The stockholm county proposed legislation in 2010 on the use of studded tires in the city. The aim of the policy was to reduce the use of studded tires by 50 percent. The research question investigates the authenticity of the policy where it was hypothesized that the net social benefits for the imposition of this charge was less than or equal to zero. Emperical literatures were chosen systematically and with the help of theories on welfare economics, a meta analysis was employed quantifying cost and benefits of all outcomes. The findings shows that the NSB is less than zero meaning that it was a wise decision to reject the proposal.

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Viele Kirchenbauten erweisen sich als beliebte touristische Stätten. Dazu gehören Wallfahrtskirchen ebenso wie Kirchen, die als kulturtouristische Attraktionen bestechen und/oder an gut frequentierten touristischen Wegen liegen. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum kirchentouristischen Angebot fokussieren auf bestimmte touristische bzw. tourismusrelevante Angebotsleistungen (z.B. Kirchenführungen), lassen jedoch umfassende angebotstheoretische Ansätze vermissen. Auf der touristischen Nachfrageseite liegt eine Vielzahl von Publikationen zu Besuchsmotiven und Erlebnissen von Kirchentouristen vor. Hingegen ist nur wenig über Werteinstellungen touristischer Kirchenbesucher gegenüber den von ihnen besuchten Stätten bekannt. Die vorliegende Dissertation kategorisiert aus tourismusökonomischer Perspektive heraus die typischen Leistungsbestandteile einer Kirche in ihrer Funktion als touristische Attraktion, identifiziert die von touristischen Kirchenbesuchern zugeschriebenen Werteattribute und entwickelt ein Modell von Kirchenbauten als touristischen Leistungs- und Wertebündeln (bzw. wertebasierten Tourismusprodukten). Auch beleuchtet die Arbeit individuelle Zahlungsbereitschaften im Kirchentourismus, die sowohl als monetäre Bewertungsinstrumente für Werteattribute von Kirchenbauten fungieren als auch die Akzeptanz besucherbezogener Finanzierungsinstrumente (z.B. Eintrittsgelder, Besucherspenden) zum (Unt)Erhalt von Kirchenbauten widerspiegeln. Im Rahmen einer empirischen Fallstudie zu drei ausgewählten Kirchenbauten in Sachsen erfolgt eine Analyse monetärer wie nicht-monetärer Wertekategorien hinsichtlich ihrer Ausprägungen bei touristischen Besuchern. Im Zuge einer Clusterzentrenanalyse ergeben sich mehrere Besuchertypen mit charakteristischen Wertemustern. Die Fallstudie zeigt auf, dass für die überwiegende Anzahl der Kirchentouristen nicht nur unmittelbare nutzungsbezogene Nutzenwerte von Kirchenbauten von Belang sind, sondern auch Werteattribute, die über die punktuelle touristische Nutzung hinausgehen und auf den Erhalt der betreffenden Kirchenbauten abzielen („Erhaltungswerte“). Die vorliegende Arbeit plädiert für den Einbezug von Nutzungs- als auch Erhaltungswerten in die touristische Angebots- und Kommunikationspolitik. Damit liefert sie einen Ansatz für ein wertebasiertes Attraktionsmanagement von Kirchenbauten und anderen (religiös-)kulturellen Tourismusattraktionen.

The aim of this study is to determine the value of the Big 5 from a visitor’s perspective. This study will focus on determining the stated preference or contingent value (CV) of the Big 5 through a survey of tourists’, visiting the Kruger National Park, willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation. The CV method is based on the principle of stated preferences, since participants are asked to state how much they are willing to pay for specific goods or services. Literature indicates that there is a relationship between education, income, professional standing, marital status, age, characteristics of visit, number of children and nationality and a tourist’s willingness to pay. By estimating the effect these variables have on a tourist’s willingness to pay will assist parks and private game reserves in future decisions concerning the conservation of wildlife. Additionally this information is also invaluable for marketing as well as pricing purposes since it gives a specific monetary value. The study found that visitors to the Kruger National Park (KNP) assigned a significant amount (34.64%) of total average spending to experience the Big 5. The value per species also differed. The main determinants of visitors’ willingness-to-pay for simply viewing the Big 5 include age, the marital status and the role of the Big 5 during decision to visit the KNP. Noticeable differences between international literature and this research are the determinants like education, income, age and country of residence. / Thesis (MCom (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The aim of this study is to determine the value of the Big 5 from a visitor’s perspective. This study will focus on determining the stated preference or contingent value (CV) of the Big 5 through a survey of tourists’, visiting the Kruger National Park, willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation. The CV method is based on the principle of stated preferences, since participants are asked to state how much they are willing to pay for specific goods or services. Literature indicates that there is a relationship between education, income, professional standing, marital status, age, characteristics of visit, number of children and nationality and a tourist’s willingness to pay. By estimating the effect these variables have on a tourist’s willingness to pay will assist parks and private game reserves in future decisions concerning the conservation of wildlife. Additionally this information is also invaluable for marketing as well as pricing purposes since it gives a specific monetary value. The study found that visitors to the Kruger National Park (KNP) assigned a significant amount (34.64%) of total average spending to experience the Big 5. The value per species also differed. The main determinants of visitors’ willingness-to-pay for simply viewing the Big 5 include age, the marital status and the role of the Big 5 during decision to visit the KNP. Noticeable differences between international literature and this research are the determinants like education, income, age and country of residence. / Thesis (MCom (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

利用條件評估法 (contingent valuation method) 來評估非市場財貨之市場隱含價值時，雙界二分選擇法 (doubled-bound dichotomous choice method) 為最普遍的詢價方式。近年來，藉由此詢價方式來估計受訪者心目中的願付價值 (willingness to pay) 之研究中，更將此方法推廣至同時估計兩個以上且具有相關性的非市場財貨。只是文獻中的相關探討多半忽略其間的相關性，此外所採用的模型也有可能導致估計的願付價值會有小於零的情形產生。因此，本文引進了衍生版本的Bivariate Generalized Gamma Distribution，來解決這上述兩個問題。我們並採用「竹東及朴子地區心臟血管疾病之危險因子長期追□研究」中，第五循環的「肥胖之願付價格問卷」來作實證分析。在其餘的條件不變的情況下，分析結果顯示，居住在竹東、女性、教育程度愈高、年紀愈小、體重愈重及收入愈高的受訪者會願意支付較高的金額來接受減肥的療程；此外，認為肥胖會影響工作及社交關係的受訪者也會願意支付較高的金額。 / In a contingent valuation survey, it is quite often that subjects were asked to respond to more than one WTP (willingness-to-pay) scenarios. Under such a circumstance, responses provided by a subject are clearly correlated. Although the issue is well recognized in the past, in practice a popular strategy in analyzing this sort of data, however, simply ignore the issue and treat them as if they were totally uncorrelated. Concerning that WTP prices can take only non-negative values along with the issue of possible correlation, we propose an “extend bivariate generalized gamma distribution” that can be used to deal with data collected under a two-scenario situation. Applying it to the CVDFACTS study, where subjects were asked to evaluate a medication-only program as well as a medication-and-exercise program, we found that, other things being equal, female subjects, subjects residing in Chu-Dung County, subjects weigh more, subjects with younger age, higher income, and more years of schooling are willing to pay more. In addition, those who think obesity would affect their social activities would also have higher WTP prices.

This thesis consists of an overview and five essays. The purpose of the thesis is to show how economics can contribute to a better understanding of medical practice variations – why they exist, their consequences, and the extent to which they can – and should – be influenced. The first essay, Econometric analysis of variation in cesarean section rates – a cross-sectional study of 59 obstetrical departments in Sweden, is an attempt to identify the causes of variation in cesarean section rates, and to discuss their economic consequences. The econometric model applied explains 27 percent of the variation. We conclude that the unexplained variation in cesarean section rates indicates inefficiency, mainly due to over-utilisation. Estimates of the economic consequences indicate an additional cost for "unnecessary" cesarean sections of 13-16 million SEK per year. The welfare loss to society due to undesired variation is tentatively estimated to be about twice as high. In the second essay, Estimating the effect of cesarean section rate on health outcome – evidence from Swedish hospital data, we test the null hypothesis of a zero effect of cesarean section rate on health outcome, against the alternative of a positive effect. We could not reject the null hypothesis of a zero effect, i.e., we did not find any significant positive relationship between cesarean section rate and health outcome, in terms of perinatal mortality or rate of asphyxia. In the third essay, Benchmarking in obstetric care – a comparative study based on data envelopment analysis (DEA), we apply the DEA method to compare technical efficiency (productivity) of inpatient obstetric care in Swedish hospitals in 1994 and 1995. The results indicate an average potential for enhanced productivity of at least 6-7 percent each year. Most hospitals show decreasing productivity 1994-1995, partly due to inability to adjust production capacity and costs to a decreasing demand. The last two essays apply a new method – Quality Satisfaction Performance (QSP) – for incorporating patient perspectives into the management of health care, i.e., as a basis for quality improvement. Change-oriented patient questionnaires – testing a new method at three departments of ophthalmology, is a pilot study. The results show consistently high patient satisfaction indices. Satisfaction varies somewhat among the different patient segments and departments. We conclude that decisions on improvements must be preceded by thorough assessment of costs as well as effects associated with the various changes. The last essay, Patient satisfaction and priority setting – an economic approach, aims at analysing if and how priorities according to the QSP approach are influenced when an economic perspective is explicitly included. This is accomplished by a cost-effectiveness analysis of certain proposed changes/improvements, and a cost-benefit analysis based upon the patients` willingness-to-pay for these changes. Our results show that the ranking between various improvements is strongly influenced when an economic dimension is included. We conclude that even a methodologically appropriate measurement of patient satisfaction may lead to cost-ineffective priority setting, unless economic consequences are explicitly considered. / Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Handelshögsk., 2001

Univ., Diss.--Kiel, 2008. / Besteht nur aus einem Titelverzeichnis und Zusammenfassungen der eingereichten Publikationen. Internetausg.: http://eldiss.uni-kiel.de/macau/receive/dissertation_diss_00002766.

Calif., Univ. of California, Diss.--Berkeley, 2004. / Kopie, ersch. im Verl. UMI, Ann Arbor, Mich. - Enth. 3 Beitr.