain the estimates, the authors use the augmented conditional logit model.
Findings
WTP for the selected attributes per visitor turned out to be ₹302.07 for enhancing the population of endangered species, ₹121.91 for improvement in the park area and ₹171.64 for increasing research and education opportunities the park withholds.
Research limitations/implications
Though the study uncovers very important aspects of evaluating the biological resources, albeit with some limitations. The study estimates WTP for biodiversity conservation using a conditional logit model, which is based on a specific area and population sample. It would be better if a broader sample is considered to trace out the findings for meaningful generalization. Besides, the results can be replicated for similar kinds of samples.
Practical implications
With the use of benefits transfer method, this study aims to provide policymakers with useful information to manage biodiversity attributes across the Himalayan region.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this study is to provide a critical understanding of the valuation to facilitate the concerned body for better planning and management of biological resources. The findings of the present study can be used as an indicator of the inherent economic importance of biological resources across the Himalayan range for their better management and conservation that can help in ensuring sustainable utilization of these resources.
Details
Keywords
Rajali Maharjan and Shinya Hanaoka
The purpose of this paper is to reveal the importance of the order of establishment of temporary logistics hubs (TLHs) when resources (mobile storage units used as TLHs) are…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reveal the importance of the order of establishment of temporary logistics hubs (TLHs) when resources (mobile storage units used as TLHs) are limited and to present the development and implementation of a methodology that determines the order of establishment of TLHs to support post-disaster decision making.
Design/methodology/approach
It employed a decision support system that considers multiple decision makers and subjective attributes, while also addressing the impreciseness inherent in post-disaster decision making for ordering the establishment of TLHs. To do so, an optimization model was combined with a fuzzy multi-attribute group decision making approach. A numerical illustration was performed using data from the April 2015 Nepal Earthquake.
Findings
The results showed the location and order of establishment of TLHs, and demonstrated the impact of decision makers’ opinions on the overall ordering.
Research limitations/implications
The study does not discuss the uncertain nature of the location problem and the potential need for relocation of TLHs.
Practical implications
This methodology offers managerial insights for post-disaster decision making when resources are limited and their effective utilization is vital. The results highlight the importance of considering the opinions of multiple actors/decision makers to enable coordination and avoid complication between the growing numbers of humanitarian responders during disaster response.
Originality/value
This study introduces the concept of the order of establishment of TLHs and demonstrates its importance when resources are limited. It develops and implements a methodology determining the order of establishment of TLHs to support post-disaster decision making.
Details
Keywords
Khalid I. Al‐Sulaiti and Michael J. Baker
This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the effect of country of origin on consumer perceptions of products and services. Results reveal that…
Abstract
This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the effect of country of origin on consumer perceptions of products and services. Results reveal that consumer perceptions differ significantly on the basis of product/service and country of origin. The country of origin may be an important element in the perceptions consumers have of products and services especially where little other information is known. However, the question of how much influence the country of origin provides in product and service evaluations remains unanswered and a number of other major issues have yet to be resolved. Directions for future research are developed.
Details
Keywords
Gustav Puth, Pierre Mostert and Michael Ewing
The processes of consumer perception and decision making remain relatively complex phenomena despite the depth of research undertaken in the area. One way in which these processes…
Abstract
The processes of consumer perception and decision making remain relatively complex phenomena despite the depth of research undertaken in the area. One way in which these processes may be influenced is through the explicit mentioning of product attributes in advertising. This study investigates consumer perceptions of mentioned product attributes in magazine advertising for a specific product category. Results confirm a clear relationship between attributes specifically mentioned in advertising for the three selected brands and respondents’ rating of those attributes against evaluative criteria for the product category. Factor analyses of respondents’ ratings indicate a clear convergence of factors extracted and the mentioned attributes for each brand.
Details
Keywords