Value Theory Research Articles

What motivates U.S. restaurant customers to choose plant-based meat alternative dishes?

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to examine how different consumption values influence consumer intentions to choose a dish featuring plant-based meat alternatives at a restaurant by applying the theory of consumption values. The present study also investigates the mediating role of attitude in the relationships between values and consumer intentions. Responses were collected through the Qualtrics panel service and structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data. The results, based on a total of 682 usable panel responses, indicate that emotional and epistemic values acted as significant driving forces, directly promoting consumers’ intention. Attitude was aroused by distinctive, functional, emotional, and conditional values and in turn, significantly impacted intention. Furthermore, it was found that attitude fully mediated the relationship between conditional value and intention. The results offer useful implications for restaurants that offer menus with plant-based meat alternatives.

Can AI-virtual anchors replace human internet celebrities for live streaming sales of products? An emotion theory perspective

The purpose of this paper is to (1) investigate whether consumers' emotions and purchase intentions are affected by the different behaviors or emotional states of Internet celebrities and (2) explore the change in consumers' emotions when Internet celebrities are replaced with artificial intelligence (AI) virtual anchors and whether consumers are willing to pay for AI virtual anchors. Therefore, the theoretical framework of this study was established by synthesizing emotion, trust, and personal values theories; following the causal framework of emotion-trust-intention, two studies were designed corresponding to Internet celebrities and AI virtual anchors. All data were collected via a questionnaire survey, and the two structural equation models were analyzed using Smart PLS software (version 4.0). Study 1 revealed that the behavior of Internet celebrities and shopping value directly affect consumer emotions and that different emotions significantly affect purchase intentions. Consumers with utilitarian motivations are more rational than those with hedonic motivations. Study 2 revealed that consumers with different shopping values experienced different emotional changes when confronted with AI virtual anchors and further confirmed the effects of emotions (post), consumer engagement, hedonism, and utilitarian values on consumer trust and purchase intentions. Moreover, AI virtual anchors are not popular except among consumers with extreme hedonism. Alternatively, consumers are more attracted to Internet celebrity live streaming than AI virtual anchors.

Are Hazard Assessment Methods in the Assessment of Chemical Alternatives Suitable for REACH?

The assessment of chemical alternatives for hazardous substances is an important prerequisite for avoiding regrettable substitution, and several methods have been developed in the past to perform such a hazard assessment for chemical alternatives. We investigate here whether GreenScreen, Cradle to Cradle, multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), the Pollution Prevention Options Analysis System, the U.S. EPA Safer Choice Standard and Criteria, and the GHS column model 2020 from IFA use similar criteria for the evaluation of substances as Article 57 of the European chemicals regulation, REACH, and how suitable these methods are for assessing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. MCDA and GreenScreen were analyzed in detail using two different data sets. The results of the assessments show that none of the investigated hazard assessment methods use the same criteria as described in Article 57 of REACH. It was also not possible to parametrize multi-attribute value theory (MAVT), a commonly used MCDA method, to align with Article 57 of REACH by using the relatively simple objective hierarchy that has been proposed in previous publications. There is therefore an urgent need for a modified/new method that can be used in the future to assess organic substances that are used within the European Economic Area.

Evaluating the social acceptance of autonomous ferries: An observation from passengers’ boarding willingness

Ferries are crucial for the transportation of passengers in coastal areas, offering multi-route, high-frequency, and point-to-point services at a lower cost than bridges or tunnels. Recently, many countries have been advocating for autonomous ferries due to their eco-friendliness and potential to mitigate accidents that often occur on traditional manned ferries due to human error. However, the public's acceptance of autonomous transport systems is frequently influenced by scientific evidence that supports their practical applications. This study endeavours to scrutinise the social acceptance of autonomous ferries from the passenger's perspective, employing the perceived value theory. A total of 151 responses have been collated from our questionnaire, aiming to investigate the public's acceptance of autonomous ferries, and to obtain the users' opinions on key influential dimensions such as the perceived price, quality, value, risk, and willingness to use an autonomous ferry. Structural equation modelling (SEM) has been employed to examine the relationship among these dimensions. The findings reveal that the perceived price and quality have a positive effect on the perceived value, which, in turn, has an indirect effect on the willingness to use autonomous ferries. The conjecture that the perceived risk influences the perceived value and willingness to use autonomous ferries is fully supported by our findings. Building on the findings of this research, this study offers specific recommendations to industry operators and government authorities to guide policy formulation and operational decision-making in the development of autonomous ferry.

Are We Truly Different in Personal Values and Compulsive Buying Proclivity? Cross‐Cultural Contrasts Between the United States and East‐Central Europe

ABSTRACTThe current study explores the intersection of personal values theory, consumer culture, and compulsive buying behavior theories. By examining the importance of different values types, we aim to understand the extent to which specific values influence individuals' tendency to either embrace or resist maladaptive behaviors like compulsive buying. This study postulated that one's values can both contribute to the development of compulsive buying tendencies and act as a protective factor. Importantly, we explored this values‐compulsive relationship within the contrasting consumer cultures of the United States characterized by individualism, and Poland, which predominantly exhibits collectivistic trends. In this work, we utilized two distinct samples/studies of American (n = 367) and Polish (n = 370) consumers and employed two key measurement tools: the Portrait Values Questionnaire and the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale. The research findings revealed that values such as self‐direction, stimulation, hedonism, power, and achievement tend to promote compulsive buying tendencies irrespective of the cultural context. However, the prevalence of compulsive buying is more pronounced among American consumers compared to their Polish counterparts. Furthermore, the impact of hedonism and achievement on compulsive buying was twice as large in the United States as it was in Poland. On the other hand, values such as tradition, security, conformity, benevolence, and universalism appeared to help individuals in preventing or mitigating compulsive buying behavior. This study underscores the critical role of personal values, cultural variations, and their impact on compulsive buying tendencies among consumers. It highlights the presence of specific personal values that can either inhibit or facilitate the development of compulsive buying behaviors.

The future of live-streaming commerce: understanding the role of AI-powered virtual streamers

PurposeThe study aims to investigate how artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual streamers can supercharge brands in live-streaming virtual commerce (v-commerce). Built upon social identity theory (SIT) and experiential value theory, we developed a framework to investigate the impact of AI-powered virtual streamers’ personalization and human-like personalities and live-streaming v-commerce’s system quality and content quality on brand image, mediated by parasocial interaction and experiential value.Design/methodology/approachA survey was designed and distributed to the target respondents via social media channels. SmartPLS version 4.0.9.4 was used to analyze a total of 354 responses after the data were obtained via purposive sampling.FindingsThe results show that personalization, human-like personality, system quality and content quality are positively associated with parasocial interaction and experiential value, which subsequently impact brand image.Originality/valueThis study addresses the gap of relatively sparse academic literature on the implications of AI-powered virtual streamers in live-streaming v-commerce on brand image.

Supply chain strategies in a global context: a customer value-based perspective

ABSTRACT Customer value is influenced by several factors, which impose major challenges to global Supply Chains (SCs) and their management. This study aims to understand how companies tackle these challenges by focusing their global SC management on major strategies and supporting practices. Based on customer value theory, and recognising major trends affecting what end consumers value, we identify four global SC strategies: customer-driven, service-driven, resource-efficient, and closed-loop. A multiple case study carried out in eleven companies in the consumer goods industry explores the practices adopted per each SC strategy in managing global sourcing, production, and distribution networks. Results show the key requirement of selecting tailored practices for SC management that align with the context and the value expected by customers. Operational SC practices entail managing collaborative actions both up and downstream and competing with other SCs and can benefit from the implementation of appropriate digital technologies for customer value creation and delivery, as well as for continuous learning about customer needs.

Green Consumption Values and Environmental Concerns Nexus: The Moderating Role of Buying Involvement in Organic Food Consumption in Pakistan

ABSTRACTThe food industry is a major contributor to climate change and has been linked to environmental and health issues due to excessive use of agrochemicals. To address these issues, responsible consumption and production have emerged. Organic certification is a common strategy for assuring consumers about sustainability. However, there is little research on organic food consumption in emerging countries. This study aims to examine the impact of green consumption values on environmental concerns using the theory of consumption values and also looks at the moderating effects of buying involvement. The researchers gathered data from 48 farmer markets in Punjab, Pakistan. They analyzed 730 respondents' data and found significant positive correlations between environmental concerns and multi‐dimensional green consumption values. The epistemic value was identified as a highly significant predictor of environmental concerns. The studied relationships are influenced by the buyer's level of involvement (low, average, and high), with significant differences in the connections between environmental concerns and consumption values among consumers with different levels of buying involvement. The findings have important implications for increasing organic food consumption in the mainstream market. This initiative is a significant milestone in achieving Responsible Consumption and Production (SDGs‐12th), as organic production benefits human health and promotes a sustainable environment.

Deformation of volatility curves of the Russian stock market on the example of margined options on futures contracts on the RTS index

We reassess the Russian stock market behavior in terms of the relationship between risk parameters and return on assets in connection with global structural changes in 2022. The subject of this study is volatility curves calculated from quotes of exchange options on RTS index futures. The purpose of the study is to analyze the relationship between volatility curves and the distribution of returns in 2015–2022, to analyze changes in the structure of this relationship in 2022, to assess the applicability of the GARCH model and to develop new investment and hedge strategies on the Russian stock market. The issue of interpreting the dynamics of volatility curves is disputable however, it was theoretically developed in the theory of valuation of derivative financial instruments. As a result of the study, unrelated structures of the distribution of returns and volatility curves for the RTS composite index were found throughout the entire period concerned, regardless of the presence of external shocks. It is concluded that in the Russian stock market, investors prefer protective options rather than speculative ones, despite the negative asymmetry of the distribution of RTS index returns. And despite the greater weight of positive returns in their distribution in each period under consideration, due to the technical features of the functioning of return indicators, the negative asymmetry of the return distribution does not necessarily correlate with growing volatility curves.

Forecasting Short- and Long-Term Wind Speed in Limpopo Province Using Machine Learning and Extreme Value Theory

Forecasting Short- and Long-Term Wind Speed in Limpopo Province Using Machine Learning and Extreme Value Theory

Investigating how consumption values and place identity shape long-haul truck drivers’ intention to visit roadside rest areas

Transportation business organisations, policymakers, and government entities attempt to enhance the welfare of long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs) by promoting safe driving practices. LHTDs spend long hours on goods delivery journeys, and that causes various health and in-route safety issues for drivers. For improved LHTD health and safety, many developed nations introduced the concept of roadside rest areas (RRAs) for regulated, safe, and enhanced driving experience for LHTDs, whereas developing nations’ research on RRAs development is nascent. The RRAs offer a chance to reduce negative truck driving impacts and promote wellbeing among LHTDs, but why drivers will visit RRAs during their tracking journey is a question for policymakers. Hence, the present study tries to comprehend the significance of drivers’ visit consumption values in terms of functional, social, emotional, epistemic, conditional value, and place identity concerning visit intentions towards RRAs. In addition, the present work examines the influence of consumption values on word of mouth (WoM) for RRAs by LHTDs. The research problem is examined via the lens of the theory of consumption values. The study utilised 247 valid responses for model analysis, using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. The findings establish that consumption value is a formative construct that further positively influences place identity, intentions to visit RRAs, and WoM for RRAs by LHTDs. This implies that the intentions of LHTDs to visit relaxation sites are mostly influenced by the values they perceive from such places. This perception of consumption values also helps LHTDs develop place identity with RRAs and influences them to spread positive WoM about it. However, the results of the present study did not find the mediation role of place identity. This implies that Indian LHTDs will develop the intention to visit RRAs because of the consumption values rather than any attachment to the place. The findings of this paper will help transport policymakers develop adequate measures for developing rest areas on major transport routes to improve road safety and drivers’ wellbeing.

The “Opportunity Cost”: Care Work Compensation from a Gender Perspective in China

Asserting the value of care work within a family is not only a significant issue that affects the quality of marital life, but it also lays the groundwork for supporting the sustainable development of society and, ultimately, the country. Constantly, the theory of surplus value is employed to help understand the value of care work. However, it still lacks a macro-construction from a gender perspective. This article analyzes 15 judicial cases after introducing the Civil Code and compares the condition of application, the amount, and the factor considered in recognition of care work compensation under Chinese law. It concludes that in practice, the amount of compensation for care work remains relatively modest, with the division of the community property division heavily influencing it. At the macro level, the recognition of the economic value of the care work compensation must be emphasized from a gender construction. In contrast, at the micro level, a balance must be struck between the possibility of the other spouse benefiting from “the opportunity cost.”

Women characters in the text Sekaśubhodayā: A Cosmopolitan voice of Moral and Ethical Values

“Social organization cannot be really understood expect as a part of culture; and all special lines of enquiring referring to human activities, human groupings and human ideas and beliefs can meet and become cross fertilized in the comparative study of cultures” Values, Morality and Ethics – this try polar system i.e. (the sense of righteous) are the epitome of Human existence. Although it is differ from man to man. In the present century search for a theory of values has become a separate branch and has been called axiology. According to our opinion the main approach to value system comprises two parts i.e. theistic and humanistic. Theistic approach opines that absolute values are related to absolute reality where the supreme power is the upholder of all values. Whereas, humanistic holds that the values are as a distinct component of the total human personality, which guide or affect attitude and behaviour of the individual and social groups. The text we are dealing here is entitled with Sekaśubhodayā; is a hagiological literature which attributed to Halāyudha Miśra. The blending of Sanskrit and Bengali makes the text unique. Political discrepancy, social and moral degeneration, adultery and mutual rivalry projected boldly without much pretention. Although the text is a pen picture of decadent Medieval Bengal, still a handful of Women excels in their own merit and retains the morality that is equally relevant even in 21st century. The position of women in Medieval Bengal, especially of the house-wives of well-to-do families, as reflected in this story is somewhat unparalleled in Sanskrit literature. This text predicts as a unique collection in the genre of Sanskrit literature because of its sharp representation of women characters. Characters like Madhavī, Vidhutprabhā taught us a lesson that the concept of Satyam, Śivam and Sundaram is the beauty of human nature if we violate one another one automatically disturbed. Our endeavor is to reevaluate this value system in our life which is still relevant.

Assessing stochastic dominance of downside and upside financial risk profiles using the block maxima method in extreme value theory

This paper aims to assess the stochastic dominance of the extreme downside (negative return) and upside (positive return) risk profiles of three US stock market indices, namely NASDAQ Composite, S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) based on the block maxima method in extreme value theory. The extreme downside and upside risk profiles were developed using two datasets of 360 monthly minimum and maximum daily log returns respectively (from January 1992 to December 2021). Extreme losses beyond the 80th percentile (corresponding to a tail probability of less than 0.2) of the theoretical extreme risk profiles were adopted to investigate stochastic dominance. Pairwise comparisons show that the DJIA stochastically dominates the other two indices in both extreme negative and positive returns. Moreover, the extreme upside risk profile of the DJIA stochastically dominates its extreme downside risk profile. The paper finds that investment in short positions (encountering upside risk) provides the least extreme risk compared with long positions (encountering downside risk) for the DJIA, as well as both short and long positions for the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite.

Extreme Space Weather Impacts on GNSS Timing Signals for Electricity Grid Management

AbstractExtreme space weather events can have serious impacts on critical infrastructure, including Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The use of GNSS, particularly as sources of accurate timing signals, is becoming more widespread, with one example being the measurement of electricity grid frequency and phase information to aid grid management and stability. Understanding the likelihood of extreme space weather impacts on GNSS timing signals is therefore becoming vital to maintain national electricity grid resilience. This study determines critical intensity thresholds above which the complete failure of a GNSS based timing system may occur. Solar radio bursts are identified as a simple example to investigate in more detail. The probability of occurrence of an extreme space weather event with an intensity equal to or greater than the critical intensity is estimated. Both a power law and extreme value theory were used to evaluate recurrence probabilities based on historical event frequencies. The probability was estimated to be between 3%–12% per decade to cause the complete failure of any GNSS‐based timing system.

The Role of Cost in Predicting Learning Outcomes in Physical Education: An Expectancy–Value–Cost Model

Purpose: While the expectancy–value theory recognizes the significance of cost as an essential component, it has garnered minimal attention in physical education. Utilizing two separate datasets, we explored the degree to which the inclusion of cost in an expectancy–value–cost model could augment its predictive capability. Method: Study 1 utilized a cross-sectional data set (N = 144) to investigate the predictive roles of expectancy belief, task value, and cost on behavioral and emotional engagement. Study 2 employed a longitudinal data set (N = 251) to assess how these variables influenced the hypothetical choice of attending physical education and cardiorespiratory fitness. Results: Cost played a significant role in explaining additional variance, surpassing what could be predicted through expectancy and value. Specifically, cost emerged as a crucial factor in predicting emotional engagement, hypothetical choice, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Conclusion: Incorporating cost as an independent construct can yield valuable supplementary insights into the determinants of students’ learning.

Analysis of the annual number of tropical cyclones over Japan using the extreme value theory

We predicted the extreme value of the annual number of typhoons, tropical cyclones over the western North Pacific, approaching typhoons, and landing typhoons for 1951–2019 over Japan and the minimum central pressure for 1987–2020 using the extreme value theory. The generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution was used to fit the extreme indices. Various diagnostic plots for assessing the accuracy of the GEV model fitted to the annual number of typhoons, approaching typhoons, and landing typhoons are shown, and all four diagnostic plots support the fitted GEV model. The shape parameter ξ for the annual number of typhoons and approaching typhoons is negative, and the number of typhoons has a finite upper limit. The calculated upper limits were 44.5 and 23.2 for the annual number of typhoons and approaching typhoons, respectively. However, ξ in the number of landing typhoons was zero; therefore, the number of landing typhoons did not have a finite upper limit, and there was a possibility that a significant risk would occur. The number of typhoons increased for 1951–2019. The minimum central pressure of typhoons estimated using geostationary satellite images decreased for 1987–2020, and the number of strong typhoons increased. The annual number of violent typhoons ( 54 m/s) increased in the 2010s. The calculated limit of the minimum central pressure of the typhoon is 877 hPa. When the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index is positive, more violent typhoons tend to occur.

Exploring the Impact of Public Spaces on Social Cohesion in Resettlement Communities from the Perspective of Experiential Value: A Case Study of Fuzhou, China

With the rapid pace of global urbanization, the urbanization of resettlement communities in China has garnered increasing attention from scholars. This study, grounded in experiential value theory, delves into the relationship between public spaces in resettlement communities and their social cohesion. Focusing on resettlement communities in the central urban area of Fuzhou, this study employs a mixed-method approach to analyze the functional characteristics of public spaces using geospatial data, including their green coverage ratio, spatial accessibility, facility configuration, and neighborhood density. A correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were employed to identify the key elements influencing social cohesion. The results indicate significant disparities in the green coverage, accessibility, facility configuration, and neighborhood density of public spaces. These differences are evident in the quantitative metrics used and also reflect imbalances in spatial layout and resource distribution, highlighting potential pathways for optimizing the quality of public spaces. Further data analyses revealed that both emotional value (β = 0.602, p < 0.01) and functional value (β = 0.136, p < 0.01) have significant positive impacts on social cohesion, with emotional value being particularly influential. This study offers insights for urban planners and policymakers by providing scientific evidence for the optimization of public space design in resettlement communities, with implications for community governance and urban sustainability.

Beyond outsourcing: Re-embedding the state in public value production

Public Value Theory (PVT) emerged within a broader public administration paradigm that called for the recentering of the state in the identification and management of public activities in response to the attempts of neoliberal politicians to marginalize it. PVT’s advocates remained nonetheless ambivalent about the role of the state in the production of goods and services necessary to create public value. In the decades since, public sector outsourcing has grown in scale and scope, particularly in Anglo-Saxon economies. PVT is unable to account for the implications of this mode of public value production, and why it may undermine the state’s ability to create public value over time. In this article, we argue that the disembedding of the state from the production of public value undermines its capacity for learning and adapting organizations, which are critical if the state is to respond to changing needs and demands. Because what constitutes public value evolves, so too must the resources and capabilities for producing public value be reconfigured. In other words, public value creation is contingent on innovating the means of public value production. We make the case for re-embedding the state in public value production and for public sectors to move beyond outsourcing the delivery of core services and functions.

Last-train timetable synchronization for service compatibility maximization in urban rail transit networks with arrival uncertainties

The last train services of urban rail transit offer all passengers the final chance to reach their destinations. In the context of multimodal transport, considering the random delayed arrivals of late-night vehicles of other transport modes at urban hub stations and their adverse effects on multimodal passengers transferring to urban rail transit, a probabilistic scenario set is established to determine the arrival uncertainties of multimodal passengers. In each scenario, the timetable synchronization problem is formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model that requires a performance trade-off between destination reachability and the remaining path distance of both non-multimodal and multimodal passengers, integrally termed last train service compatibility. Through linearization techniques, the model is transformed into an equivalent mixed-integer linear programming form, which can be efficiently solved using the Gurobi solver to obtain the optimal last train timetable for each scenario and form an alternative scheme set. An improved probabilistic scenario set-based regret value theory is then developed, in which a novel regret value calculation method is proposed. The scheme with the minimum total weighted opportunity loss in all scenarios is selected as the optimal robust. Real case experiments based on the Chengdu–Chongqing high-speed railway line and Chengdu metro network are conducted to test the performance of our model. The results show that compared with the original timetable, the optimized timetable reduces the number of unreachable passengers by 34.29% and the sum of the average remaining path distance of non-multimodal and multimodal passengers by 57.43% with the help of path planning for all passengers. The proposed approach is proven not only to balance the demands of both reachable and unreachable passengers, but also to significantly improve the robustness of the last train timetable to arrival uncertainties of multimodal passengers and reduce their service inequity.