This dissertation represented an initial effort to model spousal family purchase decision behavior in terms of spousal coercion propensity. Two major issues concerning how spouses resolve conflicts were investigated: (1) What are the spousal behavioral interactions in household conflict resolution processes? (2) What are the temporal aspects of spousal family decision behaviors? It was hypothesized that spouses tend to not reciprocate their partners' uses of coercive influence strategies in a decision, given their avoidance of conflict. Also, spouses who used more power in the past tend to use less power in order to maintain equity in the long-term marital relationship. It was also hypothesized that spousal coercion propensity are contingent upon marital power, love, and preference intensity. Marital power and preference intensity are positively related to spousal coercion propensity while love predicts weaker coercive decision behavior. Consistently, it was proposed that coercive influence strategies are more effective in the short run, given the spouses' conflict avoidance and sense of equity in marriage. Thus, spouses who used coercive strategies are more satisfied with the decision outcome but less satisfied with the decision process. A dynamic simultaneous equations model (DSE) was developed to test the major hypotheses of this dissertation. The model was calibrated by means of an Autoregressive Two-Stage Least Square (A2SLS) approach. MANOVAs and a set of binary logistic regressions and linear multiple regressions were used to test the other hypotheses. The empirical study involving a random sample provided adequate support for the model. The implications of the findings, theoretical and managerial alike, limitations of the study, and future research directions were discussed. / Ph. D.

Consumer decision behavior has been an interesting research topic for researchers and marketing people. While E-Commerce websites and online self-service are becoming more and more popular, it is important to understand how to support consumer in their online shopping decision process. The purpose of this research is to understand how consumer¡¦s decision behavior would be influenced in online shopping environment, when facing different product price and complexity, and discover the personal factors that might influence it¡¦s decision behavior. The result of our research showed that product complexity has significant influence on consumer¡¦s decision behavior. When product complexity become higher, the effort and time for a consumer to complete a purchase decision will also become higher. When consumer is more familiar with the product, more involve with the product, or have higher computer self-efficacy, consumer will use much harder decision tools then usual. But our result also showed that product price has no influence on consumer¡¦s decision behavior, this might be that in our experiment, consumers don¡¦t really have to pay for the product, so the influence of product price has no effect on consumer. From our result we can know that for different product complexity and consumer will result in different decision behavior. In the future, online shopping store can provide different decision tools for different consumer when facing different products, to help consumer make better decision.

Die vier Beiträge der vorliegenden Dissertationsschrift untersuchen das Entscheidungsverhalten von Landwirten in unterschiedlichen Entscheidungssituationen. Das übergeordnete Ziel ist es, die Präferenzstruktur und Zahlungsbereitschaft von Landwirten in den untersuchten Entscheidungssituationen zu analysieren, um so die Informationsgrundlage als Entscheidungsbasis für Politiker und Berater sowie der Landwirte selbst zu erweitern. Hierzu findet die Methode der Discrete Choice Experimente in allen vier Beiträgen Anwendung. Im Einzelnen werden in den Beiträgen folgende Forschungsfragen untersucht: Der erste Beitrag prüft welche Faktoren die Entscheidung von Landwirten beeinflussen, den Preis für ihr Erntegut ex ante abzusichern. Im zweiten Beitrag werden die Präferenzen von Landwirten für das Eingehen einer Kooperation unter expliziter Berücksichtigung von nicht-monetären Faktoren analysiert. Der dritte Beitrag geht der Frage nach, welche Rolle die finanzielle Flexibilität in Investitionsentscheidungen von Landwirten spielt. Wie Anbauverträge für Biogas-Zuckerrüben aus Sicht der anbauenden Landwirte ausgestaltet sein müssen, wird im vierten Beitrag geklärt.

When confronted with decisions involving the provision of environmental resources, such as clean air, do individuals act cooperatively with societal regulations? This study employs a quasi-experimental design to investigate the cooperative and non-cooperative actions of high-emitting vehicle owners that arose in response to the Inspection and Maintenance (IM) program in the Atlanta airshed. The impact of cooperative and non-cooperative actions of high-emitters on vehicular tail-pipe emissions, such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), is quantified. Furthermore, the hypothesis that high-emitters have significantly higher odds of residing in lower income neighborhoods as compared to the normal emitters is also tested. A remote sensing sample of approximately 1.42 million vehicles observed on-road between 1997 and 2001 is matched with IM program data and vehicle registration data to identify the cooperative and non-cooperative high-emitters. A mixed-pool time-series regression analysis is undertaken to estimate changes in vehicular tail-pipe emissions due to the actions of high-emitters. The information about the socio-economic and demographic contextual conditions of the sampled vehicle owners is ascertained from 2000 census data. Approximately 42% of the high-emitting vehicle owners are found to be cooperative and 58% non-cooperative. The cooperative actions caused a decrease of 47% in HC emission factors during 1997 and 2001. There is no statistical difference between the CO and NO emission factors of vehicles owned by cooperative and non-cooperative high-emitters. Results also suggest that the high-emitters live in 4.4% lower median household income areas as compared to the normal emitters in the Atlanta airshed. Changes in the current IM program rules and vehicle registration laws could improve air quality. Such changes include disallowing IM test failures from registering anywhere in the state of Georgia and requiring an IM test on every change of vehicle ownership inside the IM program area. Better incentive mechanisms for high-emitters can also be designed. The evidence from this study is expected to aid policy-makers to adapt the incentive mechanisms of IM programs, in particular, and environmental regulations, in general, so that public policies are both more effective and equitable in their societal impacts.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:35:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Damares Medina Coelho.pdf: 2740980 bytes, checksum: 1d46465ad2d42335e3d5b98a884d43d5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-04 / This paper analyses Brazilian Supreme Federal Court s ( Supremo Tribunal Federal , STF) decision behavior, under the specific perspective of the general repercussion of the constitutional question. The starting point was the academic debate and several empiric studies regarding the judicial decision making process in the supreme courts. The Brazilian experience was analyzed using a comprehensive empiric research that comprised the examination of the whole universe of general repercussion s topics judged by STF until December 31st 2013. We have investigated how STF has been applying the institute of general repercussion in order to understand general repercussion effects on the access to constitutional jurisdiction. The outcome evidenced the rapporteur power over the definition of general repercussion s result, as well as his selectivity of the case, of the process to be judged and of the judging house. We have identified that the institutional context influences the trial s output, once the virtual plenary is the main competent house for judging general repercussion on STF. The analysis showed that, despite virtual plenary success and its adjustment to general repercussion trial, there are limitations to be faced for its improvement and a possible amplification of its competences. Finally, we concluded that the incorporation of the general repercussion of the constitutional question to STF s decision process increased access to constitutional jurisdiction. / O presente trabalho analisa o comportamento decisório do Supremo Tribunal Federal, sob o específico crivo da repercussão geral da questão constitucional. O ponto de partida foi o debate acadêmico e inúmeros estudos empíricos acerca do processo de tomada de decisão judicial nas supremas cortes. A experiência brasileira foi analisada a partir de exaustiva pesquisa empírica que compreendeu o exame de todo o universo de temas de repercussão geral julgados pelo STF, até 31 de dezembro de 2013. Investigamos de que forma o tribunal vem aplicando o instituto da repercussão geral, para compreender os seus efeitos na jurisdição constitucional: restritivos ou ampliativos do acesso à jurisdição constitucional. Os resultados encontrados evidenciaram o poder do relator na definição do resultado da repercussão geral, bem como a sua seletividade da matéria, do processo a ser julgado e do órgão julgador. Identificamos que o contexto institucional influencia no resultado do julgamento, sendo que o plenário virtual é o principal órgão competente para o julgamento da repercussão geral no STF. A análise demonstrou que, apesar do êxito do plenário virtual e de sua adequação para o julgamento da preliminar de repercussão geral, há limitações a serem enfrentadas para o seu aperfeiçoamento e possível ampliação de suas competências. Por fim, concluímos que a incorporação da repercussão geral da questão constitucional ao processo decisório do STF ampliou o acesso à jurisdição constitucional.

本研究旨在探討兒童美語補教業消費者決策行為。由於過去相關文獻以量化 調查為主，缺少質化觀點；又因強調首次購買，忽略了時間脈絡及決策環境的影響；另外假定消費決策者為家長，也使得消費使用者-兒童的決策影響力未見著墨；因此本研究試圖以質性方法，探索兒美補教消費本質，並加入時間脈絡及親子互動觀察，試圖建構更完整之消費決策樣貌。 研究設計方面，先就過去文獻之研究發現進行整理，提出值得進一步探索之 問題，而後擬定訪談大綱，分別針對家長及兒童進行訪談，其中家長訪談為求深入以補充過去文獻不足，以一對一方式進行；兒童訪談部分，由於沒有文獻曾經探討兒童在補教消費的觀點，因此以焦點團體方式蒐集多元意見，進行探索研究。 本研究結果可歸納為七大點：(一)兒美補教首次消費接近特殊品之消費性 質，家長涉入深（二）家長對於兒美補教首次消費知覺風險高，決策勝任感不足（三）兒美補教消費為具嘗試性重購（Trial Repeat Purchase）之序貫決策（Sequential Decision）（四）反向代間影響於嘗試性重購時期漸增（五）同儕影響在兒美補教業存在且顯著，以社會支持、社會認同與社會遵從等三種方式影響（六）孩子與家長在選擇補習班決策準則與購買後滿意度準則均不同（七）兒美補習決策存在影響甚大的『詢問脈絡口碑』(Seeker-Initiated WOM)。 / This study intends to inquire consumer’s decision making process of children’s English learning program in a qualitative way. While there are many quantitative studies about this process, few are conducted qualitatively. revious studies are all focused only on the first purchase, neglecting their subsequent repeat purchase processes; and parents are assumed to be the decision makers, ignoring the role of the children in the process. This study thus purports to explore and provide a clearer depiction of the parent-child interaction in the repeat purchase context. After reviewing 27 prior studies, this researcher suggested research questions in this study. Data were collected through several interviews with parents and children respectively. Parent interviews were conducted through one-on-one basis, while children interviews through focus groups. Interviews were taped, transcribed, and analyzed qualitatively. The results of this study can be concluded into seven parts as follows. First of all, the essence of the first purchase decision in children’s English learning program is close to the essence of the purchase decision of special goods, and the consumers’ (parents) involvement is deep. Second, the risk conception of the first purchase is high and consumers are lack of confidence in first purchase in the decision making. Third, the process is a sequential decision with trial repeat purchase process. Fourth, the influence of reverse intergeneration is increasing in the process of trial repeat purchase process. Fifth, the peer-influence exists remarkably in three ways : social support, social identification and social conformity. Sixth, both decision and satisfying criteria are distinct from parents and children. Finally, the seeker-initiated WOM is a tremendous factor in the decision of children’s English learning program.