Consumers’experiences and preferences for plant-based meat food:Evidence from a choice experiment in four cities of China

This paper examined consumers’experiences in and preferences for plant-based meat(PBM)food and their respective correlates,based on data from an online survey of 579 consumers in four major cities in China in early 2021.We first described consumers’experiences in consuming and purchasing PBM food and their correlates,and then analyzed consumer preferences using hypothetical choice experiment.The experiment offered consumers various options to purchase burgers made from PBM or animal-based meat(ABM),combined with different countries of origin(COO),taste labels,and prices.Our data showed that respondents hold overall positive attitudes toward PBM food;85 and 82%of respondents reported experience in eating and purchasing PBM food,respectively.More than half of them ate PBM food because they wanted to try new food(58%),or were interested in healthy food(56%).Income,religion,and dietary restrictions were significantly correlated with consumers’experiences in PBM food consumption.Results from the Random Parameter Logit Model based on the hypothetical choice experiment data showed that 79%of respondents chose PBM burgers and were willing to pay an average of 88 CNY for a PBM burger.We also found that 99.8 and 83%of respondents are willing to buy burgers made in China and those with a taste label,with a willingness to pay(WTP)of 208 and 120 CNY,respectively.The heterogeneity test revealed that females and those with at least a bachelor’s degree,higher income,religious beliefs,and dietary restrictions are more likely to buy PBM burgers than their counterparts.

Improve access to the EU market by identifying French consumer preference for fresh fruit from China

Most previous studies have investigated country-of-origin effect for agricultural products from the economically developed country, but few have focused on the impact of country-of-origin on agricultural products from economically developing countries. Using a national online survey in France, we determine French consumers＇ perceptions and preferences for fresh fruit from China. Results of ordered logit models show that fresh fruit from China was perceived as low quality and unsafe. Respondents who care about country-of-origin were less likely to purchase fresh fruit from China, while those who care about brand were more likely to buy Chinese fresh fruit. Risk perception and quality perception both had a significant impact on the purchase of Chinese fresh fruit. Results of latent class models obtained with key consumer demographics show that heterogeneous preferences exist among different consumer groups. The results provide critical information to both China and other economically developing countries in their efforts to improve market penetration in economically developed countries.

Consumer Preferences for Water Supply at Njala University, Njala Campus in Southern Sierra Leone

Suppliers of potable water would benefit from a sustainable business as long as consumers continue to prefer their brand. Some of the reasons for choosing a particular brand include water quality, cost of the finished product, reliability of supply, and supplier ethics. These important determinant factors form the basis of this work. The objective is to delineate consumer preferences for water supplied to the Njala campus community, in southern Sierra Leone, and the underlying determinant factors. A list of questions administered to 140 respondents, are used to help achieve the objective. The results of water quality tests are also used to determine if quality has anything to do with consumer preference. The Oxfam Delagua water testing kit is customized to incubate and enhance counting of fecal and no-fecal coliform bacteria in water samples. Bacterial contamination is the major concern in the study area. The survey results reveal the consumers prefer package water for drinking. Treated water from Tia River is only used for other domestic purposes. The consumers do not trust the quality of water supplied from Tia River, albeit filtration and disinfection at the University’s treatment center. This distrust is confirmed by the bacterial test. None of the campus water sources meet recommended guidelines for drinking water. The consumers are, however, willing to shift preference from package to tap drinking water if treatment comes with quality assurance. The university could benefit through economic gratification, customer protection, and reduced plastic waste from package drinking water.

Preference and Willingness of Consumers to Pay for Value-added Poultry Products in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

There has been a steady growth in demand for convenience and ready-cooked food has influenced the interest of poultry processors in developing value-added chicken products that meet consumers＇ demand/choice. A conjoint analysis was done in this study on the survey of 975 chicken consumers in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, between March and September, 2014 to valuate consumers, preferences and willingness to pay （WTP） for various chicken attributed parts, production method, processing method, storage method, the presence of flavor and cooking method. The estimates of consumers, WTP premium prices for various mixtures of value-added characteristics were ascertained. The consumers preferred chicken products refrigerated, from chicken produced under free-range management, chicken breast, chicken product that was addictive and flavor free, which could be oven-heated or pan heated. One half of the entire respondents were willing to pay about 25% more for value-added chicken product over the price for conventional products. On the whole, a premium for value-added chicken products was more likely to be paid for by young consumers, consumers who patronized farmers＇ markets and preferred free-range or organic chicken products. WTP by consumers was negatively affected by price of products. The poultry industry could utilize combined knowledge of consumers＇ WTP for value-added chicken product price as a guide of develop innovative value-added chicken products.

On the Role of Consumer Preferences in the Coordination among Health Insurers under Regulated Competition

This paper addresses the coordination problem of price and quality setting insurers, arising on the health insurance market under regulated competition, as introduced, for instance, in the Netherlands in 2006. We use an experimental study to gain novel insights on the impact of the uncertainty about consumer preferences on the coordination problem. This fundamental uncertainty implies uncertainty about the identity of the payoff dominant equilibrium, while the risk dominant equilibrium is independent of the state of the world. The experimental results show that insurers are more likely to coordinate on the payoff dominant equilibrium under incomplete information. When insurers face not only strategic but also fundamental uncertainty in the coordination problem, they delay the response to the risk dominant strategy, and persist longer in trying to coordinate on the payoff dominant equilibrium. For the market we study, this implies that the co-ordination under incomplete information will result in consumers paying higher prices, in contrast to the original objectives of the regulated competition.

Consumer Preference and Willingness to Pay for Non-Plastic Food Containers in Honolulu, USA

Expanded polystyrene (EPS), a petroleum based plastic polystyrene, has an immense environmental impact with a degradation rate of over 500 years, and is a possible human carcinogen that may cause cancer in humans. Nonetheless, EPS is the most commonly used material to produce takeout food containers, a single use item that is quickly discarded. With growing recognition of the high environmental costs of EPS products and their pressure on landfill resources, EPS food container bans have become increasingly popular in jurisdictions across the globe. Similar legislation has been introduced in the state of Hawaii, USA. However, since EPS is currently more cost effective than its alternatives, the widespread adoption of food containers produced with biodegradable materials remains a challenge. This study employs Conjoint Choice Experiment (CCE) to determine consumer preference and willingness to pay for plant-based EPS alternative takeout food containers and their various product attributes in the urban center of Honolulu, Hawaii. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) is used to cluster respondents into four distinct classes based on their observable attributes of choice. Results show that the majority of respondents (81.0%) are in favor of a ban on EPS takeout food containers. As an alternative, the majority of respondents prefer a container constructed out of a sugarcane material (66.49%) that is microwaveable (88.94%), water resistant (100%), and locally produced (51.23%). Moreover, this study demonstrates an increase in consumer’s willingness to pay for more environmentally friendly food containers, which may allow businesses to offset the costs of substituting EPS for biodegradable materials. These findings provide valuable information for farmers, manufacturers, and natural resource managers, and can help to guide decision makers when considering socially responsible and environmentally sustainable policies.

Multi-national observational study to assess quality of life and treatment preferences in patients with Crohn’s perianal fistulas

BACKGROUND Patients with Crohn’s disease(CD)are at risk of developing complications such as perianal fistulas.Patients with Crohn’s perianal fistulas(CPF)are affected by fecal incontinence(FI),bleeding,pain,swelling,and purulent perianal discharge,and METHODS This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in patients with CD aged 21-90 years via a web-enabled questionnaire in seven countries(April-August 2021).Patients were recruited into three cohorts:Cohort 1 included patients without perianal fistulas;cohort 2 included patients with perianal fistulas without fistula-related surgery;and cohort 3 included patients with perianal fistulas and fistula-related surgery.Validated patient-reported outcome measures were used to assess quality of life.Drivers of treatment preferences were measured using a discrete choice experiment(DCE).RESULTS In total,929 patients were recruited(cohort 1,n=620;cohort 2,n=174;cohort 3,n=135).Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire scores were worse for patients with CPF(cohorts 2 and 3)than for those with CD without CPF(cohort 1):Mean score 3.8 and 3.7 vs 4.1,respectively,(P<0.001).Similarly,mean Revised FI and FI Quality of Life scores were worse for patients with CPF than for those with CD without CPF.Quality of Life with Anal Fistula scores were similar in patients with CPF with or without CPF-related surgery(cohorts 2 and 3):Mean score 41 and 42,respectively.In the DCE,postoperative discomfort and fistula healing rate were the most important treatment attributes influencing treatment choice:Mean relative importance 35.7 and 24.7,respectively.CONCLUSION The burden of illness in CD is significantly higher for patients with CPF and patients rate lower postoperative discomfort and higher healing rates as the most desirable treatment attributes.

基于S-O-R模型的视觉营销对消费者购买意愿的影响研究——以红色文创网店为例

为提高红色文创网店的点击转化率,文章从消费者视角出发,研究影响消费者购买意愿的视觉因素。基于S-O-R模型理论,构建红色文创网店视觉营销对消费者购买意愿因素的理论模型。利用S-O-R模型分析了红色文创网店视觉营销中的商品形象、界面形象以及品牌视觉形象对顾客感知价值及顾客购买意向的影响。通过设计量表和调查问卷进行实证研究,并结合结构方程模型加以论证,得出品牌视觉形象和界面形象是影响消费者购买意愿的关键因素,为设计师和红色文创品牌进行网店设计提供了一定的理论参考和建议。

消费者偏好视角下的供应链研究现状及趋势——基于CiteSpace的知识图谱分析

随着互联网的不断发展,消费者偏好在不断变化。消费者偏好作为推动市场需求和购买决策的重要因素,对供应链决策具有深远的影响。消费者偏好的多样性和动态性成为供应链管理者及学者关注的核心问题。基于此,文中拟通过文献计量分析法,探讨消费者偏好视角下的供应链研究现状及趋势,拟以中国知网(CNKI)文献资料为基础,通过CiteSpace软件,从发文量、作者、机构和关键词等方面,对消费者偏好视角下的供应链研究领域进行可视化分析,并对当前的研究热点和今后的发展趋势进行归纳总结。研究发现,目前的研究呈现三大特点:一是研究主题主要涉及供应链的定价问题、协调问题和决策问题;二是消费者偏好种类不断变化;三是探讨的供应链类型逐渐增多。未来的研究可以在消费者偏好视角的基础上,围绕大数据驱动的数字化供应链问题、碳减排政策、供应链服务、供应链竞争等方面展开。

Confectionery and Child Consumers: Situation and Solution Proposals

The group of child consumers differs significantly from other consumer groups due to the effects of individuals other than themselves on their preferences as well as motivation factors of consumers’ food choices. In recent years, the effect of the relationship between nutrition and health on food preferences has increased. The effects of this relationship on protectionist consumer approaches towards children are more visible. It can be stated that communication channels, especially social media, increase the level of this effect. Foods, which are frequently preferred by child consumers due to their taste and pleasure but contain high calorie value and high sugar levels associated with obesity;are among the foods that are frequently discussed. This situation increases the concern of parents about these foods. In this study, consumption characteristics of sugar and confectionery products and potential alternatives to these products are discussed with the aim of due diligence and seeking solutions. It is important to carry out awareness-raising activities on sugar and sugar products not only for children but also for all socio-economic and age groups, and to develop policies and strategies for this purpose. Computer game-based consumer awareness studies can be used for sugar and confectionery products and for a lively lifestyle in order to provide fast and direct awareness to children. However, first, it is recommended to elaborate due diligence in order to determine the quality and quantity of information and awareness, to identify possible solution proposals with the participation of all stakeholders and to conduct pilot practices based on recommendations. It may be more beneficial to carry out these activities for a specific product and consumer groups rather than the general nutrition and consumer group.

PREFERENCE AND EVOLUTION IN THE ITERATED PRISONER'S DILEMMA

Game theory is extensively used to study strategy-making and actions of play- ers. The authors proposed an analysis method for study the evolutionary outcome and behaviors of players with preference in iterated prisoner＇s dilemma. In this article, a preference parameter k was introduced in the payoff matrix, wherein the value of k denotes the player＇s degree of egoism and altruism （preference）. Then, a game-theoretic dynamical model was formulated using Birth-and-Death process. The authors studied how preference influences the evolutionary equilibrium and behaviors of players. The authors get the general results： egoism leads to defection, and altruism can make players build trust and maintain cooperation, and so, the hope of the Pareto optimal solution. In the end, the simulation experiments proved the efficiency of the method.

Do inflammatory bowel disease patient preferences from treatment outcomes differ by ethnicity and gender?A cross-sectional observational study

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)patients’expectations of treatment outcomes may differ by ethnicity.AIM To investigate treatment preferences of Jewish and Arabs patients.METHODS This prospective survey ranked outcomes treatment preferences among Arab IBD patients,based on the 10 IBD-disk items compared to historical data of Jews.An anonymous questionnaire in either Arabic or Hebrew was distributed among IBD patients.Patients were required to rank 10 statements describing different aspects of IBD according to their importance to the patients as treatment goals.Answers were compared to the answers of a historical group of Jewish patients.RESULTS IBD-disk items of 121 Arabs were compared to 240 Jewish patients.The Jewish patients included more females,[151(62.9%)vs 52(43.3%);P<0.001],higher education level(P=0.02),more urban residence[188(78.3%)vs 54(45.4%);P<0.001],less unemployment[52(21.7%)vs 41(33.9%);P=0.012],higher income level(P<0.001),and more in a partnership[162(67.8%)vs 55(45.4%);P<0.001].Expectations regarding disease symptoms:abdominal pain,energy,and regular defecation ranked highest for both groups.Arabs gave significantly lower rankings(range 4.29-6.69)than Jewish patients(range 6.25-9.03)regarding all items,except for body image.Compared to Arab women,Jewish women attached higher priority to abdominal pain,energy,education/work,sleep,and joint pain.Multivariable regression analysis revealed that higher patient preferences were associated with Jewish ethnicity(OR 4.77;95%CI 2.36-9.61,P<0.001)and disease activity.The more active the disease,the greater the odds ratio for higher ranking of the questionnaire items(1-2 attacks per year:OR 2.13;95%CI 1.02-4.45,P=0.043;and primarily active disease:OR 5.29;95%CI 2.30-12.18,P<0.001).Factors inversely associated with higher patient preference were male gender(OR 0.5;95%CI 0.271-0.935,P=0.030),UC(OR 0.444;95%CI 0.241-0.819,P=0.009),and above average income level(OR 0.267;95%CI:0.124-0.577,P=0.001).CONCLUSION The highest priority for treatment outcomes was symptom relief.,Patients preferences were impacted by ethnicity,gender,and socio-economic disparity.Understanding patients'priorities may improve communication and enable a personalized approach.

Application Research of Ingroup Preference in Employee Relationship Management

With stepwise development of Chinese enterprise,management problem is increasingly prominent,especially human resource management issues. Facing international environment of entering into World Trade Organization,the country accelerates construction pace of human resource management subject in colleges and universities,which provides professional channel for management efficiency and market competition ability of Chinese enterprise,but it is still far from practice. In this paper,the concept,origin and inhibition factors of ingroup preference are elaborated. Based on the visual angle of ingroup preference,started from four dimensions( enterprise incentive system,talent management idea,psychological contract and employee communication consciousness),main problems existing in employee relationship management of modern enterprise are explored. It is specially emphasized that manager often holds the blame in front of dealing with the crisis after contradiction,which is " fatal point" neglected in employee relationship management of modern enterprise. To improve its core competitive power,enterprise must value harmonious relationship with employees.

SOR理论视域下消费者情绪对国货品牌偏好的影响研究

消费者情绪感知因素影响国货品牌偏好。在国货品牌消费者购买行为中,企业社会责任、国货意识和社交媒体三种的消费者情绪感知因素,通过中介变量愉悦和唤起两种情绪,对国货品牌消费者偏好产生正向影响。研究基于SOR模型,建立国货品牌消费者情绪感知影响因素相关假设和概念模型,通过问卷调查收集数据,利用SPSS软件进行数据分析,采用AMOS软件构建结构方程模型并假设检验。研究发现:企业社会责任、社交媒体正向影响消费者情绪价值,积极的情绪对品牌偏好形成积极影响,根据研究结论,对国货品牌提出新的营销思路和建议。

珠宝奢侈品品牌与KOLs联名款对消费者偏好的影响

伴随中国奢侈品消费市场的崛起,珠宝奢侈品相关消费心理与行为具有重要的研究意义。本研究从珠宝奢侈品品牌与KOLs联名这一新兴现象入手,以理想自我理论为基础,探索珠宝奢侈品品牌KOLs联名款与非联名款对消费者偏好的影响。本文共包含4个研究,通过对672组有效数据进行处理和分析,得出以下结论:研究1表明消费者可将KOLs推荐产品视为理想自我实现途径;研究2表明珠宝奢侈品品牌KOLs联名款能够提升消费者偏好;研究3表明理想自我表达在珠宝奢侈品KOLs联名款与消费者偏好之间起中介作用;研究4验证产品类型的调节作用,表明当产品为社会型珠宝奢侈品时,KOLs联名款才能显著提升消费者偏好。