Climate change behaviors related to purchase and use of personal cars: Development and validation of eco-socially conscious consumer behavior scale

A constantly changing environment and global warming are issues that are recognized at all global forums. One of the major reasons for global warming is the emission of greenhouse gasses which is primarily caused by use of personal cars as means of transport. This study reports on the development of an eco-socially conscious consumer behavior (ESCCB) scale specific to purchase and use of personal cars, based on samples of actual automobile customers in Pakistan. Using mixed method approaches, the results of 3 studies yield a 9-item three-dimensional scale (eco-social conservation, eco-social use, and eco-social purchase) with satisfactory reliability, construct validity and nomological validity. Second-order factor analysis revealed that eco-social purchase was the most important dimension, followed by eco-conservation and eco-social use. A test of nomological behavior shows that the scale is positively associated with a related construct: environmental concern. This study advances the literature on pro-environmental behaviors by introducing a conceptual definition of ESCCB related to personal car purchase and use, developing a measure for the ESCCB concept and validating the scale in the context of an emerging economy, Pakistan. The scale provides important insights for marketers in the automobile industry for remodelling marketing plans, as well as for environmentalists focusing on strategies to bring change in consumer behavior.     

集聚经济视角下轨道交通投资对城市系统均衡的影响

随着城镇化进程加快,城市规模增加所带来的集聚效应和交通拥堵等负外部性之间的矛盾越来越突出,优化城市交通基础设施建设是缓解该矛盾的重要举措。本文同时考虑了集聚经济和交通拥挤两种外部性,构建并求解了一个两区域城市空间结构模型,分三种情况探究了轨道交通的投资引入和道路容量的优化对城市规模和城市空间结构均衡的影响。结果表明,轨道交通的投资引入能够增加城市人口规模和社会福利,使城市结构更加紧凑。但是,随着集聚经济水平的提高,城市规划者应逐步完善公交配套设施,以降低公交拥挤成本,提高公交出行分担率;还应制定相应的福利政策,避免由于个体效用下降而导致人口流出。     

Empirical analysis of short period traffic counts and their efficiency: the case of Indian traffic

Short period traffic counts (SPTCs) are conducted routinely to estimate the annual average daily traffic (AADT) at a particular site. This paper uses Indian traffic volume data to methodically and extensively study the effect of four aspects related to the design of SPTCs. These four aspects are: (i) for how long, (ii) on which days should SPTCs be carried out, (iii) how many times, and (iv) on which months should SPTCs be carried out? The analyses indicate that the best durations for conducting SPTCs are 3 days (starting with a Thursday) and 7 days, for total traffic and truck traffic, respectively. Further, these counts should be repeated twice a year keeping a separation of two months between the counts to obtain good estimates of AADT at minimal cost. An additional outcome of this study has been the determination of seasonal factor values for roads in developing economies, like India.     

A dynamic model for marginal cost pricing of port infrastructures

ABSTRACT

A dynamic model for marginal cost pricing of port infrastructures links costs to system performance by combining a power-law function with time-dependent queueing analysis. Additionally, the model incorporates the marginal cost of capacity, including the effects of economies of scale. This allows the calculation of the marginal cost price under a dynamic framework. The model accounts for nonlinear behaviour of port demand, which is sensitive to price and service levels. The effects over time of cost and service levels on the port’s operational performance are quantified. The proposed model allows determining the optimal timing for capacity investment. The model is a starting point for the application of marginal cost pricing to ports. However, for practical application of such pricing method it is necessary to apply a system’s approach, as productivity and costs must be assessed at the terminal’s component level. This should allow the derivation of a marginal cost function at the terminal’s component level.     

Examining the influence of firm performance on business risk-taking and the mediation effect of scale of operations in the container terminal industry

Container shipping and its related service sectors help accelerate globalization of the world economy. This industry has been experiencing rapid growth, prompting container terminal operators to increase their handling capacity in response. Providing container terminal services requires substantial capital investment in physical assets such as cargo handling facilities and information systems. On the other hand, operating container terminals is a long-term investment that typically spans several business cycles. Hence prudent asset management using appropriate tools is critical for container terminal operators to sustain their businesses. Generally, due to risk-adverseness, investors are unwilling to take more risk in their investment unless they can reap a higher return. Contrary to this argument, this study finds no direct influence of better firm performance as a proxy of higher return on business risk-taking by container terminal operators. Instead, scale of operations is positively associated with business risk-taking, suggesting that container terminal operators with a larger scale of operations are willing to take more business risk.     

乡镇汽车客运站场规模确定方法研究

通过对传统乡镇汽车客运站场规模确定方法不足的分析,针对农村旅客运输特点,对乡镇汽车客运站的功能进行了定位,从农村客运站场网络体系优化出发,提出了协调法确定乡镇汽车客运站场规模,建立了相应的站场规模调整模型,并给出了计算步骤和相关参数的标定方法及部分推荐值。最后通过成都市青白江区的实例验证了方法的可行性。     

公路货运企业生产成本分析

当前对运输成本的分析较为笼统,缺乏具体针对公路货运企业成本的分析。公路货运与其它运输方式货运相比成本有很大的区别。通过比较研究公路货运企业的短期成本和长期成本的性质,得出了公路货运企业成本的弱垄断性。并采用超越对数成本函数对成本进行分析,根据超越对数成本函数的性质验证了公路货运企业的规模效应。     

Public transit subsidies, output effect and total factor productivity

This paper extends previous works on total factor productivity decomposition when firms receive both operating and capital subsidies. It shows that previous works considered either the lump-sum or substitution effects of these subsidies but not together. Using constrained cost minimization as the framework it offers formal proofs to show that cost increases are inevitable if the total effects of the subsidies are considered, and that total factor productivity growth results from increasing amounts of subsidies under economies of scale and in the absence of technical change. Applications of the decomposition equations derived to a sample of transit systems finds near constant returns to scale and negative contributions of these subsidies to total factor productivity growth. Technical change reverses this decline and results in total factor productivity growth. Further, it finds that the lump-sum effects of the subsidies reduce total factor productivity more than does the substitution effect.     

铁路隧道震害评估中标度法及权重值的确定研究

基于层次分析法原理,建立了铁路隧道结构构造和常见震害形式的层次模型,通过采用1-9标度法、9/9-9/1分数标度法、10/10-18/2分数标度法、20/2~28/2指数标度法、90/8~98/8指数标度法等5种方法分别构建判断矩阵,借助Matlab软件求最大特征值λmax后,运用计算一致性指标(CI)和平均随机一致性指标(RI),得出计算一致性比例CR指标值,对5种常用权重值计算方法的适用性进行检验。研究表明:在铁路隧道地震灾害损失定量评估时,采用9/9~9/1分数标度法计算权重值较为快速、准确、合理、便捷,可作为铁路隧道灾害定量损失评估权重值的计算依据。     

不断轨动态称量轨道衡安装导引

从轨道衡地点选定、线路要求、机械台而、电气设备等方面介绍不断轨动态称量轨道衡安装各阶段、过程的方法与指引，以及轨道衡的计量检定。