دانلود رایگان مقاله یک مزیت تعاونی وجود دارد؟ شواهد تجربی در عوامل اقتصادی و غیر اقتصادی، تقاضا

Abstract

Focusing on consumer co-operatives, I test the conventional economic worldview that relative price is a main determinants of consumer behaviour using survey instruments in a classroom setting. I examine the role which non-economic variables such as 'warm glow' might play in determining demand. My findings challenge the narrow economic worldview that only economic variables count; but support a core assumption that economic variables are of fundamental importance to individual's choice decisions. Significantly, individuals are willing to pay higher prices for co-operative products even if they are not co-op members. However, as the price of co-operative products increases relative to the products of non-co-operatives, demand falls amongst both non-members and members of co-operatives. But demand is more inelastic for co-op members. When price is the same for co-ops and non-co-op, even non-co-ops members prefer to purchase products sold by co-operatives. The co-operative advantage provides co-ops with a protective belt against competition from non-cooperatives. This also speaks to the potential strength of consumer co-ops in competitive markets. Firms that invest in both economic and non-economic determinants of consumer demand, should be characterized by a significant competitive advantage.

6. Conclusion

The fact that demand is sensitive to changes in relative price, for both co-operative and non-co-operative members, only supports a weaker version of the conventional economic wisdom that individuals are sensitive to relative price changes—economic factors impact upon individuals’ choice decisions. But more profoundly the evidence also supports the hypothesis that both economic and non-economic variables impact upon the choice decisions of subjects. Both hypothetical co-op members and those who are not, have a strong preference for purchasing from a co-op when price is the same. Also, ceteris paribus, co-operative members have a stronger affinity for products sold by co-operatives irrespective of price. Even non-co-operative members have some affinity for coop output when co-op prices are relatively high, even though this involves some material self-sacrifice. In this experiment, there is little difference in responses when the co-op is hypothesized to be consumer controlled or a multi-stakeholder co-operative. Given that individual’s preferences are predisposed towards cooperatives in our sample population, co-operatives would have a competitive advantage over non-co-ops, ceteris paribus. The co-operative advantage diminishes as relative price increases. However, the co-operative advantage provides co-ops with a protective belt against competition from non-co-operatives—a monopolistic position on the market. This allows co-operatives to produce inefficiently and survive on the competitive market. However, of critical importance is that the results of this experiment suggest that efficient co-ops can potentially dominate the market. The co-operative advantage can be used to protect inefficient firms or to increase market share when co-operatives are relatively efficient. The co-op advantage also provides co-operatives with flexibility to transform themselves from inefficient to efficient suppliers giventhatthe inefficient co-operative willnot easily be wiped out ofthe market, atleastin the shortterm. But non-economic variables go only so far, and high priced-inefficient co-operatives will suffer the wrath of consumers searching for relatively low pricedhigh quality output.