Value Of Services Research Articles

Mobile breast screening services in Australia: A qualitative exploration of perceptions and experiences among rural and remote women aged ≥75 years.

This qualitative descriptive study draws on data collected from a sub-sample of 15 women participating in a national study (n = 60) exploring the breast cancer screening motivations and behaviours of women aged ≥75 years. The study aimed to understand why women living in rural and remote areas might continue accessing mobile breast cancer screening despite being outside the targeted age range. Settings ranged from large towns to very remote communities (according to Monash Modified Model (MMM) classification 3-7) where BreastScreen Australia mobile screening services were available. Interview data from 15 women aged ≥75 years living in rural and remote locations who had used mobile screening services was utilised for this study. In-depth individual interviews were conducted via telephone or online platform (Zoom). These were transcribed verbatim and imported into NVivo software to enable thematic analysis to identify key themes. Many women aged ≥75 years in rural and remote areas expressed clear intentions to continue breast cancer screening, despite no longer being invited to do so. They perceived great value in the mobile service and were highly appreciative for it yet acknowledged limited sources of information about the process of ongoing screening. Few women in rural and remote areas had discussed ongoing breast cancer screening with their general practitioner (GP). More information is required to inform women about the risks and benefits of ongoing screening. Without an invitation to attend screening rural women reported difficulty in knowing when the service would be available. Ongoing notification of the availability of mobile services for women aged ≥75 years in rural areas is recommended.

Characterizing Performance Tradeoffs from Air Traffic Management Services for Advanced Air Mobility

The emergence of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) has called for novel Air Traffic Management (ATM) solutions to enable the projected high number of operations, particularly in already dense and complex metroplex airspace. Understanding the multidimensional performance impacts of developing air traffic rules, procedures, and services is key to guiding this new traffic management system design. This paper presents a simulation framework to provide a quantitative assessment of the operational performance of ATM services in support of AAM. The framework embeds several modules for high-fidelity modeling of urban air traffic flows based on actual data, ATM service provision, stochastic simulation, and performance quantification. Two key services are analyzed: airspace geofencing and strategic deconfliction. We evaluate the use of these services in a scenario of air mobility operations associated with daily urban commuting in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region. Monte Carlo experiments are performed to simulate the execution of aircraft trajectories managed under different ATM service configurations, allowing for the characterization of operational performance tradeoffs, particularly in terms of safety and efficiency. The work contributes to quantifying the value of novel ATM services for integrating AAM operations in dense metroplex airspace, supporting their design and implementation.

Exploring Ethical and Emotional Dimensions of Customer Value in Financial Services through Employee-Customer Dynamics

This study focuses on exploring the ethical and emotional dimensions of customer perceived value (CPV) in financial services. This area is crucial to understanding customer dynamics within the finances sector, yet it remains underexplored in existing literature. Utilizing a quantitative analysis of 652 customer surveys from Canadian financial institutions, this research employs SmartPLS3 for structural equation modeling to ascertain the impacts of frontline employee job satisfaction on customer's ethical and emotional perceptions as well as their overall CPV. The data analysis reveals that customer-perceived employee job satisfaction positively affects CPV by significantly influencing ethical and emotional benefits. Although ethical benefits alone do not directly impact loyalty or word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations, their influence is significant when mediated through CPV, with emotional benefits directly amplifying WOM and indirectly boosting loyalty. Correspondingly, the results highlight the importance of employee-centric policies and their direct correlation to customer loyalty and satisfaction. As such, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by linking employee satisfaction with ethical and emotional customer benefits, suggesting a reevaluation of business practices to integrate these dimensions for enhanced customer value creation. Future research is encouraged to explore these dynamics across varied contexts to expound upon these relationships' applicability and robustness. Our inquiry into the subject concludes by highlighting the strategic importance of fostering employee satisfaction when seeking to elevate CPV and achieve enduring customer loyalty. Keywords: Customer Perceived Value, Customer Loyalty, Employee-Customer Interactions, Employee Satisfaction, Financial Services

Determinants of Tax Compliance Behavior: A Case Study in Ethiopia

Policymakers and tax authorities in developing countries face challenges in comprehending the determinants of tax-compliance behavior. This study employs empirical investigation to explore the factors that influence taxpayers’ voluntary and enforced tax compliance behaviors. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire distributed to 400 taxpayers using simple random sampling and analyzed using an ordered logit model. The results validate the assumptions of the slippery slope framework, showing that trust significantly impacts voluntary tax compliance and that a strong tax authority’s power contributes to more enforced tax compliance in Ethiopia. Additionally, the interaction between trust and power has a more significant effect on enforced tax compliance. This study also emphasizes the importance of improving trust in increasing tax compliance. Moreover, factors such as equity, fairness, tax knowledge, effective tax usage, and taxpayer morale contribute to tax compliance. By identifying factors that contribute to tax compliance, the findings of this research provide valuable insights for tax authorities in Ethiopia and other developing countries in devising strategies to combat tax evasion. This includes implementing a fair tax regime, enhancing the perceived value of public services financed by tax payments, increasing tax knowledge activities to help people understand the importance of paying taxes, and fortifying frameworks to minimize extravagant spending for maintaining public trust and ensuring effective and efficient use of taxpayers’ money.

Experiences of genetic counselors practicing in multiple languages: Progress and places for improvement.

As awareness of the value of genetic counseling services increases, there has been greater recognition of the need to diversify service delivery into different languages. Studies within genetic counseling and related fields have identified complications that can arise from language nonconcordance between provider and patient. A strategy to mitigate language barriers is prioritizing the development of a multilingual workforce of genetic counselors (GCs) who can communicate with patients in their preferred language. This exploratory study assessed the experiences of multilingual GCs who have practiced in a clinical role with the aim to identify relevant challenges and differences when counseling in their nondominant language. Statistical analysis was performed to identify differences in session tasks and emotions experienced when counseling in one's nondominant language versus their dominant language. Data analysis identified an increase in reported difficulty level for most clinical tasks while using a nondominant language, most notably for difficulty with psychosocial counseling, disclosing results, and administrative tasks. Participants were also surveyed on employer support and resources provided. Overall, results suggest that multilingual GCs may benefit from greater support in certain areas within clinical roles to enhance their ability to provide patient care in their nondominant language.

Ecological management zoning based on the causation between ecological risk and ecosystem services in the Gaoligong Mountain

Ecological management zoning is crucial for advancing regional ecological conservation and sustainable management. Previous studies have highlighted the perspectives of Landscape Ecological Risk (LER) and Ecosystem Services Value (ESV) in delineating ecological management zones, however, their causal relationship has received limited attention. This study addresses this gap by proposing an innovative ecological management zoning method that integrates the causality between LER and ESV, demonstrated through a case study in the Gaoligong Mountain Region (GMR), China. The spatial and causal relationships between LER and ESV were analyzed using Bivariate Spatial Autocorrelation (BSA) and the Geographically Convergent Cross-mapping Model (GCCM). The findings revealed that: (1) Although there was no significant decreasing trend in LER index, a general shift towards lower risk levels was observed, indicating an overall decline in LER from 2000 to 2020; (2) ESV increased from 2000 to 2020, with high and sub-high value areas increased by 9.3%, while low and sub-low value areas decreased by 8.85%; (3) Both LER and ESV exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity. A significant negative spatial correlation between LER and ESV was found, with LER identified as the primary causal factor influencing ESV; (4) Based on these insights, the GMR was divided into conservation, early warning, restoration, and revitalization zones, each with tailored management strategies. The causality analysis conducted in this study offers a deeper understanding of the relationship between LER and ESV. In addition to introducing a causation-based ecological management zoning method, this research offers a scientific foundation for improving ecological protection and promoting sustainable development in the GMR.

The Accelerating Loss of Resilience in Suburban Woodlands Can Largely Be Attributed to the Changes in Urban Precipitation Patterns.

Vegetation resilience holds significant importance for stabilizing ecosystem service functions in a changing climate. While global land surface vegetation resilience changes have been extensively studied, the impact of urbanization on the resilience of suburban woodlands remains inadequately understood. In this study, we utilized two critical slowing down (CSD) indicators, namely lag-one autocorrelation (LOA) and variance (VA), to assess the vegetation resilience, its long-term trends, and influencing factors in suburban woodlands across 1356 cities worldwide. The recovery rates estimated by LOA ( ) and VA ( ) showed close alignment in suburban woodlands with low suburban forest coverage (SFC) areas (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.95). However, a notable divergence was observed in areas with high SFC (r = 0.73). Suburban woodlands with high SFC typically exhibited lower recovery rate estimates, thus indicating greater vegetation resilience compared to areas with lower SFC. From 1986 to 2022, the recovery rates of suburban woodland areas in over 83% of the cities demonstrated a significant upward trend, with an average of 3.23 × 10-3 year-1 for both and , signifying a widespread decline in vegetation resilience. The accelerating pace of urbanization led to higher rising rates of and during 2010-2022 (5.11 × 10-3 year-1) compared to 1986-1999 (0.49 × 10-3 year-1). The notable decrease in resilience of forestland was primarily attributed to reduced precipitation in urban suburbs, which can be explained by urbanization-induced heat island and building barrier effects, causing a shift of precipitation center from urban suburbs to central cities. In summary, this study revealed that urbanization diminishes the vegetation resilience of urban suburban woodlands by altering urban precipitation patterns. These findings underscore the necessity of augmenting water availability in urban suburbs to restore resilience in these woodlands, thereby enhancing their ecosystem service value.

Spatiotemporal conversion and mechanism between production-living-ecological space and ecosystem service in the canal area

Rapid industrialization and urbanization in canal areas have led to significant conversion in production-living-ecological space (PLES), yielding short-term social-economic benefits but causing serious ecological degradation. However, the complex and dynamic interactions between PLES and ecosystem function remain underexplored, despite their importance for guiding sustainable canal development. Therefore, we analyzed the dynamic changes in PLES and ecosystem service value (ESV) in the Jiangsu section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, along with their interrelationships. By optimizing the ESV evaluation model to incorporate natural, social, and economic factors, we examined the spatiotemporal evolution of PLES and ESV from 2000 to 2020. Finally, we quantified the dynamic response of ESV to PLES using contribution rate factors and identified trade-offs and synergies among ESV indicators. Over the past two decades, ecological space (ES) expanded by only 5.31 %, yet contributing 94.36 % of total ESV growth. Despite fluctuations during 2005–2010, synergies among various ESV types remained largely stable. The regulation service shows the most significant response to the conversion of PLES, with an increase in ES’s ESV of CNY 67.87 billion over 20 years, representing 75.34 % of total ESV growth. Notably, the hydrologic regulation contributes substantially, with an increase in ES’s ESV of CNY 60.87 billion, accounting for 67.57 % of total ESV growth. Our findings provide a scientific basis for the sustainable development and resource management in canal areas.

Eco-climatological modeling approach for exploring spatiotemporal dynamics of ecosystem service values in response to land use and land cover changes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Eco-climatological modeling approach for exploring spatiotemporal dynamics of ecosystem service values in response to land use and land cover changes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The impact of land use change on food security under the background of rapid urbanization - a case study of Xiamen city

Abstract China has undergone a long period of rapid urbanization from 2000 to 2020, resulted in huge conversion of arable land into built-up areas. This situation has raised concerns regarding food security, including issues like reduced food supply and challenges to achieving food self-sufficiency, particularly in certain regions and during special period. To address these issues, this study focuses on Xiamen, a rapidly urbanizing coastal city in China, and examined both the food supply and demand. On hand of the supply, this study mainly analyzed the attributes of the food availability, indicators like the food production (FP) of the ecosystem service value (ESV), per capita grain production, imports and exports along with food price were calculated. The findings revealed a significant expansion of built-up areas in Xiamen, mostly at the expense of arable land. The declining arable land coupled with population growth due to rapid urbanization contributed to a decrease in per capita grain production, drop to 6 kg in 2018, which is merely 1% of China’s average. A comparison of per capita grain production across various regions, as well as changes in China’s grain import and export, highlighted a notable discrepancy between urbanization rates and food security in Xiamen. It has become challenging for Xiamen to rely on outside for sustained food import. Therefore, it is imperative for Xiamen to implement a range of measures and policy interventions to ensure a certain level of food self-sufficiency and protect basic arable land.

TESTING THE FACTORS AFFECTING CHILDCARE SERVICE DEMAND UNDER THE MACHINE LEARNING PARADIGM

This study uses the decision tree algorithm in machine learning to explore the impact of childcare service accessibility and perceived value on parents' childcare needs. The study uses two decision tree algorithms, CHAID and CART, to analyze large-scale survey data. The results show that in terms of childcare service accessibility, quality accessibility has the greatest impact on parents' childcare needs; in terms of perceived value of childcare services, the impact of functional value perception is the most significant. The study also compares the impact of different data splitting methods on the model prediction accuracy. The findings of this study provide data support and a decision-making basis for formulating childcare service policies and improving the quality of childcare services.

The Influence of Artificial Intelligence Marketing on Consumer Purchase Intentions The Mediating Roles of Hedonic and Utility Values

Artificial intelligence (AI) has changed the game for companies all around the globe. The impact of AI in many areas, including personal behaviour, corporate economics, and new trends, has been the subject of a great deal of research. This study examined the factors—accuracy, insight, interaction, perceived usefulness, and hedonic value—that people use to form opinions on AI and how those opinions impact their intents to buy things online. It delves further into the connection between AI technology and purchase intention, specifically looking at the mediating role of hedonic value. Quantitative method was used in this study, surveying people in Punjab, Pakistan, utilizing Google Forms, social media, and WhatsApp to disseminate self-administered surveys. A total of 450 respondents successfully completed the survey. The findings highlighted the significant impact of AI marketing on consumer purchase intentions. Mediating role of Hedonic Value and Utility is found significant. Resultantly, AI marketing encounters greatly boost the hedonic value of items or services, resulting in consumers finding these interactions engaging and pleasurable.

The Legal System of Natural Ecological Protection and Restoration in Newly Built Areas Based on the Multi-Dimensional Character-Istics of the Ecosystem

Natural environment protection compensation refers to the legal system that protects the natural ecological environment, protects the natural environment and makes the beneficiaries of the natural environment get compensation by some means, so as to adjust the interests of the relevant subjects of natural ecological environment protection. This paper discusses the ecosystem service function and its type division of newly built areas in Ganjiang, and the emergy evaluation of ecosystem service function of newly built areas in Ganjiang, establishes the regular scheduling and joint optimal scheduling models of natural ecosystem service value single reservoir, intro-duces the corresponding model solving methods, and applies the ant colony algorithm to the optimal schedule is a lesson. According to the ant colony algorithm, the best way to study the region is to determine these algorithms. Combined with the kernel density analysis method, the spatial scope, potential corridors and key recovery points of ecological corridors are identified, and the optimization mode of natural ecological security pattern of Shule River is constructed. The experimental results show that the optimized ant colony algorithm proves that joint scheduling plays a more prominent role in ecological environment protection, mainly in ecological support and ecological regulation. At the same time, it verifies the applicability of ant colony algorithm in joint scheduling, and improves the average protection efficiency of natural ecology to 20.9%.

Land Use Optimization from the Perspective of Multiple Stakeholder Groups: A Case Study in Yongsheng County, Yunnan Province, China

With China’s rapid economic development in recent years, enhancing the sense of well-being among citizens has become a critical objective. However, the interests of various stakeholder groups are often overlooked in decision-making surrounding land use. In this study, Yongsheng County, Yunnan Province serves as a case study for land use scenario simulations. The equivalent factor method is combined with Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) to investigate the relationship between ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) and the equity index of multiple stakeholder groups in various land use scenarios. We also explore whether an optimal combination of land use types exists. The results indicate that (1) The current ecosystem service value in Yongsheng County is primarily driven by climate regulation and biodiversity conservation, with a relatively high functional value index but a comparatively low equity index; (2) Different stakeholder groups mainly prioritize food production and ecosystem services impacting food production, such as water resource provision and climate regulation; (3) A land use allocation pattern of 20% farmland, 4% water bodies, 21% mixed forest, 20% coniferous forest, and 35% grassland appears to provide the optimal EMF index while simultaneously achieving the optimal equity index across stakeholder groups. This research may offer valuable insights for optimizing land use planning while taking into account the well-being of diverse stakeholder groups. It also may have practical implications for the formulation of innovative land use management strategies.

Have Climate Factor Changes Jeopardized the Value of Qinghai Grassland Ecosystem Services within the Grass–Animal Balance?

Internal and external environmental changes have led to changes in the service value of plateau ecosystems. Plateau ecosystems are facing a risk of falling into “recession”. Meanwhile, climate change has become an important factor affecting the service value of plateau grassland ecosystems. In this paper, from the perspective of how changes in climate factors inhibit the value of ecosystem services of plateau grasslands, we adopt the equivalent factor method to measure the value of grassland ecosystem services in eight municipal levels in Qinghai Province from 2000 to 2021. We also construct a fixed utility model to test how changes in climate factors affect the value of ecosystem services and use the grass–animal balance as a mediating effect model for the test. The results of the study showed that (1) the increase in temperature and precipitation among the changes in climate factors significantly suppresses the ecosystem service value of grassland in the plateau. (2) The mediation test shows that the grass–livestock balance helped suppress the effects of climate factor changes on the ecological service value of plateau grassland. (3) The heterogeneity test shows that the area containing the Three-River-Source National Park is more resistant to climate factor changes. Climate factor changes have a greater impact on the ecosystem service value of plateau grassland in high altitude areas and have a significant positive effect on sustained low grassland carrying pressure index status. Therefore, in the protection of plateau grassland ecosystems, we should pay attention to the inputs in the ecosystems as well as appropriate grazing. At the same time, this study can provide a reference value for the decision-making with respect to ecological natural resources protection or restoration in plateau grassland under the effects of climate factors.

Identification of Ecological Compensation Zones and Compensation Amounts: A Case Study of the Yellow River Delta

Accurately identifying ecological compensation areas and scientifically determining appropriate compensation amounts are crucial for establishing a robust ecological compensation mechanism, which in turn is key to promoting the coordinated development of ecological protection and high-quality economic growth. This study innovatively proposes a framework for ecological compensation termed “Accounting of Ecosystem Services Value–Identification of Priorities for Payers and Recipients–Calculation of Ecological Compensation Amount (ESV–PPR–ECA)”. It utilizes the InVEST model and the emergy method to assess the value of ecosystem services, constructs the Ecosystem Payment and Recipient Priority Sequence (EPRPS) Model to identify the payers, recipients, and their priorities for ecological compensation, and employs the conversion factor method to calculate the Ecological Compensation Amount (ECA). This framework aims to address the questions of “How should compensation be provided?”, “Who should compensate whom?”, and “How much compensation is necessary?”, ensuring the optimal use of ecological compensation funds and providing a scientific basis for inter-regional ecological compensation. The study’s findings indicate that the total Ecological Compensation Amount for the Yellow River Delta in 2020 was 3.848 billion RMB, with the total amount receivable being 4.032 billion RMB and the total amount payable being 184 million RMB. The compensation funds should be prioritized for tideland and the Yellow River, and venture, cropland and industrial land should be the first to contribute compensation. Additionally, the Ecosystem Service Value of the Yellow River Delta showed a declining trend from 2015 to 2020, underscoring the urgent need to establish a horizontal compensation mechanism for the region. Such a mechanism would incentivize environmental protection and the construction of ecological civilization, ultimately enhancing ecosystem service functions. Therefore, we recommend the implementation of horizontal fiscal transfers, where financial assistance is provided from paying areas to recipient areas, offering a scientific reference for the establishment of a horizontal compensation mechanism within the Yellow River Delta.

Attribution of climate change and human activities to spatiotemporal changes of ecological service value in Yunnan Province of China

Quantifying the influence of climate change and human activities on spatiotemporal changes of regional ecological service value (ESV) can provide key information for regional ecosystem protection. However, few studies have distinguished the contributions of climate change and human activities to the total ESV. In this study, Yunnan Province in Southwest China with high biodiversity and ESV was selected as a representative region for the attribution analysis of ESV changes. The Carnegie-Ames Stanford Approach (CASA) was used to calculate the vegetation net primary productivity (NPP), and improved equivalent factor method was used to calculate ESVs of different ecosystem service functions directly from NPP. Then, the multi-factor attribution analysis method was used to quantify the contribution rates of climate change and human activities to changes in ESV. Results show that the ESV in Yunnan Province increased by 12.9 % in 2000–2019 compared to 1980–1999 without considering economic development. Land use and cover change (LUCC) is the main cause for the increase in ESV with the contribution rate of 92.3 %, while that of climate change is only 7.7 %. Major components of ESV change are ESV changes in forests, grasslands, and farmland, which are all mainly caused by LUCC with the contribute rates of over 80 %. ESVs in different cities differ greatly, where the ESV and ESV per unit area in Pu'er City are 5.3 and 2.6 times as those in Zhaotong City, respectively. LUCC is also the main cause of ESV changes in all cities, with contributions rates generally exceeding 80 %. When considering economic development, the ESV in Yunnan has increased by 336.2 % in these two periods. Contribution rate of economic development to ESV increase in Yunnan is 80.3 %, while that of climate change and LUCC is only 19.7 %. The speed of ecological construction in Yunnan Province is far slower than that of economic development, and appropriate measures should be taken to improve the ecological services in the future.

The Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Ecosystem Services Value in Laos between 2000 and 2020

The Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Ecosystem Services Value in Laos between 2000 and 2020

Ecosystem service value and ecological compensation in Qilian Mountain National Park: Implications for ecological conservation strategies

Qilian Mountain National Park (QMNP) is a critical ecological barrier and water conservation area in northwestern China. Its diverse ecosystems provide significant ecosystem services, yet the valuation of these services and their dynamic responses to land use/cover (LULC) changes and ecological protection measures require detailed investigation. This study employs an improved equivalent factor method, tailored to the specific ecosystem types and LULC patterns of QMNP, to evaluate the ecosystem service value (ESV) across different LULC types. Using an elasticity analysis model, the sensitivity of ESV to LULC changes from 1990 to 2022 was quantitatively assessed. The results indicate that the ESV of QMNP increased from 46.13 billion RMB to 50.97 billion RMB between 1990 and 2022, mostly due to the growth of grassland and forest areas. The primary route for increasing the region’s ESV is the conversion of desert to grassland, and this should be a major area of emphasis for next ecological conservation initiatives. Regulating services form the core of the ESV in QMNP, with climate and hydrological regulation contributing significantly to the overall ESV. Maintaining the stability of forest, wetland, and water body areas is crucial for sustaining the total ESV of QMNP. Through the application of carbon emission coefficients and ESV methods, the average range for long-term ecological compensation standards in QMNP is expected to be between 3.78 billion RMB and 28.28 billion RMB annually. Additionally, we explore the impacts of ongoing ecological protection mechanisms on enhancing ESV. There is a pressing need to formulate integrated policy frameworks that balance ecological conservation with sustainable economic development. The study also highlights the necessity of strengthening the protection and foundational research of grasslands and water bodies to enhance the ESV of QMNP. These insights serve as a foundation for potential planning and management strategies in QMNP, aiming to maintain and enhance its ecosystem functions and services, thereby contributing to broader regional and global ecological stability.

Misconceptions about the valuation of ecosystem services

The concept of ecosystem services – the benefits humans derive from functioning ecosystems – has been around for at least 4 decades. Attempts to value those services in monetary and other units have been around for just as long. However, several misconceptions have sprung up about ecosystem services, and especially the valuation of those services in monetary units, that are counterproductive to further dialogue, research, and solutions. This paper attempts to address some of those misconceptions, including showing that: (1) ecosystem services is not an anthropocentric concept; (2) economics is not only the market; (3) valuation is not commodification or privatization; (4) expressing relative values in monetary units is not necessarily ‘market-based’; (5) in a world of trade-offs, whether to perform a valuation is not a choice since it happens implicitly; (6) ‘intrinsic values’ are about rights, not relative valuation; and (7) relative valuation and rights-based approaches are complimentary not mutually exclusive. I address each of these misconceptions in turn and end with a plea for constructive dialogue on these important issues, not continuing unproductive debate founded on fundamental misconceptions.