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.

中文翻译：

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有合作优势吗？关于需求的经济和非经济决定因素的实验证据

着眼于消费者合作社，我测试了传统的经济世界观，即相对价格是在教室环境中使用调查工具来决定消费者行为的主要决定因素。我研究了诸如“暖光”之类的非经济变量在确定需求中可能发挥的作用。我的发现挑战了狭economic的经济世界观，即只有经济变量才有意义。但支持一个核心假设，即经济变量对于个人的选择决定至关重要。值得注意的是，即使他们不是合作社成员，个人也愿意为合作产品支付更高的价格。但是，由于合作社产品的价格相对于非合作社的产品增加，因此需求在非合作社成员和非合作社成员中均下降。但是，对于合作社成员而言，需求更加缺乏弹性。当合作社和非合作社的价格相同时，即使非合作社成员也喜欢购买合作社出售的产品。合作社的优势为合作社提供了防止非合作社竞争的保护带。这也说明了消费者合作社在竞争市场中的潜在实力。投资于消费者需求的经济和非经济决定因素的公司应具有显着的竞争优势。