Quasi-public Goods Research Articles

The Role of Green Innovation as a Mediator of Organizational Culture on Knowledge Management in Private Universities

Private Higher Education involves efforts to effectively manage, develop, and utilize knowledge in support of organizational goals for providing education. This research aims to explore the influence of organizational culture on knowledge management mediated by green innovation in private universities. Methodology: The research employed a quantitative design, utilizing questionnaires to collect data from a sample of 305 respondents at private universities. The data was then analyzed using the Smart PLS structural equation model. Findings: The research findings indicate that Hypothesis (H1) is substantiated, confirming that organizational culture has an effect on knowledge management. H2 is also validated, demonstrating that organizational culture has an effect on green innovation. Furthermore, (H3) is proven, indicating that green innovation has an effect on knowledge management. Lastly, (H4) is supported, indicating that organizational culture has an effect on knowledge management, with green innovation acting as a mediator. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics of private universities. Importance of Research:The significance of this research lies in its attempt to address a knowledge gap in the literature, particularly within the context of private higher education. The unique characteristics of Private Higher Education as Quasi Public Goods present a distinctive context that requires understanding for achieving sustainability. Limitations: However, it is acknowledged that limitations exist in this research. To ensure the robustness of the results, further observations are needed, potentially incorporating additional variables and expanding the sample size.

Visualizing a Sustainable Future in Rural Romania: Agrotourism and Vernacular Architecture

In Romania, rural communities grapple with decades of depopulation and economic decline, endangering the natural and cultural richness of their landscapes. The implementation of Romania’s 2030 sustainable development plan presents an opportunity to reverse these trends by merging economic and community development with cultural preservation. This paper examines the potential for creating new livelihood opportunities through a program that integrates sustainable agrotourism with culturally appropriate vernacular architecture in Romania’s distinct rural regions. Focusing on two such regions characterized by significant rural population decline yet endowed with ecological services capable of supporting a diverse rural economy, we collaborated with an architect and landscape engineer to devise three specific and detailed agritourist housing scenarios. These scenarios draw upon local architectural forms harmonious with the vernacular landscape, providing accommodations for agrotourism guests and facilitating craft workshops for visitors interested in rural crafts and traditions. We evaluated the cultural appropriateness of the architectural designs through a social survey and assessed the broader social utility of the development plan via an expansive cost–benefit analysis, treating the project’s sustainability features as quasi-public goods. Such interdisciplinary endeavours are essential for effectively bridging conceptually driven social analysis with pragmatic design and planning strategies, essential for achieving sustainable futures for rural communities and landscapes, as exemplified by rural Romania.

Where Are Business Incubators Built? County-Level Spatial Distribution and Rationales Based on the Big Data of Chinese Yangtze River Delta Region

Business incubators (BIs) in China have predominantly exhibited a government-led characteristic, recently broadening their spatial and temporal scope and extending reach to the county level. Regarding the inadequacies of county-level analysis scale, this study leverages Points of Interest (POI) big data to overcome them. To comprehend the governmental rationale in the construction of BIs, we examine the evolution dynamics of BIs in conjunction with policies. An economic geography framework is developed, conceptualizing BIs as quasi-public goods and productive services, and incorporating considerations of county-level fiscal operations and industrial structures. Focusing on the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region as a case study, our findings reveal that over 98% of County Administrative Units (CAUs) have built BIs. Using kernel density estimation and Moran’s I, the spatial patterns of CAUs are identified. The CAUs are further classified into three categories of economic levels using the k-means algorithm, uncovering differentiated relationships between industry, finance, and their respective BI. Additionally, we analyze the density relationship between BIs and other facilities at a micro-level, showcasing various site selection rationales. The discussions highlight that while BIs tend to align with wealthier areas and advanced industries, affluent CAUs offer location advantages on BIs, whereas less wealthy CAUs prioritize quantity for political achievements. This paper concludes with recommendations about aligning BIs based on conditions and outlooks on future research.

Research on governance structure and benefit balance concerning urban regeneration in Beijing, China: Analysis of the best practical cases

While proposing the national strategy of implementing urban regeneration, the Chinese government put forward requirements such as preventing large-scale demolition and construction and protecting historical architecture, indicating that the previous urban regeneration methods of demolishing low-rise and old buildings and building high-rise and new ones are no longer applicable. As the capital city, Beijing is facing more stringent constraints on reduction-oriented development and historical protection, and the problems of insufficient motivation and unclear paths for market players to participate in urban regeneration have become more prominent. Based on a systematic review of the main theories and practices of market participation in urban regeneration, this study builds a market-oriented mechanism analysis framework for urban regeneration of “governance structure-benefit balance.” In this study, we compared 34 cases that won the title of “The First Beijing Urban Regeneration Best Practice in 2022” and conducted further in-depth analysis of three typical cases by semi-structured interviews, field research, qualitative analysis, and quantitative comparison. From the study, we identified three typical governance structures of welfare protection, economic growth, and comprehensive development during the emergence of market participation in Beijing’s urban regeneration process and found that different governance structures have different cooperation and interaction mechanisms, value promotion orientations, and benefits distribution, which are respectively applicable to facilities and public space regeneration projects that implement social public welfare responsibilities, industrial regeneration projects with ample economic value-added space, and regional comprehensive regeneration projects where quasi-public goods and private goods coexist. We believe that the coexistence of multiple governance structures is an inevitable choice for China’s market mechanism of urban regeneration. The value-added space of urban regeneration projects should be further improved, the distribution of interests among multiple subjects should be balanced, and the sustainable and normalization of urban regeneration actions should be promoted.

Modelling sovereign credit ratings and assessing the impartiality: A case study of China.

The post-COVID-19 era presents a looming threat of global debt, elevating concerns regarding sovereign credit ratings worldwide. This study develops a new index system, divides the rating variables into long- and short-term factors, performs rating fitting and prediction, and investigates the fairness of China and relevant countries. Our findings reveal that sovereign credit ratings have a deterrent effect on the global financial market due to the ceiling effect and quasi-public goods characteristics. A high and stable credit rating demands long-term enhancements in economic fundamentals, budget balances, external surpluses, and overall solvency. Concurrently, effective short-term debt management strategies, including reduction, repayment, and swaps, are essential. Moreover, we introduce the concept of a "rating gap" to assess rating fairness, revealing both undervaluation and overvaluation among countries. Notably, China's sovereign rating was underestimated between 2009 and 2011 and overestimated between 2013 and 2016. These findings underscore the criticality of government vigilance in monitoring sovereign debt and credit ratings to navigate potential post-COVID-19 sovereign debt crises.

The Location Optimization of Urban Shared New Energy Vehicles Based on P-Median Model: The Example of Xuzhou City, China

Sharing new energy vehicles is crucial for addressing the issue of traditional vehicles’ carbon emissions, reducing urban traffic congestion, safeguarding the environment, and promoting citizens’ use of green transportation. However, the parking lot’s drawbacks—poor location, challenging parking, and difficulty finding a car—lead to a low popularity rate, few users, and infrequent use. How to scientifically choose parking outlets and maximize the advantages of sharing new energy vehicles has become an important topic in current urban traffic management. This paper constructed a “G-B-U” framework starting with quasi-public goods and stakeholders to analyze the factors influencing the location selection of these vehicles. On this basis, a three-stage location decision method of “market demand prediction—alternative network screening—location model solution” is proposed to optimize the location selection of shared new energy vehicles. The factors are analyzed, and numerical examples are studied, using the districts of Xuzhou City in China as examples: Gulou, Yunlong, and Quanshan. The findings indicate that the main variables influencing how frequently Xuzhou residents use shared new energy cars are network dispersion, rental and return convenience, and usage experience. After site selection optimization, the journey distance is nearly cut in half, saving users a significant amount of travel time. It may meet the travel needs of residents better based on the same number of parking lots.

How to Improve the Supply of Quasi-Public Forest Infrastructure When Government Is the Leader: Evidence from Experimental Economics

Forest infrastructure is an important material basis for healthy forests. According to public goods theory, most forest infrastructures are quasi-public goods, with demand exceeding supply, more than one supplier, unclear responsibilities between suppliers, and a resultant free-rider problem. This study explored ways to improve the supply of goods for forest infrastructure when the government—as leader—cooperates with foresters—as followers. Experimental economics were used to explain the factors that influence the behaviour of forest infrastructure quasi-public goods suppliers; to design twelve policy scenarios by communication, information feedback, rewards and punishments, and leadership styles; and to simulate the changes in foresters’ supply behaviour in different scenarios to analyse which policies were conducive to improving the supply of quasi-public forest infrastructures. The results were as follows: communication, rewards and punishments, information feedback, and leadership style reduce foresters’ free-riding behaviour; communication, rewards, and punishment increase supply, and, furthermore, the supply of the scenario with rewards and punishment is 1.792–4.616 times that of the situation without rewards and punishment; without the constraints of rewards and punishment, only feedback information reduces the supply; and the p values of the Mann–Whitney U test for the influence of leadership style on the supply level of forest infrastructure were all greater than 0.05, which indicates that no significant difference exists between leading by words and leading by example in supply improvement. When foresters are able to communicate with each other, reward and punishment exist, and information feedback is provided; hence, the supply of foresters is higher regardless of whether the government leads by words or by example. This study provided policy suggestions on how to improve the supply of quasi-public goods for forestry infrastructure, namely, that the organizer should organize foresters to fully negotiate before raising funds for infrastructure construction; publish, when appropriate, the supply and income of foresters; and formulate appropriate reward and punishment measures.

Analisis Potensi Penerapan Badan Layanan Umum Daerah Balai Benih Pertanian Barongan Berdasarkan Kinerja Keuangan

The Government of Bantul Regency has a strong push for implementing the Badan Layanan Umum Daerah (BLUD) at the Benih Pertanian Barongan because, in principle, BLUD is based on the principles of efficiency and productivity. On this basis, a Research Analysis of the Potential of the Implementation of the Regional Public Service Agency was carried out at the Balai Benih Pertanian Barongan to know the potential of the Balai Benih Pertanian Barongan in fulfilling the three BLUD requirements, namely substantive requirements, technical requirements, and administrative requirements. This study uses a descriptive method with a qualitative and quantitative approach. Data analysis analyses technical requirements, including public service performance and financial performance. The analysis results show that the potential for implementing BLUD at the Balai Benih Pertanian Barongan meets the technical requirements, especially regarding public service performance and financial performance. This is indicated by the Indeks Kepuasan Masyarakat (IKM) category (category A) and healthy financial performance achievements. Besides that, it has also fulfilled the substantive and administrative requirements, and this is shown that the Balai Benih Pertanian Barongan as a work unit under the SKPD of the Agriculture and Forestry Service of Bantul Regency is following the definition intended by Permendagri No. 61 of 2007, namely (a). The Balai Benih Pertanian Barongan organizes public services related to goods and public services, which have several tasks and functions of managing agricultural seeds and providing superior quality seeds and (b). Operational in nature in organizing public services that produce semi-public goods/services (quasi-public goods). That the provision of rice seeds is not only carried out by the Balai Benih Pertanian Barongan, but several private parties or the public can also provide them

Poverty and Hunger in India: What is Needed to Eliminate Them

There is a widespread impression among the Indian intelligentsia, foreign scholars, and residents of developed/rich countries that India’s economic growth has not reduced poverty, that globalisation has worsened poverty and/or income distribution, and that there are hundreds of millions of hungry people in India. These arguments are buttressed by recourse to India’s ranking on several social indicators. Esoteric debates about the comparability of survey data and gaps between NSS and NAS add to the confusion and allow ideologues to believe and assert whatever information suits the argument. What are the basic facts about poverty, income distributions, and hunger at an aggregate level? This paper reviews the available data and debates on this subject and comes to a commonsense view. It then tries to link some of the outcomes to the policy framework and programmes of the government. The paper finds that India’s poverty ratio of around 22 percent in 1999-2000 is in line with that observed in countries at similar levels of per capita income. The ratio is relatively high because India is a relatively poor/ low-income country, i.e., with low average income. 90 percent of the countries in the world have a higher per capita (average) income than India. The number of the poor is very high because India’s population is very large, the secondhighest in the world. India’s income distribution as measured by the Gini co-efficient is better than three-fourths of the countries of the world. The consumption share of the poorest 10 percent of the population is the sixth best in the world. Where India has failed as a nation is in improving its basic social indicators like literacy and mortality rates. Much of the failure is a legacy of the three decades of Indian socialism (till 1979-80). The rate of improvement of most indicators has accelerated during the market period (starting in 1980-81). The gap between its level and that of global benchmarks is still wide and its global ranking on most of these social parameters remains very poor. This is the result of government failure. The improvement in social indicators has not kept pace with economic growth and poverty decline, and this has led to increasing interstate disparities in growth and poverty. JEL classification: I3, I32, I38 Keywords: Hunger, Poverty, Public Goods, Public and Quasi-Public Goods and Services, Basic Education, Public Health, Sanitation

전시컨벤션센터의 ESG활동이 사회적 가치, 신뢰도에 미치는 영향: 일산 KINTEX를 사례로

This is a case study on ESG activities at the exhibition and convention center which has the characteristics of quasi-public goods. The effect of ESG activities on social value and trust was analyzed. First, in the environmental sector, reducing toxic substances such as carbon emissions, greenhouse gases, and air quality impacted social values. Second, in the social sector, anti-discrimination and protection policies for employees influenced social values. Third, in the goverance sector, respecting customers and protecting customers'' interests were found to affect social values. Social value attributes of the exhibition and convention center were revealed to have a positive effect on the center''s benevolence-based trust and expert-based trust. The importance of ESG in the MICE industry is being emphasized, but it is seen as an early stage for MICE companies. The MICE industry should find new values in environmental and social factors, and use them as an opportunity for MICE industry development.

The Cooperation among Participants of Chinese Agricultural Machinery Insurance Based on Game Analysis

As the insurance for agricultural machinery features the attributes of quasi-public goods, its participants not only include farmers and insurance companies but also the government. The role played by the government will impose a direct impact on the development of the insurance for agricultural machinery. This paper sheds light on the behavior of the participants in agricultural machinery insurance from the aspects of economics and management. The game analysis is carried out on the participants to elaborate on the collaborative conditions for the long-term and stable development of agricultural machinery insurance. On this basis, the study provides policy recommendations on the role to be played by the government in agricultural machinery insurance.

Evolutionary Games and Dynamics in Public Goods Supply with Repetitive Actions

Based on a tripartite game model among suppliers of public goods, consumers, and the government, a tripartite repeated game model is constructed to analyze the evolution mechanism of which suppliers supply at low prices, consumers purchase, and the government provides incentives, and to establish the dynamics system of a repeated game. The equilibrium points of the evolutionary game are solved, and among them, the equilibrium points are found to satisfy the parameter conditions of ESS. The numerical simulation is employed to verify the impact of penalty coefficients and discount factors on the stability of strategies, which are adopted by the three players in a tripartite repeated game on public goods, and scenario analyses are conducted. The research results of this paper could provide a reference for the government, suppliers, and consumers to make rapid decisions, who are in the supply chain of public goods, especially quasi-public goods, such as coal, water, electricity, and gas, and help them to obtain stable incomes and then ensure the stable operation of the market.

WTA-WTP Disparity: The Role of Perceived Realism of the Valuation Setting

Based on a survey among more than 5,000 German households and a single-binary choice experiment in which we randomly split the respondents into two groups, this paper elicits both households' willingness to pay (WTP) for power supply security and their willingness to accept (WTA) compensations for a reduced security level. In accord with numerous empirical studies, we find that the mean WTA value substantially exceeds the mean WTP bid, in our empirical example by a factor of 3.56. Yet, the WTA-WTP ratio decreases to 2.35 among respondents who believe that the hypothetical valuation setting is likely to become true. Conversely, the WTA-WTP ratio increases to 3.81 among respondents who deem the setting unlikely. On the basis of these results, we conclude that inquiring about respondents' perception of the realism of the valuation setting is an easy-to-implement and promising survey element to mitigate excessive WTA-WTP disparities, particularly if private or quasi-public goods are under scrutiny.

Effect of the Belt and Road Initiative on Agricultural Value Chain Linkages: Evidence from Eora 26 Input-Output Data

The Belt and Road Initiative（BRI）aims to create a new paradigm of China’s opening-up. Using the input-output data from Eora 26 database from 1995 to 2015, this paper measures the agricultural value chain linkages（AVCL）by fun-tuning the cross-border times indicator, examines the policy effect of the BRI on AVCL, and analyzes the potential mechanism and heterogeneity of the policy effect. We find that the implementation of the BRI has significantly promoted the AVCL between China and economies along the Belt and Road from the perspectives of both value-added outflow and inflow, which is confirmed by a series of effectiveness checks. The heterogeneous effect analysis suggests that economies along the overland Silk Road and in areas adjacent to China get stronger AVCL promotion, and the policy effect is significant for economies with low political and investment risks, but not in those with high political and investment risks. We also explore the potential interference effect of free trade agreements（FTA）using triple difference models, which indicates that the AVCL promotion effect of the BRI is robustly significant, but FTA partner countries get stronger AVCL promotion. Also, we find that the policy effect of the BRI on AVCL is mainly achieved by reducing agricultural trade costs and extending agricultural production lengths. The above results have important policy implications: First, under the existing cooperation mechanism, it is necessary to formulate advanced agricultural cooperation agreements, and the quasi-public goods role of BRI should be fully utilized in the field of international food security and high-quality agricultural development. Second, China can take advantage of its own agricultural production capacity, identify the heterogeneity of the target market, distinguish the comparative advantages of different markets in the cooperation of primary agricultural products, agricultural semi-finished products, and agricultural capital products, take into account the political environment and business operations of different markets, and formulate differentiated agricultural cooperation policies. Third, countries along the Belt and Road should promote cooperation in the fields of cross-border e-commerce, agricultural product inspection, and construction of agricultural industrial parks, so as to reduce the cost of cross-border agricultural trade and extend the cross-border agricultural value chains.

Problems and Countermeasures of Bike-Sharing System in China Based on the theory of Public Goods

Under the new normal of China’s economic development, bike-sharing, a new product of the “Internet +” era, opens the door to a novel lifestyle for the society, and is in the stage of rapid development. Nevertheless, with the explosive growth of the number of bicycles, some new problems gradually come out, such as disorderly parking, serious damage and waste of resources, which in turn restrict its further development. Based on the theory of public goods, this article studies the quasi-public goods attributes and problems of bike-sharing, as well as provides feasible measures for its long-term development, so as to realize the co-governance and sharing among enterprises, consumers and government.

Investigation of urban green space equity at the city level and relevant strategies for improving the provisioning in China

Urban green space (UGS) is essential for improving urban resilience and the well-being of residents, and UGS supply is an important aspect of the construction of eco-cities in China. As a quasi-public goods, compared to UGS equity studies within a city, there has been little research on UGS equity among different cities. This paper first established a conceptual framework for UGS provisioning of local governments, and then, based on multi-source data, the UGS equity among 58 major cities in China and the related influencing factors were investigated; lastly, strategies for making improvements were put forward. The findings showed that the proposed integrated conceptual framework could reveal the formational processes of current UGS in China’s cities, providing a coherent framework for UGS supply improvement. The average UGS of 58 cities was found to be in undersupply compared to current standards, and its spatial equity was not good; climate, urban topography, proportion of secondary industry, and title incentive factors exerted significant effects on UGS coverage, per capita UGS and accessible UGS; furthermore, the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and land availability were found to have a significant influence on UGS coverage and per capita UGS; while population density only impacted the per capita UGS. Comprehensive governance strategies including policy innovations for the central government, capacity enhancements of local governments, UGS planning refinements in terms of contents, procedures, and standards, and the engagement of non-profit organizations should be implemented to strengthen the supply of UGS and alleviate intercity inequity.

Experimental Study Based on Game Theory on the Private, Voluntary Supply Mechanisms of Goods for Forestry Infrastructure from the Perspective of Quasi-Public Goods

The existing research on forestry infrastructure has focused on suggestions from other areas of forestry research: that forestry infrastructure should be completed and improved. However, research on forestry infrastructure is relatively rare. In the real world, there are various problems with creating forestry infrastructure, such as complex approval procedures for facility construction, irrational facility layout, insufficient funding for facility construction, and conflicts between the nature of land used for facility construction and the nature of forest land. This paper uses game theory to analyze the behavior of forest infrastructure goods suppliers. Relevant parameters related to forest area infrastructure were designed, including communication, environmental certainty, information feedback, and reward and punishment mechanisms, and experimental economics methods were used to simulate accurate behavior regarding the supply of goods. Then, the key factors that affect the provision of quasi-public goods for forestry infrastructure were studied. At the end of the paper, some targeted suggestions that distinguish rural infrastructure from general infrastructure are given.

The Research of Tripartite Collaborative Governance on Disorderly Parking of Shared Bicycles Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior and Motivation Theories—A Case of Beijing, China

With the maturity of mobile payments and internet technology, a new type of travel mode, shared bicycles, was brought out by China’s urban transport under the impetus of “the last mile” travel demand. Although convenient travel has been achieved by using shared bicycles, the resulting problems such as disorderly parking and the deposition of bicycles could severely influence urban traffic order and impede the sustainable development of shared bicycles. Based on the quasi-public goods property of shared bicycles, this article established a management system for the tripartite collaborative governance of disorderly bicycle parking by virtue of regulating the bicycle parking behavior of users, the promoting of multiple propaganda and macro-institutional controls of the government, and acquiring technique support of enterprise “entry settlement”. Furthermore, considering the influence on the governance effect of user conduct, a structural model for guiding users to regulate bicycle parking to guarantee the governance effect by adopting material incentive and spiritual motivation was established via the utilization of the theory of planned behavior and motivation theories, and multiple hypotheses were also proposed. In this article, users of shared bikes in Beijing, China were selected as the research objects, and a questionnaire survey was adopted as the empirical research method. In addition, the governance validity on disorderly parking of the collaborative governance model was tested via hierarchical regression analysis after the collection and analysis of the factors influencing bicycle parking behavior of users. The obtained results show that the tripartite collaborative governance model could enhance the regular parking consciousness of users and improve the governance effect of disorderly parking. The research conclusion of this article could provide feasible suggestions for the governance of bicycle disorderly parking and propel the sustainable development of shared bicycles.

Measurement of Urban Park Accessibility from the Quasi-Public Goods Perspective

The rational distribution of parks within an urban park system should ensure reasonable travel distance for citizens, as well as good recreation quality, which seems to be more important than the former in megacities with high population density. However, studies on the accessibility of parks ignored the competitiveness and exclusiveness of urban green space, and the method can be improved to get a more scientific result as the basis for spatial optimization of urban park systems. Therefore, in this study, we consider the park’s quasi-public goods attribute when building an accessibility measurement method, and both the park’s service supply capacity and demand of citizens were included, as well as the influence of spatial travel cost. This method, based on the empirical research results obtained from a case study of Shaoxing in East China, provides a more suitable accessibility estimate compared with the previous methods, which can reflect the park’s spatial distribution characteristics. Recommendations for improving the accessibility of parks include increasing the number of parks, reducing the cost of travel, enhancing park service capacity, and reducing the population density within the park’s service area.

Construction and Operation for Utilities Tunnel Public Project in China: An Analysis Based on G-S Interactive Finance Framework

In reality, non-profitable government organizations, other organizations or individuals (G part) and profitable social organizations or individuals (S part) usually construct and operate utilities tunnel together. As quasi public goods, utilities tunnel public project has the character of big scale construction, high investment and long recycle period. In China, utilities tunnel project is mainly fulfilled by non-profitable government organizations and profitable social companies. This paper uses G-S interactive finance framework to analyze finance design for utilities tunnel public project in China. It also develops and deepens G-S interactive finance framework for utilities tunnel project. China’s experience is useful for other countries to construct and operate utilities tunnel engineering project.