Bundle Of Services Research Articles

Climate and land use changes impact the trajectories of ecosystem service bundles in an urban agglomeration: Intricate interaction trends and driver identification under SSP-RCP scenarios

The delivery of ecosystem services (ESs), particularly in urban agglomerations, faces substantial threats from impending future climate change and human activity. Assessing ES bundles (ESBs) is critical to understanding the spatial allocation and interactions between multiple ESs. However, dynamic projections of ESBs under various future scenarios are still lacking, and their underlying driving mechanisms have received insufficient attention. This study examined the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration and proposed a framework that integrates patch-generating land use simulation into three shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) scenarios and clustering analysis to assess spatiotemporal variations in seven ESs and ESBs from 1990 to 2050. The spatial trajectories of ESBs were analyzed to identify fluctuating regions susceptible to SSP scenarios. The results indicated that (1) different scenarios exhibited different loss rates of regulating and supporting services, where the mitigation of degradation was most significant under SSP126. The comprehensive ES value was highest under SSP245. (2) Bundles 1 and 2 (dominated by regulating and supporting services) had the largest total proportion under SSP126 (51.92 %). The largest total proportion of Bundles 4 and 5 occurred under SSP585 (48.96 %), with the highest provisioning services. The SSP126 scenario was projected to have the least ESB fluctuation at the grid scale, while the most occurred under SSP585. (3) Notably, synergies between regulating/supporting services were weaker under SSP126 than under either SSP245 or SSP585, while trade-offs between water yield and non-provisioning services were strongest. (4) Forestland and grassland proportions significantly affected carbon sequestration and habitat quality. Climatic factors (precipitation and temperature) acted as the dominant drivers of provisioning services, particularly water yield. Our findings advocate spatial strategies for future regional ES management to address upcoming risks.

Assessing ecosystem service dynamics and drivers for sustainable management in the Agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China: A spatiotemporal analysis

To achieve regional ecological management and sustainable socio-economic development, it is essential to comprehend the intricate and interdependent relationships among various ecosystem services. The Agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China is a typical ecologically vulnerable area. There is limited research on managing multiple ecosystem services to maximize supply based on understanding the complex relationships among ecosystem services. This study used the InVEST model to quantify habitat quality (HQ), soil conservation (SC), carbon sequestration (CS), and water yield (WY) in the Agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China in 2000, 2010, and 2020 at the 5 km grid and county scales. Their trade-off and synergistic effects were explored using Spearman correlation analysis and the Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) model. In addition, self-organizing mapping was employed to identify ecosystem service bundles at two scales, whereas the geodetector was employed to determine the primary social-ecological drivers of ES. Finally, management strategies are proposed based on the research results to promote regional ecological sustainability. The results indicate that: (1) The four ESs exhibited an increasing trend during the study period. Except for WY, the other three ES demonstrated a similar spatial distribution while remaining relatively stable over time; (2) there is a synergistic effect between CS, HQ, and SC, whereas WY-related ES show trade-off effects; (3) six ES bundles were identified at the 5 km grid scale, and four ES bundles were identified at the county scale; (4) precipitation is a major driving factor for WY and an important driving factor for CS, HQ, and SC. In summary, natural factors have a greater impact on ES than socio-economic factors. Based on the differences in ecosystem service bundles and drivers at different scales, and in conjunction with China’s existing environmental policies, corresponding ecological management strategies were proposed, potentially providing a reference for sustainable development of the Agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China.

Review of the Development of an Unbonded Flexible Riser: New Material, Types of Layers, and Cross-Sectional Mechanical Properties.

Unbonded flexible risers consist of several helical and cylindrical layers, which can undergo large bending deformation and can be installed in different configurations to adapt to harsh marine environments; thus, they can be applied to transport oil and gas resources from ultra-deep waters (UDW). Due to their special geometric characteristics, they can ensure sufficient axial tensile stiffness while having small bending stiffness, which can undergo large deflection bending deformation. In recent years, the development of unbonded flexible risers has been moving in an intelligent, integrated direction. This paper presents a review of unbonded flexible risers. Firstly, the form and properties of each interlayer of an unbonded flexible riser are introduced, as well as the corresponding performance and configuration characteristics. In recent years, the development of unbonded flexible risers has been evolving, and the development of machine learning on unbonded flexible risers is discussed. Finally, with emphasis on exploring the design characteristics and working principles, three new types of unbonded flexible risers, an integrated production bundle, an unbonded flexible riser with an anti-H2S layer, and an unbonded flexible riser with a composite armor layer, are presented. The research results show that: (1) the analytical methods of cross-sectional properties of unbonded flexible risers are solved based on ideal assumptions, and the computational accuracy needs to be improved. (2) Numerical methods have evolved from equivalent simplified models to models that account for detailed geometric properties. (3) Compared with ordinary steel risers, the unbonded flexible riser is more suitable for deep-sea resource development, and the structure of each layer can be designed according to the requirements of the actual environment.

The Temporal and Spatial Evolution Characteristics and Driving Factors of Ecosystem Service Bundles in Anhui Province, China

Identifying ecosystem service bundles and their long-term evolutionary characteristics is essential for the overall enhancement of regional ecosystem services, as well as the division and management of functional areas, providing a basis for decision-making in formulating ecological and environmental protection policies, as well as regional development planning. Based on land use, remote sensing, and meteorological data obtained from Anhui Province, this study assessed six important ecosystem service functions, including food production (FP), water yield (WY), carbon sequestration (CS), soil conservation (SC), habitat quality (HQ), and landscape aesthetics (LA), at the township scale in 2000, 2010, and 2020. On this basis, the k-means clustering method was used to identify ecosystem service bundles, analyze the spatio-temporal evolution trajectory of service bundles, and explore the driving factors of the spatio-temporal evolution of ecosystem service bundles using GeoDetector 2015 The results indicate the following: (1) At the spatial level, diverse ecosystem services demonstrate pronounced spatial differentiation. The distribution pattern of HQ, carbon fixation, and SC services is generally lower in the north and higher in the south, with areas of high value predominantly located in the western Dabie Mountains and the mountains of Southern Anhui. Conversely, FP services exhibit the reverse pattern, and WY services display a gradual increase from north to south, while cultural services are more dispersed, with areas of high value primarily located in the western Dabie Mountains, the Yangtze River Basin, and other locations. On the temporal scale, WY, SC, and FP services mainly exhibit an increasing trend, marked by a significant increase, whereas other services tend to present a decreasing trend. (2) Anhui Province can be categorized into four distinct types of service bundles: the grain production bundle (GPB), mountain ecological conservation bundle (MECB), urban living bundle (ULB), and core protection bundle (CPB). Ecosystem service bundles exhibit clear spatial differentiation, and identical service bundles demonstrate substantial clustering in space. Between 2000 and 2020, ecosystem service bundles displayed a marked spatio-temporal evolution, with the prevalence of GPBs diminishing, whereas the share of ULBs progressively increased, and the number of MECBs and CPBs remained largely stable. (3) In the spatio-temporal evolution process, the average annual precipitation, the proportion of forest land, and slope constitute the principal natural factors influencing the spatio-temporal evolution of ecosystem service bundles, while the proportion of construction land represents the primary socio-economic factor, with natural factors exerting a more significant influence than socio-economic factors.

Collaborative servitization in service-oriented company: The case study of telco company.

There is a growing interest in the subject of product-service system (PSS) and collaborative servitization in academia and practice. However, the focus is on exploring the growth of manufacturing companies without specifically analyzing the growth of service companies in applying PSS. There are companies, especially in the telco industry, that expand their service business to complex bundles of products and services. The paper investigates PSS in the service company and the role of collaboration in different PSS development phases: idea generation, development and go to market phase. The study adopted case-based research conducted in international Telco organization. The research demonstrates how a company creates and commercializes integrated packets of products and services, it identifies partners company works with and the benefits and challenges of their cooperation. The study addresses collaboration with customers and identifies five different customer profiles according to their openness to participate in the development of PSS. The study highlights the importance of (1) collaboration models, (2) customer involvement, and (3) strategic focus in successful application of collaborative servitization. The findings complement the literature for collaborative servitization and offer concrete input for companies in terms of how to better organize business, profit from collaboration models and gain market advantage.

Spatiotemporal evolution and driving factors of ecosystem service bundle based on multi-scenario simulation in Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration, China.

Rapid urbanization is profoundly impacting the ecological environment and landscape patterns, leading to a decline in ecosystem services (ES) and posing threats to both ecological security and human well-being. This study aimed to identify the spatial and temporal patterns of ecosystem service bundles (ESB) in the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration from 2000 to 2030, analyze the trajectory of ESB evolution, and elucidate the drivers behind ESB formation and evolution. We utilized the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model to establish baseline (BLS), carbon sequestration priority (CPS), and urbanization priority (UPS) scenarios for simulating land use patterns in 2030. Following the assessment of ecosystem service values (ESV) through the equivalent factor method, we identified the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of ESB using the K-means clustering algorithm. By employing stability mapping and landscape indices, we identified and analyzed various types of ESB evolutionary trajectories. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was employed to pinpoint the drivers of ESB formation and evolution. The results revealed that from 2000 to 2030, land use changes were primarily observed in cropland, forestland, and construction land. Between 2000 and 2020, 92.88% of the region did not experience shifts in ESB types. In UPS, the ESB pattern in the study area underwent significant changes, with only 76.68% of the region exhibiting stabilized trajectories, while the other two scenarios recorded percentages higher than 80%. Key drivers of ESB-type shifts included initial food provision services, elevation, slope, changes in the proportion of construction land, and population change. This multi-scenario simulation of ESB evolution due to land use changes aids in comprehending potential future development directions from diverse perspectives and serves as a valuable reference for formulating and changing ecological management policies and strategies.

Location-Specificity and Relocation Incentive Programs for Remote Workers

The precipitous growth of remote work has given rise to a new phenomenon: the emergence of relocation incentive programs that localities use to compete for the physical presence of remote workers. Remote workers with high general human capital may create value for their new destinations and reverse net talent outflow from smaller cities in middle America and globally. However, localities seeking to attract, retain, and create value from remote workers face significant challenges because such workers may have a low attachment to their new destination. Analogizing these challenges to the problem of creating and capturing value from workers with general human capital, we argue that localities can benefit from using relocation incentive program by leveraging location-specific attributes that create value for the individual and the locality. We examined these ideas in the context of Tulsa Remote, a program that provides relocation incentives and a bundle of services to increase engagement and embeddedness in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We found that Tulsa Remote increased community engagement, real income, and entrepreneurship of remote workers, benefiting both the community and the individual. Tulsa Remote increased the worker’s willingness to stay, and local community engagement is a key driver of this relationship. This work thus suggests that location specificity enables localities to both create and capture value from remote workers. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.17712 .

Heterogeneous choice of personalized Mobility-as-a-Service bundles and its impact on sustainable transportation

The Mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) framework has the potential to induce changes in individual travel behavior towards more sustainable transportation alternatives by integrating multimodal travel services. However, insights into the behavioral responses of specific groups of people to MaaS, thus promoting green travel, are currently lacking. This paper intends to investigate the intergroup heterogeneous preferences on the choice of MaaS bundles and evaluate their contributions to eco-friendly travel. A stated choice experiment is designed, incorporating personalized MaaS service bundles complemented by different green travel-oriented ticketing strategies. The experiment caters to different groups of users related to public transport, cars, and other modes of transport. The results indicate a substantial improvement in the goodness-of-fit of the behavioral model after user classification, revealing significant heterogeneity in preferences among users regarding MaaS bundle choices. Notably, the impact of sub-tickets on nudging toward green transportation is more pronounced than that of monthly and discount tickets.

Enhancing Retail Supermarket Financial Performance Through Market Basket Analytics Using Apriori Algorithm in Indonesia Market Case

Market Basket Analysis is a powerful technique in data mining and retail analytics that explores associations and patterns among items frequently purchased together by consumers. This technique reveals insights into consumer purchasing behaviour and facilitates the creation of compelling product bundles. This study identifies five distinct product bundling strategies tailored to diverse consumer personas prevalent in the Indonesian market, such as "Health enthusiast", "Exotic Flavor Explorer", "Food Enthusiast", "Fitness Freak", and "Budget-conscious Home Cook". These product bundling strategies leverage market basket analysis to enhance the shopping experience, meeting Indonesian consumers' diverse preferences and lifestyles in the retail supermarket landscape. The analysis provides a basis for effective promotional campaigns and personalized marketing efforts. By recognizing associations between products, supermarkets in Indonesia can design targeted promotions, encouraging customers to explore complementary items and potentially increase their overall spending.

Ecological risk assessment and influencing factors in the Wuhan Metropolitan Area based on supply and demand bundles of ecosystem services

In the context of rapid urbanization, metropolitan areas are facing the risk of supply-demand mismatches among ecosystem services. Investigating the patterns, relationships, and driving factors of multiple supply-demand risks is of great significance to support the efficient management of regional ecological risks. We quantified the single/comprehensive supply-demand risk rates of six ecosystem services in Wuhan Metropolitan Area at the township scale in 2000, 2010, and 2020. By applying the self-organizing feature map network and optimal parameter geo-detector, we identified supply-demand risks bundles of ecosystem services and influencing factors of comprehensive risks. The results showed significant spatial variations in the supply-demand risks of typical ecosystem services from 2000 to 2020. The supply-demand risk associated with grain production, water yield, carbon sequestration, and green space recreation increased, while soil conservation and water purification risks decreased. The comprehensive ecosystem services supply-demand risk increased from 0.41 to 0.45, indicating a 'core area increase and periphery decrease' trend. Throughout the study period, the area exhibited bundles of comprehensive extremely high-risk bundles (B1), comprehensive high-risk bundles (B2), water purification high-risk bundles (B3), and grain production-soil conservation risk bundles (B4). The transition of risk types from B3 to B2 and from B2 to B1 suggested an increase in the combination and intensity of supply-demand risk. Vegetation cover, nighttime light index, and population density were the main driving factors for spatial variations in comprehensive supply-demand risk. Ecologi-cal risk assessment based on ecosystem services supply-demand bundles could provide an effective and reliable way to regulate multiple regional risk issues.

Normativity, prudence and welfare

AbstractMost discussions of discourse about welfare and discourse about prudence are a “package deal” when it comes to their normativity—either both or neither are normative. In this paper I argue against this conventional “package deal” assumption. I argue that discourse about welfare is not normative in one useful sense of that term, but that prudential discourse is normative. My argument draws in part on ideas from Derek Parfit’s account of personal identity. I then offer a novel positive account of the meaning of ‘welfare’. On the proposed account, the concept of welfare is not itself normative, in the sense of functioning directly to settle the thing to do. Even a global nihilist can coherently make claims about welfare. However, the concept of welfare is in a sense I will articulate “conditionally normative,” and this merely conditional normativity explains many of the data points which might seem to imply that welfare discourse is normative.

Are commodity exports a road to weaker institutions? Causal inference through a natural experiment

AbstractCountries rich in natural resources are typically major exporters of commodities worldwide. Specialization in such goods may create incentives for certain groups to hinder a country's institutional development. Therefore, in this article, we investigate the causal relationship between commodity exports and the institutional quality of 49 countries from 1997 to 2022. Given that commodity exports can both influence and be influenced by institutional quality, it is crucial to search for exogenous natural variations in commodity exports in combination with econometric modeling strategies. To address the endogeneity problem, we use a natural experiment—China's accession to the World Trade Organization—to establish a causal link between agricultural exports and institutional quality free from bias. Our results highlight that increased reliance on commodity exports is linked to detrimental effects on a country's institutions. It diminishes citizen participation, increases the risk of political violence, lowers public service quality, hampers private sector development, erodes trust in societal rules, and amplifies corruption. The findings confirm the negative relationship between commodity exports and institutional development. They also contribute to the resource‐curse debate by showing that agricultural exporters with abundant natural resources negatively impact institutions. Additionally, a causal relationship is established, demonstrating that focusing on commodity exports reduces institutional effectiveness, with the study's quality enhanced by using various commodity product bundles and alternating institutional quality measures. EconLit Citations: F13, F55, Q0.

Digital opportunities for the distribution of index‐based microinsurance: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment in Mali

AbstractIndex‐based microinsurance is a promising risk management tool for smallholder farmers. Recently, several mobile‐delivered insurance schemes have entered the market. Depending on the degree of digitisation of the product, farmers can learn about the insurance, register, pay premiums and receive payouts via a mobile phone. As cell phone usage and network coverage constantly increase, digitally enabled insurance distribution may overcome previous barriers for insurance adoption. Still, farmers' preferences for these products remain largely unknown. We address this knowledge gap by means of a discrete choice experiment applied to 499 maize farmers in Mali. The experiment presents an easy‐to‐understand multi‐peril crop insurance linked to a greenness index. It focuses on attributes related to the distribution channel and product design. Using mixed logit models, we find that the insurance attributes enabled by mobile‐delivery are attractive to farmers. Product bundles that include mobile‐delivered weather information and agricultural advice in addition to the insurance policy or credit access increase the likelihood of farmers taking out insurance. Similarly, recommendations from fellow farmers increase interest in the insurance product. The results are highly relevant for future product improvements that are needed to increase adoption rates and ultimately realise the loss‐hedging potential of microinsurance.

Significant Aspects of Teaching Legal Negotiations to Law Students in Russia

The paper deals with the overview, prioritization and analysis of the elements that are inalienable in legal negotiations and teaching modules of the course on negotiations. An experienced legal negotiating coach keeps in mind a number of vital elements of the course, such as personal ch aracteristics of learners, stylistic patterns and cultural features. The data collected in the research supports the fact that cultural shifts reflected in the statements of negotiators have a direct impact on the negotiation result and often lead to misunderstandings and inability to reach an agreement. For instance, Russian businessmen often unconsciously apply inflexible aggressive integrated strategy of negotiations. Thus, the negotiation course module devoted to cultural awareness and appropriate negotiating strategies development should contain, inter alia, information connected with authentic reactions of negotiators belonging to a particular ethnic group, and this information should be scrutinized and deeply considered. Consequently, it will be useful to apply the priming teaching technique through the comparison and analysis of students’ responsive statements with native speakers’ responsive statements in one and the same simulation which will facilitate mastering successful negotiation skills leading to a package deal beneficial for all parties.

TOURISM PRICING STRATEGIES

Tourism pricing strategies are vital for businesses in the travel and hospitality sector to maximize revenue, attract and retain customers, and stay competitive. These strategies range from value-based pricing, which relies on the perceived value to the customer, to dynamic pricing, adjusting costs in real-time based on market demand. Other approaches include discount pricing for off-peak periods, package deals offering combined services, psychological pricing to make costs seem more attractive, penetrationpricing to quickly gain market share, premium pricing for exclusive experiences, seasonal adjustments, cost-plus pricing to cover expenses and ensure profit, and geographical pricing to account for regional economic differences. Each strategy has its unique implications and is chosen based on the business’s goals, market conditions, and customer preferences.

Spatiotemporal characteristics and drivers of ecosystem service interactions in the Dongting Lake Basin

Uncovering the spatiotemporal features of ecosystem services (ESs) and their intricate interrelations in large lake basins can facilitate the development of scientific management measures for various ESs. Previous studies have focused less on watershed units and their historical dynamics, and the ecosystem service (ES) driving mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we focused on Hunan Province—the main coverage area of the Dongting Lake Basin (China's second largest freshwater lake), investigated the spatiotemporal characteristics of seven typical ESs and their interactions, identified the ecosystem service bundle (ESB) historical spatial patterns and revealed the socio-ecological driving mechanisms of these ES changes. Results showed that: (1) the spatial distribution of most ESs remained stable in the basin. Food production (FP), water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC) and net primary productivity (NPP) improved over time, whereas nitrogen retention (NR), habitat quality (HQ) and outdoor recreation (OR) declined; (2) tradeoffs were observed between food production and most ESs, whereas synergistic relationships between all ESs except food production. The tradeoff relationship between food production and water yield increased significantly over time, while the synergistic relationship between water yield and nitrogen retention decreased significantly; (3) five ecosystem service bundles were identified. And the transformation of soil conservation area into integrated ecological regulation area mainly occurred from 2000 to 2020, resulting in an increase in the function of ecological regulation services; (4) natural conditions such as precipitation, topography and vegetation, as well as socio-economic factors such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and population, were key factors affecting ESs. The interactions among most of these drivers can further elucidate the ES changes. Our results emphasize the need for a watershed-based assessment and a historical dynamic perspective in the sustainable management of ESs.

Motivation and perception of farmers on the benefits and challenges of agroforestry in Sweden (Northern Europe)

Agroforestry systems provide multiple benefits for human wellbeing and biodiversity; however, their diversity and spatial distribution has sharply declined across Europe. This study focuses on agroforestry farms in Sweden. The aim of the study was to explore farmers’ motivations to start agroforestry, what benefits farmers attributed to their agroforestry farms and perceived challenges to practising agroforestry in Sweden. In total, 13 farms that practise various agroforestry forms were selected as case studies. A focus group, semi-structured interviews and field observations were used for data collection. We identified four types of agroforestry systems such as silvopasture, silvoarable, forest farming and forest gardens established on different land such as forested or agricultural land. All studied agroforestry farms were small but had complex spatial and temporal arrangements of crops, trees and animals, which were crucial to generating multiple benefits. Our results show that the multifunctionality of agroforestry systems resulted from farmers’ desire to design such systems. Farmers’ intentions to get foods and materials from their farms were always intentionally unified with multiple ecosystem services. We argue that agroforestry farmers are designers of multifunctional landscapes, as they deliberately organised their farming activities to get a bundle of ecosystem services belonging to all four categories—provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural. However, the complexity of agroforestry management, lack of technologies suitable for small-scale agroforestry farms, limited plant materials (including seedlings) and limited knowledge about how to do agroforestry challenged the scaling up of agroforestry practices.

Multiscale Ecological Zoning Management with Coupled Ecosystem Service Bundles and Supply–Demand Balance, the Case of Hangzhou, China

Grasping the interrelationship between the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs) and spatial scale characteristics is the foundation for effective ecological zoning management, which helps to realize a win–win situation for both ecological protection and economic development. This paper focuses on the following three real problems: mismatch in ES supply and demand evaluation, mechanical and subjective delineation of ecological zoning, and rough management strategies, and constructs a multi-scale ecological zoning management framework for the “comprehensive evaluation of supply and demand, ecological zoning, and enhancement of human well-being”. This study integrates the InVEST model, SOM, Z-score quadrant matching, and coordination degree method, and applies them to the ecological management zoning of Hangzhou. The results show that (1) the spatial differentiation of ESs in Hangzhou is significant. The spatial pattern of the five types of ES supply varies at the county scale and the grid scale on which ES demand is concentrated and is consistent at different scales. (2) ES supply–demand matching in Hangzhou is at the basic coordination and can be divided into four modes including HH, LH, LL, and HL at both the county and grid scales. On the small scale, the proportion of mismatches declines slightly, but the severity rises. (3) ES supply is divided into four categories as follows: the food production bundle, the carbon storage bundle, the ESs balancing bundle, and the ESs depleting bundle, and clarifies the priority of ES management. (4) Construct an ecological management practice path, delineates 6 ecological management zones at the county scale and 19 secondary management zones at the grid scale. Targeted measures are proposed in terms of supply–demand adjustment strategies, ecological management strategies, and key implementation areas. This study helps to incorporate the interaction between the supply and demand of ESs into the planning framework and provides decision-making support for refined ecological management.

Manufacturer’s optimal distribution strategy in the platform supply chain: Bundling or add-on?

AbstractThis study delves into the realm of distribution strategies employed in retail markets, particularly focusing on the widely utilized bundle-and-add-on strategy. Three distinct distribution strategies are examined: bundled-by-the-base-manufacturer (BBBM), bundled-by-the-platform, and the add-on approach within a platform supply chain context. Through comprehensive analysis, this paper investigates the optimal distribution strategy for manufacturers. Significantly, our research reveals that in cases where only bundling is feasible, base manufacturers can reap benefits from a self-bundling strategy when both the platform’s commission rate and the marginal cost of the bundled product are low. Additionally, the platform stands to gain from this approach when the commission rate is low, and the marginal cost of the bundled product is either moderate or very high. Notably, win–win scenarios can emerge for both manufacturers and platforms through specific bundling or platform bundling strategies under specific conditions. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the price of bundles under the add-on strategy will be lower, attracting more consumers, especially when the commission rate is low. Intriguingly, when the marginal cost of the base product is low, the add-on strategy consistently emerges as the optimal choice; as costs escalate, BBBM might be optimal, especially when the commission rate is low, showcasing a nuanced understanding of the interplay between costs and strategic choices in distribution. The major contribution of this paper lies in its nuanced analysis of these strategies and their implications for both manufacturers and platforms in the retail landscape.

Bundling of inputs and services for sustainable smallholder agriculture: the concepts, theoretical arguments and bundle designs using conjoint analysis

ABSTRACT Product bundling is receiving increasing attention in sustainable agricultural development as a means to ensure access to and enhance the uptake of, agricultural technologies by smallholders. Yet, the how and why of bundling for smallholders are not well-understood. The current paper, therefore, brings bundling theory from the marketing literature to the smallholder context. We use a conjoint experiment, a proven marketing technique for designing new products, services and bundles, to design agricultural input and service bundles for soybean-producing smallholders in rural Ethiopia. The empirical findings from 252 smallholders suggest that product bundling enhances smallholders’ preferences and hence intentions to adopt technologies but that bundles must be designed carefully following a smallholder-centric approach. Drawing on our findings and the literature, we delineate the different steps that need to be taken to develop bundles for the successful uptake of new technologies by smallholders.