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How fair is pricing perceived to be? An empirical study

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  • Charles Raux

    (LET - Laboratoire d'économie des transports - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - ENTPE - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Stéphanie Souche

    (LET - Laboratoire d'économie des transports - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - ENTPE - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Yves Croissant

    (LET - Laboratoire d'économie des transports - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - ENTPE - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

The perceived fairness of different rules for allocating scarce resources is analysed in two cases: seats on a high speed train and parking spaces in a company car park. Attitudes toward allocation rules depend on context. They vary according to: the educational level of respondents; the type of "good"; and the exceptional or recurring nature of scarcity. Peak pricing, administrative and lottery rules are seen as the most unfair, together with queuing in some cases. The moral rule is considered to be the fairest one, except by more educated people who prefer the compensation rule.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles Raux & Stéphanie Souche & Yves Croissant, 2009. "How fair is pricing perceived to be? An empirical study," Post-Print halshs-00372115, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00372115
    DOI: 10.1007/s11127-008-9390-y
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00372115
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    4. Souche, Stéphanie & Raux, Charles & Croissant, Yves, 2012. "On the perceived justice of urban road pricing: An empirical study in Lyon," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(7), pages 1124-1136.
    5. Sulser, Pascal A., 2021. "Pay-per-minute pricing: A field experiment comparing traditional and participative pricing mechanisms," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    6. Camilleri, Adrian R. & Dankova, Katarina & Ortiz, Jose M. & Neelim, Ananta, 2023. "Increasing worker motivation using a reward scheme with probabilistic elements," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    7. Koller, Florian, 2021. "What determines the acceptance of socially optimal traffic coordination?: A scenario-based examination in Germany," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 62-75.
    8. Thi Minh Hang Vu & Sylvie Llosa, 2018. "Analyzing influences of Revenue Management on customers’ perceived fairness, price acceptance and switching intention in the Service industry," Post-Print hal-01934845, HAL.
    9. Neuteleers, Stijn & Mulder, Machiel & Hindriks, Frank, 2017. "Assessing fairness of dynamic grid tariffs," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 111-120.

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