Analyses of factors influencing Chinese repeated blood donation behavior. Delivered value theory perspective
| Published date | 18 December 2019 |
| Date | 18 December 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-09-2019-0509 |
| Pages | 486-507 |
| Author | Xu Chen,Shuyao Wu,Xinyu Guo |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information systems,Data management systems,Knowledge management,Knowledge sharing,Management science & operations,Supply chain management,Supply chain information systems,Logistics,Quality management/systems |
Analyses of factors influencing
Chinese repeated blood
donation behavior
Delivered value theory perspective
Xu Chen, Shuyao Wu and Xinyu Guo
School of Management and Economics,
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to link subjective data obtained from a questionnaire survey with
blood donation behavioral data, constructs a conceptual model of the factors that influence repeated blood
donation behavior, and explores the mechanisms and degrees of influence of the value and cost elements of
blood donors on repeated blood donation behavior.
Design/methodology/approach –First, this study constructs a conceptual model of the factors that affect
repeated blood donation based on delivered value theory. Second, this paper is driven by subjective data
obtained from a questionnaire and big data on blood donation behavior; the use of multisource data can help
us understand repeated blood donation behavior from a broader perspective. Through data association and
systematic research, it is possible to accurately explore the mechanisms through which various factors affect
repeated blood donation behavior.
Findings –The results show that among the value elements, personnel value (PV), image value and blood
donation value affect blood donation behavior in decreasing order. The change in PV per unit directly caused
a 0.471-unit change in satisfaction, which indirectly caused a 0.098-unit change in donation behavior.
Among the cost elements of blood donors, only the impact of time cost (TC) on repeated blood donation
behavior was significant, and a change of one unit in TC caused a change in repeated blood donation behavior
of −0.035 units. In addition, this paper groups subjects according to gender, education and age and explores
the differences in the value and cost factors of different groups. Finally, based on the research results, the
authors propose corresponding policy recommendations.
Originality/value –First, the authors expand the application field of the delivered value theory, and provide
a new perspective for studying repeated blood donation. Second, through questionnaire data and
blood donation behavior data, the authors comprehensively explore the factors that influence repeated blood
donation behavior.
Keywords Health care management, Blood service management, Delivered value theory,
Repeated blood donation behaviour, Satisfaction degree, Intention to donate blood repeatedly
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Blood is necessary for clinical medical care. In the USA, one patient requires a blood
transfusion every two seconds (UN News, 2012). Tens of thousands of patients need a blood
transfusion to survive every year in China. In recent years, the shortage of blood for use in
transfusions has become increasingly serious worldwide. In November 2018, the American
Red Cross experienced a severe blood shortage. Donations of blood and platelets collected
by the American Red Cross in September and October of that year were 21,000 fewer than
those required by hospitals (American Red Cross, 2018), so many patients who need blood
transfusions experience a delay in treatment because safe blood is not available in a timely
manner. The low blood donation rate is the direct cause of blood shortage. According to the
report by the WHO, the median blood donation rate in high-income countries is 3.21 percent.
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 120 No. 3, 2020
pp. 486-507
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/IMDS-09-2019-0509
Received 4 October 2019
Revised 19 November 2019
Accepted 1 December 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/0263-5577.htm
The authors are supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos 71432003, 91646109),
and Youth Team Program for Technology Innovation of Sichuan Province (No. 2016TD0013).
486
IMDS
120,3
This compares with 0.78 percent; in middle-income countries and 0.46 percent; in low-income
countries (WHO, 2018). In middle-income and low-income countries, blood donation rates are
much lower than the 1 percent recommended by the World Health Organization.
While the rate of blood donation is low, the loss of blood donors is also increasing.
In Deyang City, the rate of loss of blood donors during the period 2000–2018 was as high as
61 percent. Dr Eric Senaldi of the New York City Blood Center also noted that only
50 percent of first-time blood donors donate blood again and that only 23–36 percent of
blood donors donate blood again within 12 months of their first donation. The massive loss
of blood donors caused great losses. The shortage of blood aggravates the problems
associated with blood use, thereby seriously affecting human health and placing great
pressure on governments, blood banks and other relevant management departments.
Analyzing the factors influencing blood donation behavior and exploring their mechanisms
can help blood banks prescribe the right medicine.
Numerous prior studies have been conducted regarding blood donation. We will review
themorerelevantliteratureinthisstudybyfocusing on three key streams: blood donation
intention; blood donation behavior; and repeated blood donation. From the perspective of
blood donation intention, the most important factors are altruism and related incentives
(Suemnig et al., 2017; Glynn et al., 2010). In addition, blood donation attitude (Saha and
Chandra, 2018; Wevers et al., 2013), satisfaction (Boenigk et al., 2011), self-esteem and the
sense of shame (Pentecost et al., 2017), and the reputation of the blood bank also have a
positive impact on blood donation intention (Martin et al., 2017); one important reason
impeding the intention to donate blood is the inconvenience caused by blood donation
sites and time (Yuan et al., 2011). The literature mostly evaluates the intention of donors
through questionnaires or interview measurements. However, psychological studies have
shown that although the intention of an individual’s statement may be consistent with the
goal, but it does not completely predict the behavior or may even contradict the actual
behavior (Inauen et al., 2016). For example, Sheeran et al. (2017) found that the relationship
between the intention and the behavior of donating blood was influenced by the
experience and showed that the relationship displayedaninvertedU-shape. Therefore,it
is more scientific and meaningful to study the actual behavior of repeated blood donation
than to study the inte ntion.
In view of this, some scholars have studied blood donation based on actual behavior and
explored the factors that influence it. Based on demographic variables, some studies have
found that gender (Papagiannis et al., 2016; Veldhuizen et al., 2009), occupation, age and
weight (Kheiri and Alibeigi, 2015) may affect blood donation behavior. The variables in
these studies were mostly analyzed only through observation of the data, but lack further
analysis of the mechanism. Many scholars have conducted research on blood donation
behavior based on theories of behavioral science and social psychology. Planned behavior
theory has been widely used in the field of blood donation research (Faqah et al., 2015;
Godin et al., 2007). Masser et al. (2008) expanded the theory of planned behavior and
increased variables such as expected regret and donation anxiety. The research showed that
attitude, self-efficacy and expected regret have a positive impact on intention, and ethics
and donation anxiety can affect intention and further affect behavior through attitude.
However, it is difficult to use psychological variables such as perceptual behavior control
and moral standards to guide practical work.
Most of the studies above focus on blood donation, and there are few studies on repeated
blood donation. Repeated blood donors are the most reliable blood donors, with many
advantages such as high blood qualification rate, high response enthusiasm and low
recruitment cost (Faulkner et al., 2016). In terms of repeated blood donation, many studies
have studied the effects of donation experience on repeated blood donation behavior,
including variables such as adverse events ( Jaafar1 et al., 2017), location of blood donation
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Delivered
value theory
perspective
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