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on Cultural Economics |
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Issue of 2025–05–19
six papers chosen by Roberto Zanola, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale |
| By: | Ewa Zawojska (Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw); Bartosz Jusypenko (Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw); Aleksandra Wiśniewska (Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw) |
| Abstract: | Understanding the value of cultural goods such as performing arts is essential for designing welfare-maximizing cultural policies. However, since these goods often generate public externalities, market data alone cannot capture their full value. While primary non-market valuation studies offer robust insights, they are resource-intensive. Benefit transfer (BT)—using value estimates from existing studies to assess unstudied contexts—offers a cost-effective alternative. This study examines the accuracy of BT in cultural economics, focusing on marginal values of theater performances. Using data from a discrete choice experiment (DCE) conducted in six Polish provinces, we perform inter-provincial transfers of marginal willingness-to-pay values for four types of theater performances. By comparing transferred values with primary estimates, we assess BT’s validity and reliability. To our knowledge, this is the first BT study in cultural economics using DCE-derived marginal values. Our findings suggest that BT accuracy in culture aligns with results from more established fields, supporting the use of DCE-based estimates in cultural policy evaluation. |
| Keywords: | accuracy, benefit transfer, discrete choice experiment, performing arts, reliability, validity |
| JEL: | H43 Z11 Z18 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:war:wpaper:2025-10 |
| By: | Mikołaj Czajkowski (Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw); Bartosz Jusypenko (Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw); Ben White (SurveyEngine GmbH, Germany) |
| Abstract: | This pioneering study employs stated preference methods, specifically discrete choice experiments, to evaluate public preferences for the protection of diverse cultural heritage assets in Victoria, Australia. By analyzing responses to a series of hypothetical policy scenarios, we uncover the economic values the public assigns to various heritage attributes, including condition, accessibility, and protection measures. Our findings emphasize the importance of both use and non-use values in shaping willingness to pay for heritage conservation. These insights are critical for developing more effective, community-aligned heritage policies that reflect the public's valuation of cultural heritage. This research marks a significant advancement in the application of discrete choice experiments for general heritage valuation, offering a robust framework for future studies and policy development in cultural heritage preservation. |
| Keywords: | cultural heritage, historic preservation, built environment, non-market valuation, discrete choice experiment, public preferences |
| JEL: | C51 H43 Z18 Q51 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:war:wpaper:2025-11 |
| By: | Li, Xu; Ody-Brasier, Amandine |
| Abstract: | Why would a law-abiding occupational community support members engaged in legally prohibited actions? We propose that lawbreaking can elicit informal support when it is construed as a disinterested action—intended to serve the community rather than the perpetrator. We study how illegal remixing (“bootlegging”) affects an artist’s ability to secure opening act and other performance opportunities in the electronic dance music (EDM) community, whose members endorse the substance of copyright law but whose norms about bootlegging are ambiguous. Data on 38, 784 disc jockeys (DJs) across 97 countries over 10 years reveal that producing bootlegs is associated with more opportunities to perform, compared to producing official remixes or original music. This effect disappears when community members view bootlegging as a self-serving action—primarily designed to benefit the perpetrator. An online experiment and an expert survey rule out the possibility that bootlegs are considered more creative, of higher quality, or better able to attract attention. We shed additional light on our proposed mechanism by analyzing data from 34 interviews with EDM professionals. This helps us to explain how a lawbreaker can paradoxically be perceived as serving the community, thereby eliciting active community support for their action. |
| Keywords: | occupational communities; intellectual property (IP) laws; creative industries; norms and deviance |
| JEL: | R14 J01 |
| Date: | 2025–02–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:127427 |
| By: | Snezana Ristevska-Jovanovska (Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Economics – Skopje); Ezeni Brzovska (Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Economics – Skopje); Irena Bogoevska-Gavrilova (Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Economics – Skopje) |
| Abstract: | Purpose. The present research, which builds upon Pine and Gilmore's (1999) experience economy framework, aims to investigate the relationship between the four dimensions of the experience economy - education, entertainment, escapism, and esthetics - and their impact on arousal and customer loyalty. Certain industries are growing significantly in today's global economy due to the rising demand for experiential consumption (Oh et al., 2007). This trend reflects a shift towards an experience-driven economy, where consumers prioritize unique experiences over traditional products and services (Pine and Gilmore, 1999; Oh et al., 2007) a prerequisite for competitive advantage in the event industry (Manthiou et al., 2011). Research on the experience economy highlights its four key dimensions: education, entertainment, escapism, and esthetics. The literature on arousal's impact on loyalty in the experience economy reveals several significant findings. The experience economy dimensions significantly influence consumer arousal and loyalty (Alan et al., 2016; Girish and Chen, 2017; Brzovska et al., 2020). Moreover, Kastenholz et al. (2017) extended this framework to rural tourism, demonstrating that the esthetic dimension strongly influences arousal and satisfaction, which are critical for loyalty. Their findings align with Pine and Gilmore's (1999) assertion that creating memorable and engaging experiences is crucial for competitive advantage. Quadri-Felitti and Fiore (2013) examined wine tourism, concluding that the esthetic dimension of the experience economy is the most influential in creating positive memories and destination loyalty. Manthiou et al. (2014) also investigated the experience economy four-dimensional concept when it comes to memory vividness and loyalty at festivals, and their results show that entertainment and esthetics significantly impact loyalty, emphasizing the need for memorable experiences. Alan et al. (2016) found that cognitive assessments and emotional responses, including arousal, play crucial roles in shaping store loyalty in retail settings. Their study suggests that positive emotional arousal, directly and indirectly, affects consumer loyalty. Finally, Girish and Chen (2017) demonstrated that arousal significantly influences satisfaction and loyalty in festival contexts, highlighting the importance of creating authentic and engaging experiences to foster attendee loyalty. Brzovska et al. (2020) found that educational and esthetic experiences positively impact arousal and memory in the wine industry. Another study by Brzovska et al. (2023) also explores how the dimensions of Pine and Gilmore's experience economy (education, entertainment, escapism, and esthetics) affect consumer loyalty in cultural institutions. The research reveals that esthetics and entertainment significantly enhance memory, boosting loyalty, and education and escapism contribute to the overall experience (Brzovska et al., 2023). These studies collectively underscore the pivotal role of arousal and emotional engagement in enhancing customer loyalty across various sectors. By understanding how these dimensions influence consumer behavior, businesses can better design and market their experiences to build stronger customer relationships. Based on this we propose the following hypotheses: H1: Education has a positive influence on the arousal of visitors to cultural institution events. H2: Entertainment has a positive influence on the arousal of visitors to cultural institution events. H3: Esthetics has a positive influence on the arousal of visitors to cultural institution events. H4: Escapism has a positive influence on the arousal of visitors to cultural institution events. H5: The arousal of visitors to cultural institution events has a positive influence on their loyalty toward the institution. Design/methodology/approach. To conduct this study, an online survey was conducted using snowball sampling, yielding 224 responses. After screening the data, 222 responses were deemed valid. The survey questionnaire measured respondents’ perceptions of the four experiential dimensions, arousal, and loyalty to a specific cultural institution. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data and determine the strength and direction of the relationships between the variables. SEM combines factor analysis and multiple regression to examine measurement and structural model components (Hair et al., 2006). Using a two-stage approach (Anderson and Gerbing, 1988), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) validated the measurement model and assessed the structural model to examine hypothesized relationships. The standardized regression coefficients and estimates of the hypothesized relationships are presented in Table 1. Findings. Based on data presented in Table 1 we can conclude that four out of five hypotheses are supported, as indicated by the p-value at a significance level of 0.05. The study results indicate that the relationship between arousal and customer loyalty is positive and the strongest in the model, resulting in accepting H5. Regarding the relationships between the four experiential dimensions and arousal, it is evident that esthetics has the strongest positive impact (H3 is confirmed), followed by entertainment (H2 is confirmed). H4 is also confirmed meaning escapism has also a significant impact on arousal, while education is not significantly related to arousal (H1 is rejected). These findings indicate that prioritizing visually appealing and aesthetically pleasing experiences that are entertaining can boost arousal and, in turn, foster loyalty. The study also emphasizes the significance of crafting engaging and entertaining experiences to stimulate arousal in consumers. Originality/value. This study contributes to the existing literature on the experience economy by providing empirical evidence of the relationships between different experiential dimensions and consumer behavior. The findings highlight the pivotal role of esthetics, entertainment, and escapism in enhancing visitor arousal within cultural institutions, which subsequently fosters customer loyalty. Esthetics was found to be the most important factor influencing arousal. This means that attractive environments deeply engage visitors' senses and emotions. This finding agrees with Quadri-Felitti and Fiore (2013), who concluded that esthetics is crucial for creating positive memories and building loyalty in wine tourism. Similarly, Manthiou et al. (2014) discovered that esthetics significantly affects how vividly people remember festivals and their loyalty to them, highlighting the importance of creating memorable experiences. Entertainment also had a strong positive effect on arousal. This supports the findings of Manthiou et al. (2014), who showed that entertainment significantly boosts loyalty by enhancing visitor experiences. Escapism also positively influenced arousal, although not as strongly as esthetics and entertainment. This aligns with Girish and Chen (2017), who found that escapism contributes to genuine and engaging experiences, which in turn increase attendee satisfaction and loyalty in festival settings. Education did not have a significant effect on arousal, which was unexpected. This differs from studies like Kastenholz et al. (2017), who found that educational experiences do influence arousal and satisfaction in rural tourism. Furthermore, this suggests that in cultural institutions, simply providing information or learning opportunities might not create strong emotional responses that lead to loyalty. It highlights the need to combine educational content with esthetic and entertaining elements to enhance its impact. This idea aligns with Brzovska et al. (2020), who discovered that educational and esthetic experiences positively affect arousal and memory. The originality of this study lies in its focus on cultural institutions and events, areas that have been largely overlooked in prior research in the context of the experience economy, which has predominantly concentrated on tourism and wine tourism settings, with limited attention to its implications for cultural institutions or events (Oh et al., 2007; Kastenholz et al., 2017; Brzovska et al., 2020; Quadri-Felitti and Fiore, 2012; Mehmetoglu and Engen, 2011; Manthiou et al., 2011; Manthiou et al., 2014). By identifying which dimensions have the most significant impact on arousal and loyalty, businesses can optimize their experiential offerings better to meet the needs and preferences of their target audience. This research provides valuable insights for marketers and businesses aiming to create engaging experiences that enhance arousal and drive customer loyalty in cultural institutions. |
| Keywords: | Experience economy, Cultural institutions, Arousal, Customer loyalty |
| JEL: | M31 |
| Date: | 2024–12–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aoh:conpro:2024:i:5:p:28-31 |
| By: | Magalie Dubois (CEREN - Centre de Recherche sur l'ENtreprise [Dijon] - BSB - Burgundy School of Business (BSB) - Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Dijon Bourgogne (ESC)); Jean-Marie Cardebat (INSEEC - Institut des hautes études économiques et commerciales | School of Business and Economics, BSE - Bordeaux sciences économiques - UB - Université de Bordeaux - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement); Nikolaos Georgantzis (CEREN - Centre de Recherche sur l'ENtreprise [Dijon] - BSB - Burgundy School of Business (BSB) - Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Dijon Bourgogne (ESC)) |
| Abstract: | The parallel development of scientific knowledge and technical practices over the last five decades has had a significant impact on sensory wine quality definition and evaluation. We conduct an integrative review of the literature on wine quality evaluation to determine the role of experts in the wine market, considering the recent changes. Following the updated methodology of integrative review proposed by Whittemore & Knafl (2005), we conceptually structure the topic of quality evaluation and valuation in the wine market while critically analyzing the literature. The existence of a market for experts and aggregated peer evaluations is not fully explained by the profitability of the actors involved: wine media and online review aggregators. The residual value necessary for the subsistence of this market seems to be contributed by the wine industry. The present research demonstrates that professional wine evaluation does not meet the demand for quality evaluation and judgment delegation apart from fine wines. Subsequently, with the fall of the search cost for price, information, and expertise, we are witnessing a digital switch toward informal influence. This is to our knowledge the first integrative review spanning the emergence and development of the industry of information and specialized valuation in the major wine markets. |
| Keywords: | information Asymmetry, Wine Ratings, Quality evaluation, Prescription, Digital transformation, Online Review Aggregators, Prosumers |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05029839 |
| By: | Tom\'a\v{s} Evan; Eva Fi\v{s}erov\'a; Aneta Elgnerov\'a |
| Abstract: | UN migration data and Hofstede's six cultural dimensions make it possible to find a connection between migration patterns and culture from a longterm perspective. Migrant patterns have been studied from the perspective of both immigrants and OECD host countries. This study tests two hypotheses: first, that the number of migrants leaving for OECD countries is influenced by cultural similarities to the host country; and second, that OECD host countries are more likely to accept culturally close migrants. Both hypotheses were tested using the Mann/Whitney U test for 93 countries between 1995 and 2015. The relationship between cultural and geodesic distance also analysed. The results indicate that cultural proximity significantly influences migration patterns, although the impact varies across countries. About two/thirds of OECD countries show a positive correlation between cultural similarity and geographic proximity, with notable exceptions, such as New Zealand and Australia, which exhibit a negative correlation. Countries such as Colombia, Denmark, and Japan maintain cultural distance, even from their neighbouring countries. Migrants from wealthier countries tend to select culturally similar destinations, whereas those from poorer countries often migrate to culturally distant destinations. Approximately half of OECD countries demonstrate a statistically significant bias towards accepting culturally close migrants. The results of this study highlight the importance of a critical debate that recognises and accepts the influence of culture on migration patterns. |
| Date: | 2025–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2504.08443 |