Willingness Of Respondents Research Articles

Deciphering the Status of Willingness to Pay for Mobile SMS by Different Categories of Farmers: A Dairy Farming Perspective

Agriculture as well as dairying is becoming more and more information driven. Right information at right time can ensure better economic returns for the farming community. Eastern Regional Station of ICAR-NDRI has started one initiative to send SMS (short messaging service) pertaining to dairy farming to the farmers registered in the SMS portal. A total of 70 respondents who were registered in the portal have been selected randomly for the study to assess the respondent's willingness to pay for the service. All the respondents were willing to pay for the service and 7.14 per cent of the respondents were ready to pay more than Rs. 50 per SMS for receiving information. Education level of the respondents was not found to be associated with willingness to pay. The respondents were cosmopolite in nature which was suggested by the fact that 47.14 per cent of the respondents were using more than six sources of information. In case of ranking of preferential choice of SMS content, young respondents’ response was different than middle-aged and old-aged respondents. According to the respondents, updating knowledge base, elimination of confusion, setting priorities were some of the benefits generated by the SMS portal.

Revealing Victimization: The Impact of Methodological Features in the National Crime Victimization Survey.

This study examines the impact of methodological features of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) on respondent willingness to report violent, serious violent, and property victimizations to the NCVS. Bounded and unbounded data from the 1999-2005 NCVS are used to create a longitudinal file of respondents, and survey-weighted logistic regression models are used to assess the factors associated with the reporting of victimization. Net of sociodemographic control variables, unbounded interviews produced higher estimates of serious violence (72%), violence (66%), and property victimization (67%). Mobile respondents reported higher estimates than nonmobile respondents of serious violence (48%), violence (35%), and property victimization (15%). Compared with in-person interviews, interviewing by telephone increased reporting for serious violence (7%), violence (12%), and property victimization (17%). This study highlights the importance of controlling for these factors in both longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses to estimate victimization risk.

Economic evaluation of the recreational use of forests: A case study of the Training Forest Enterprise Masaryk Forest Křtiny

The objective of the article is to evaluate the results of a questionnaire survey carried out in forest districts of the Training Forest Enterprise Masaryk Forest Křtiny (TFE Křtiny) within research focused on economic evaluation of the recreational potential of the TFE Křtiny. The article is aimed at surveying the willingness of visitors to the area to pay for the use of the recreational function of forests and evaluation of the used method. The evaluated part of the questionnaire survey was based on the contingent valuation method examining the willingness of respondents to pay for recreational function. It was found by the results of the questionnaire survey that visitors are not very willing to pay for recreational function and it is so especially because forests in the area of the TFE Křtiny are perceived as public assets and thus access to them should be free. Furthermore, there were some problems with the method used. Thus it is necessary to find a new way of evaluating the recreational potential of the area.

Public perceptions of water shortages, conservation behaviors, and support for water reuse in the U.S.

Reclaimed water programs treat wastewater to remove hazardous compounds, pathogens, and organic matter and provide reclaimed water for non-potable applications. Reusing water may significantly reduce demands on freshwater resources and provide sustainable water management strategies. Though production of reclaimed water is highly regulated, public acceptability has historically hindered the implementation of successful reclaimed water systems. The public generally opposes the use of reclaimed water due to the “yuck factor”, which is the instinctive disgust associated with the idea of recycling sewage and the fear that exposure to reclaimed water is unsafe. This paper reports the results of an extensive survey that was conducted to evaluate the potential acceptability of reclaimed water use. A total of 2800 respondents across the U.S. participated in the survey. Results demonstrate that a small percentage of the population is concerned about water shortages, the majority of the population practices some level of water conservation, and a substantial percentage of the population supports the use of reclaimed water. Climate, demographic variables, and financial incentives were tested for influence on attitudes and behaviors regarding water, including awareness, conservation, and support for water reuse. Sex, age, last monthly water bill, and location (as EPA region) showed no significant effect on the acceptance of water reuse, while ethnicity, education level, metro/non metro, and income showed significant effects. Drought conditions do not have a statistically significant effect on the number of reclaimed water supporters, but increase the number of respondents who are water concerned, the number of respondents who are the most active water conservers, and the number of respondents who limit their use of water for lawn and garden watering. Financial incentives influence the willingness of respondents to participate in water reuse programs, and a decrease in the monthly water bills increased the likelihood that respondents would participate in a reclaimed water program. Support for the use of reclaimed water for various applications ranked positively, on average, except for the application of water reuse for food crop irrigation and use of reclaimed water at respondents’ own residences. Results and conclusions of the survey can provide insight for implementing successful reclaimed water programs.

A pilot study of universities' willingness to solicit whistleblowers for participation in a study

ABSTRACTBackground: It has been more than two decades since the only interview study of whistleblowers in academic research. There remains a need to appreciate whistleblower experience, role in scientific integrity, and whether policies provide adequate protection. Methods: We contacted the institutional official for research, the institutional review board (IRB) director, and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) director from a random sample of 25 of the highest 200 NIH funded institutions. We assessed the willingness of respondents to send a hypothetical solicitation letter to whistleblowers who had lodged complaints related to research. Results: The response rate was 41%. Despite a willingness to distribute a solicitation letter (68% respondents), most wanted further institutional approval before sending it (76%). Conclusion: Data from this pilot study suggest substantial obstacles to obtaining access to whistleblowers by way of anonymous solicitation letters distributed by institutions.

Quantifying nonuse and indirect economic benefits of impingement & entrainment reductions at U.S. power plants

Monetizing ecological benefits of reducing impingement and entrainment (I&E) at cooling water intake structures presents both ecological and economic challenges. Ecological challenges arise because it is difficult to demonstrate and measure these impacts. Economic challenges arise because of these ecological uncertainties and because many of the potentially affected ecosystem services cannot be valued using traditional methods. Under a recently promulgated U.S. regulation certain power generation and industrial water permit applicants may be required to monetize these “nonuse” benefits. However, stated preference (SP) surveys, the only method available for valuing nonuse services have not seen acceptance by mainstream economists. This paper describes an approach to valuation that incorporates the ecological service function approach advocated by the USEPA Science Advisory Board to characterize impacts. Data and models are used to quantify, to the extent possible, direct and indirect impacts of I&E on ecosystem services. Nonuse values are then estimated by an SP survey that measures respondents’ willingness to pay for reducing I&E. Methods are proposed for calibrating and validating results including identifying the source of nonuse values from commonly ascribed motivations (i.e. existence, bequest, altruistic), considering the role of pre-survey awareness of impacts, and evaluating results in the context of respondent willingness to pay for other nonuse benefits.

Willingness of residents to invest in flood mitigation measures and to purchase flood insurance

Approximately 12,000 people live in the flood risk areas in Finland. New flood risk management plans were prepared for 21 areas as a part of the EU Floods Directive in 2015. In connection with this work, we conducted a survey in three flood risk areas in 2014. The total number of recipients was 4,710 and the response rate 39%. The study provided an indication of how local citizens perceive flood risk, and specifically whether they have already invested or would be willing to invest in private flood mitigation measures or to purchase flood insurance. We also examined how previous personal experiences of flooding affected their responses. The questionnaires were georeferenced in GIS and compared with flood hazard maps on a detailed scale. Over 27% of the respondents had experienced a recent flooding event, but only 9% had implemented flood mitigation measures and 10% knew that flood coverage was included in their insurance. A young age and having property at risk of flooding increased the willingness of respondents to consider implementing flood protection measures and purchasing flood insurance.

Trust, reciprocity and collective action to fight antibiotic resistance. An experimental approach

Antibiotic resistance is a collective action dilemma. Individuals may request antibiotics, but an overall reduction in use is necessary to limit resistance. A reoccurring theoretical claim is that social capital increase cooperation in social dilemmas. The aim of this paper is to investigate the link between generalized trust and reciprocity and the willingness to postpone antibiotic treatment in order to limit overuse in a scenario-based study. A between-subject scenario experimental approach with hypothetical scenarios was utilized. Participants were asked to imagine that they were seeing a doctor for a respiratory infection. The doctor prescribes antibiotics, but advise postponing therapy to see if the disease resolves by itself, for the sake of limiting overuse. Respondents were asked to answer how long they could accept postponing antibiotic treatment, from 0 to 7 days. The number of days that most people would be able to accept postponing treatment was considered the between-subject factor. In total, the study sample included 981 respondents with a mean age of 51 years. A majority of respondents were men (65.7%). The mean number of days that the respondents stated they were willing to postpone antibiotic treatment was positively associated with the number of days the respondents were told that most people were willing to postpone antibiotic treatment, p < 0.001. There was a positive association between number of days they were willing to postpone antibiotic treatment and generalized trust, p = 0.001. In conclusion, the results showed that the proclaimed public willingness to postpone therapy influenced a respondent's willingness to postpone antibiotic therapy in different scenarios. Also, generalized trust was positively associated with the willingness to postpone therapy.

Willingness to Pay for Clinical Preventive Services of Patients Attending the GENERAL Out-Patient Clinic of a Tertiary Hospital in South-South Nigeria

The prevalences of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria are currently close to those of the developed countries, but the uptake of clinical preventive services (CPS) has been very poor. This study assessed the willingness of respondents to pay (WTP) for a packaged CPS, delivered in one service point. The study was conducted among patients attending the general out-patient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Port Harcourt, south-south Nigeria, using a descriptive cross-sectional study design. Data was collected using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, and assessed the respondents’ attitude towards CPS and their WTP for the services, which was determined using the contingent valuation method. A total of 422 questionnaires were administered and analyzed. The respondents had an average age of 36.04 ±1.99 years; majority had at least secondary school education (90.05%), were Christians of Pentecostal denomination (50.95%), self employed (52.13%), with an monthly average income of more than $300 (56.64%). Most (89.57%) of the respondents were willing to pay for CPS; more than a quarter (25.93%) of them were willing to pay the prevailing cost of assessing the services, 33.84% were willing to pay less, while 34.28% were willing to pay more. The monthly income of the respondents significantly affected their willingness to pay for the services (p-value = 0.000).The respondents showed a willingness to pay for packaged CPS, the uptake of the services can therefore be improved, if the cost of the service is subsidized.

Preferences for street configuration and street tree planting in urban Hong Kong

This study aimed to explore people's perception of tree planting in street canyons and the perceived tree impacts through a questionnaire survey. Also, by using a discrete choice experiment, it aimed to reveal how people performed tradeoffs among three streetscape attributes: namely permeability (i.e. spacing between buildings), aspect ratio (i.e. ratio of street width to building height), and tree planting. A secondary aim was to determine respondent's willingness to pay for streetscape features and tree planting. Despite published research results that indicate tree planting can have a negative impact on air quality, the survey results from 509 respondents in Hong Kong indicated that the majority of them held positive views of tree planting in street canyons. The probability of having an overall positive view was found to be higher if an individual perceived that trees could improve air quality, provide shading or did not obstruct footpaths. The preferred streetscape was high permeability, regardless of whether respondents thought that trees could or could not contribute to improving air quality. However respondents who perceived that trees could improve air quality preferred tree planting at both sides of the street over lower aspect ratio whereas those who perceived that trees did not improve air quality preferred low aspect ratio over tree planting at both sides of the street. Both sets of respondents did however agree on the preferred order of tree planting options, namely planting on both sides of the street was preferred to planting at the center of the street which in turn was preferable to no tree planting at all. The overall willingness to pay was estimated to be HK$163.4, HK$132.4 and HK$121.1 per month for high permeability, street-level tree planting and low aspect ratio, respectively. The study clearly identifies high permeability as the most preferred planning option. However, the perception held by the majority of respondents that trees can improve air quality is contrary to recent research findings. This poses a dilemma for urban planners in that schemes that may be more beneficial, i.e. low aspect ratio, may face more public opposition than less beneficial schemes involving tree planting. Although the study was conducted in Hong Kong the findings should be applicable to other modern metropolises characterized by high rise buildings.

Attitudes of Greek university students towards energy and the environment

&lt;p&gt;This paper summarises the results of a survey carried out amongst the student population of one of the largest Greek Technological Educational Institutes. It explores attitudes toward the environment in general and then, more specifically, toward global warming and global warming-mitigation technologies. It also explores student understanding of sources of carbon dioxide and climate change-mitigation technologies, such as carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). Further, it analyses responses to questions about willingness of respondents to pay to solve global warming. The data was collected in October and November of 2011 using a structured questionnaire which was first formulated in English and then translated into Greek. The analysis was performed using the statistical package SPSS v17.0 and focused on descriptive statistics, in order to compare the average ratings for the different statements.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;p&gt;The present study concludes that university students in Greece are overwhelmingly positively disposed towards the environment with the majority of respondents believing that protecting the environment should have priority over economic considerations. Students also view the effects of global warming as serious enough to warrant action and state their belief that the current generation should meet its own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. Moreover, the majority of the participants are against the development of nuclear energy, favoring RES (solar wind and bioenergy), and energy conservation technologies. However, the study has also identified a lack of understanding in regards to sources of carbon dioxide. The majority of the respondents do not seem to know that oceans act as sinks of CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; emissions or that the housing stock is a significant contributor to this problem.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

Funding decisions and entrepreneurial team diversity: A field study

This study provides experimental evidence, using a large sample of 2894 individuals recruited via business media websites, about the impact of demographic attributes within entrepreneurial teams on funding decisions by external capital providers. In previous work the role of diversity with regard to personal characteristics within entrepreneurial teams, such as education, gender and nationality was not clear. Specifically, we focus on task-oriented (e.g., education, experience) and relations-oriented (e.g., age, nationality) dimensions of diversity. The participants of our experiment had to decide on providing early-stage funding to a team of start-up managers whereas the diversity of these teams varied across treatment groups. We find that task-oriented diversity is positively and significantly related to the willingness of respondents to provide capital. Interestingly, the same applies for relations-oriented diversity. This suggests social capital of an entrepreneurial team matters to a greater extent to funding decisions of external investors than the behavioral integration of the team's human capital. Entrepreneurial teams must therefore carefully balance the social costs of non-task-related diversity and the access to financial resources.

Public knowledge and acceptance of dental implant treatment in Malaysian Population

Aims: Due to the high success rates and predictability of dental implants, their usage in the rehabilitation of partially dentate and edentulous patients is increasing year by years. The aim of the survey was to assess the patient awareness, source of information and acceptance of dental implants as a treatment modality for replacement of missing teeth among the Malaysian population. Materials and Methods: A nationwide survey was conducted among the patients visiting various dental outpatient departments of hospital and private dental clinics using a self-explanatory questionnaire. The questionnaires were prepared in English and Malay language to enable better understanding and completion. Results: Among the 1013 response retrieved, 772 were aware of dental implant treatment. Among the 81% of the respondents who knew dental implants can be used to replace missing teeth, 19.5% opted not to receive dental implant treatment. About 81.8% of the respondents expressed that dental implant treatment was unaffordable. The cost and associated surgery was a major disadvantage and deterrent to this modality. The dentists were the main source of information regarding the dental implant treatment modality, followed by friends and electronic media. Conclusion: The survey concluded that 76.2% of the Malaysian population was aware of dental implant treatment in Malaysia, mainly from dentists. Having dental insurance would most definitely raise the willingness of respondents for receiving dental implant treatment.Clinical Relevance to Interdisciplinary Dentistry The practice of implant dentistry requires an interdisciplinary approach that integrates the knowledge, skills and experience of different disciplines of dentistry comprising of prosthodontics, periodontology and oral surgery into a comprehensive treatment plan.Interdisciplinary therapy is the best way to consider all factors for a successful outcome and to avoid complications in implant dentistry.

Implementation and Results of a Survey on Safe Community Programs in Gangbuk-gu, Korea: Focusing on Participants at a Local Public Health Center

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of and problems with the Safe Community Programs in Gangbuk-gu, one of the 25 districts of the capital city of Korea.MethodsThe study subjects were 396 individuals who were involved in Safe Community Programs between 2009 and 2011. We examined the effectiveness and willingness of respondents to participate as a safety leader of the Safe Community Program with a questionnaire. We examined the injury death rates of Gangbuk-gu by using of the death certificate data of Korea's National Statistical Office. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests were used.ResultsThe effectiveness of programs did not differ but active participation differed significantly among subjects (p<0.05). The injury death rate of Gangbuk-gu as a whole increased during the implementation period. However, senior safety, in particular, may be a helpful program for reducing injuries in Gangbuk-gu.ConclusionsThis study suggests that the lack of active participation may be a major problem of Safe Community Programs in Gangbuk-gu. Therefore, Safe Community Programs should be expanded to the entire district of Gangbuk-gu and more active participation programs should be developed.

Public Awareness Survey About Organ Donation and Transplantation

BackgroundThis survey was conducted to assess the public perception on organ donation and transplantation. MethodsA random sample of the population attending the outpatient clinics in Dhahran Military Hospital, Saudi Arabia, from December 1, 2011, to January 31, 2012, answered a questionnaire related to the above aim. ResultsFrom 582 subjects who answered the questionnaire, 85 were excluded for incoherent answers. From the remaining 497, 77.7% were males and 22.3% females with the age ranging from 18 to 65 years, and the majority was at a secondary or university level of education. More than 90% were aware organ transplantation and donation. From a religious point of view, 68.6% considered it legal to donate organs versus 26.2%. Those who disagreed with the concept of donation believed that one kidney is not enough to survive (50%), and that the remaining kidney may be affected (25.8%), whereas 15.2% expressed fear of the operation. Kidney transplantation was the preferred treatment for 73.2% of respondents and 12.75% were in favor of dialysis. Regarding financial incentive, 14.5% asked for reward from the government, 3.4% believed that the reward should come from the donor, and the majority (82.1%) stated that organ donation should be for the sake of God. Finally, there was a 61.2% willingness of respondents to donate relatives' organs after brain death. ConclusionThe level of awareness about donation and transplantation in our population was found to be satisfactory. Religion was not a bar for organ donation; moreover, financial incentive was not found to be a positive stimulus toward donation because the majority was willing to donate for the sake of God.

Dynamic, Interactive Survey Questions Can Increase Survey Data Quality

ABSTRACT Survey research is critical to the development of knowledge and market insight in hospitality and tourism. Survey research quality depends on the willingness of respondents to participate, and this is decreasing. The recent development of dynamic, interactive online survey question formats may contribute to solving this problem by making surveys more engaging for respondents. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study which compares traditional and dynamic interactive answer formats using objective and subjective assessment criteria. Results indicate that using a simple dynamic, interactive question in a study on tourism and quality of life improved the objective quality of the data and made the survey experience easier and more fun for respondents, thus leading to higher quality data for users of market research on this topic. Given the wide variety of dynamic question formats, users of market research data need to, however, assess on a case-by-case basis if survey questions are merely more entertaining or whether they indeed increase the validity of data.

Assessment of owner willingness to treat or manage diseases of dogs and cats as a guide to shelter animal adoptability

To determine community approaches to medical and behavioral diseases in dogs and cats. Cross-sectional descriptive study. 97 companion animal veterinarians and 424 animal owners. Companion animal veterinarians in central Iowa ranked medical or behavioral diseases or conditions by what they thought most clients would consider healthy, treatable, manageable, or unhealthy (unmanageable or untreatable). In a parallel survey, cat- or dog-owning households in central Iowa responded to a telephone survey regarding the relationship of their animal in the household, owner willingness to provide medical or behavioral interventions, and extent of financial commitment to resolving diseases. One hundred twenty common health or behavioral disorders in cats and dogs were ranked by veterinarians as healthy, treatable, manageable, or unhealthy (unmanageable or untreatable) on the basis of their opinion of what most clients would do. Findings were in congruence with animal owners' expressed willingness to provide the type of care required to maintain animals with many acute or chronic medical and behavioral conditions. In general, owners indicated a willingness to use various treatment modalities and spend money on veterinary services when considering current or previously owned animals as well as hypothetical situations with an animal. Past experiences with veterinary care in which an animal did not recover fully did not diminish the willingness of respondents to use veterinary services again in the future. These results provide a baseline indication of community willingness to address medical or behavioral conditions in dogs and cats. These considerations can be used in conjunction with Asilomar Accords recommendations to assess adoptability of cats and dogs in animal shelters.

Response Rate and Nonresponse Bias - Impact of the Number of Contact Attempts on Data Quality in the European Social Survey

Increasing respondent contact problems and decreasing respondent willingness to cooperate have contributed to declining response rates in general population surveys, which has raised concerns of survey accuracy. To counteract nonresponse, several methods have been employed, including incentives, advanced letters, alternative survey modes for reluctant respondents, and increased field efforts to contact potential respondents. In particular, the number of contact attempts has been increased for many surveys. Even though more contact attempts increase survey costs, they are a reliable means for increasing response rates. However, the assumption that high response rates foster data quality and smaller nonresponse bias has been challenged. In this paper, we used contact data from the European Social Survey for Norway, Finland and Slovenia to see whether or not additional contact attempts resulting in a higher response rate can potentially reduce nonresponse bias.

Sustainable Housing Provision: Preference for the Use of Interlocking Masonry in Housing Delivery in Nigeria

Th is paper reports a study on the preference level for the use of interlocking masonry over the conventional types in sustainable housing delivery in Nigeria. Globally, buildings are the largest energy consumers and greenhouse gases emitters, consuming over 50% in som e cases. Co mmon materials used for masonry works in housing delivery in Nigeria such as sandcrete blocks and burnt bricks impact high energy and greenhouse gases on the environment due to the production processes involved. Intelligent choice of building materials capable of reducing energy used in buildings is imperative towards achieving materials efficiency and cost reduction. In this study, a comparative survey was carried out empirically among selected professionals in the building industry from 4 out the 6 geo-political zones in Nigeria through the use of questionnaire, direct observations, and interview schedules. Analyses of Chi-square test for significance of differences between materials price rating and acceptability of interlocking masonry as well as level o f willingness of respondents to use the selected materials for future pro jects were conducted. Findings signify shorter time of construction and reduced cost of construction expended when interlocking blocks are used. The study concludes that interlocking masonry is a good replacement to the conventional types in construction of housing in Nigeria.

CORRUPTION SURVEY IN CROATIA: SURVEY CONFIDENTIALITY AND TRUST IN INSTITUTIONS

In an attempt to explore the linkages between corruption surveys, underreporting corruption experiences and causes of reluctance to report corruption, this paper provides insight into solutions applied to mitigate the underreporting risks in surveying corruption experiences in Croatia. Based on the Survey on use of public services and public integrity in Croatia 2010, the issue of underreporting corruption is assessed with a two-fold approach. The study first discusses the survey methodology applied, where the main concerns were the willingness of respondents to report corruption and their perceptions regarding risk of personal data misuse. Potential reluctance to admit involvement in corruption as a criminal act might be driven by a fear of subsequent surveillance or investigation. Further, we investigate the concerns expressed by respondents regarding the misuse of data and about protecting anonymity. Survey data were used to analyze citizens' attitudes and reasons for (not) reporting crime to official institutions. The analysis focuses on reporting corruption experiences, both formally and informally. The findings show a very high level of citizens' opportunism and lack of public trust in institutions that might impede anti-corruption efforts in Croatia.