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While the brand equity associated with tangible goods has received a great deal of attention in the literature, a basic understanding of the nature of brand equity for services has yet to emerge. Most of what is known about brand equity for services is based on theoretical or anecdotal evidence. In addition, the presumed differences in brand equity associated with search‐dominant, experience‐dominant, and credence‐dominant services has yet to be empirically examined. The objectives of this study are threefold: to empirically test whether brand equity is more important for services than for tangible goods, to test whether the presumed differences in brand equity for search‐, experience‐, and credence‐dominant services can be confirmed in an empirical examination, and to assess whether consumer knowledge of a product category has an effect on the importance of brand equity across product types. Contrary to suppositions in the literature, the results indicate that brand equity is more important for tangible goods than for services. In addition, the results do not support the presumed differences between service types as brand equity for search‐dominant services is more important than for both experience‐ and credence‐dominant services. The same pattern of results is achieved when consumer knowledge of each product category is included as a covariate.

This research has the purpose of exploring whether the construct of consumer ethnocentrism extends to contexts in which foreign products are preferred to domestic products.

The study evaluates the psychometric properties of the consumer ethnocentrism scale (CETSCALE) in the transition economies of China and Russia using both student and non‐student samples. A valid and reliable six‐item version of the CETSCALE is developed based on these samples. The refined six‐item scale is then validated through a re‐analysis of Netemeyer et al.'s data collected in four developed countries.

Findings show that the scale can be used effectively in these transitional economies. A consistent pattern of support is found for the six‐item CETSCALE across eight samples from six countries.

The research provides practicing marketers as well as international researchers with a parsimonious six‐item CETSCALE that can be used in both developed and transition economies.

This research seeks to examine how the expectation process and its components evolve over time and purchase experience.

A longitudinal study was conducted over the period of one year using a sample of university students who were purchasing an undergraduate education. The sample was surveyed three times over the year. Structural equation analyses and regression were used to test various research hypotheses.

Key findings include confirming two significantly different levels of expectations: a lower, predictive “will” level and a higher normative “should” level. Expectation antecedents change in their degree of influence on expectations, weakening over time and service purchase experience.

There is a need to extend the results to other service contexts.

The consumer's expectation formation process changes over service purchase experience, thus indicating a need to segment on experience with the service firm.

The application of an expectation formation process to a longitudinal study provides the first partnership of the theoretically‐based model and longitudinal methodology.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating roles of two distinct styles of coping and decision latitude on the relationship between three facets of role stress and psychological strain in six national contexts.

The objective of the research is to examine the relative predictive efficacies of three theory specific moderators in six countries which differ on the cultural dimension of individualism‐collectivism. The data are analyzed using moderated regression analysis.

The results show that problem‐focused coping is a better moderator in the individualistic countries and that emotion‐focused coping is a better moderator in the collectivistic contexts. None of the three moderators moderate the relationships in Germany and South Africa – the two countries which had scores in the mid‐range of the individualism‐collectivism continuum. Findings are discussed for their significance into the interplay of cultural variations and coping with work stress in predicting psychological strain or distress on the job.

Practical implications for managing human resources in various subsidiaries of multinational and global organizations are discussed.

This paper confirms existing theories and expands the authors’ understanding of role stress and psychological strain in different cultural contexts.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm based design optimization of Brushless DC (BLDC) motor with a view to mitigate cogging torque and enhance the efficiency.

The suitability of MOPSO algorithm is tested on a 120 W BLDC motor considering magnet axial length, stator slot opening and air gap length as the design variables. It avails the use of MagNet 7.5.1, a Finite Element Analysis tool, to account for the geometry and the non-linearity of material for assuaging an improved design framework and operates through the boundaries of generalized regression neural network (GRNN) to advocate the optimum design. The results of MOPSO are compared with Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II based formulations for claiming its place in real world applications.

A MOPSO design optimization procedure has been enlivened to escalate the performance of the BLDC motor. The optimality in design has been out reached through minimizing the cogging torque, maximizing the average torque and reducing the total losses to claim an increase in the efficiency. The results have been fortified in well-distributed Pareto-optimal planes to arrive at trade-off solutions between different objectives.

The rhetoric theory of multi objective formulations has been reinforced to provide a decisive solution with regard to the choice of the design obtained from Pareto-optimal planes.

The incorporation of a larger number of design variables together with an orientation to thermal and vibration analysis will still go a long way in bringing on board new dimensions to the fold of optimality in the design of BLDC motors.

The proposal offers a new perspective to the design of BLDC motor in the sense it be-hives the facility of a swarm based approach to optimize the parameters in order that it serves to improve its performance. The results of a 120 W motor in terms of lowering the losses, minimizing the cogging torque and maximizing the average torque emphasize the benefits of the GRNN based multi-objective formulation and establish its viability for use in practical applications.

The purpose of this paper is to study and develop supply chain structure of traditional Indian agri-fresh food supply chain (AFSC). This paper proposes a mathematical model to design a traditional Indian AFSC to minimize total distribution cost and post-harvest losses in the chain.

This paper formulates two mathematical models to structure and represent the flow of products in the existing chain. First, a three-echelon, multi-period, multi-product, mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is formulated to minimize the total distribution cost incurred in the chain. Further, the developed formulation is extended by considering the perishability of products in the second model.

A real case study problem of Mandsaur district (India) is solved in LINGO 17.0 package to check the validity of the formulated models. The perishable (second) model of AFSC reports better results in terms of costs and post-harvest losses minimization. The results revealed that 92% of the total distribution cost incurred in the transportation of products from farmers to the hubs.

This paper includes implications for redesigning an existing supply chain network by incorporating an appropriate transportation strategy from farmers to hubs to minimize transportation inefficiency and enhance the profitability of farmers.

The formulated AFSC model would help managers and policymakers to identify optimal locations for hubs where required infrastructure would be developed.

According to the author's best knowledge, this paper is the first to design traditional Indian AFSC by considering the perishability of products.

E-commerce platforms offer service guarantees (SGs) to improve consumers’ perceived quality and satisfaction. This survey aimed to test the direct and indirect effects of SGs on consumers’ perceived quality and satisfaction concerning the services of an international e-commerce platform.

The survey sample consisted of 378 consumers of an international e-commerce platform. Structural equation modelling (SEM) tested two structural models.

The first hypothetical model demonstrated that SGs positively and directly affects perceived quality and consumers' satisfaction on an e-commerce platform. This model also revealed that the perceived quality directly and positively impacted consumer satisfaction. The second hypothetical model confirmed that perceived quality mediates the relationship between SGs and satisfaction. Moreover, SGs positively and indirectly impacts consumer satisfaction.

This study suggests that e-commerce platforms use SGs as a marketing strategy in their business models to increase perceived quality and consumer satisfaction. However, to positively impact the perception of quality and consumer satisfaction, such SGs must have the following characteristics: unconditional, easy to understand and communicate, meaningful, easy and painless to invoke, and easy and quick to collect.

This research demonstrated the direct effects of SGs on perceived quality and consumer satisfaction on an international e-commerce platform. SGs directly impacts consumer satisfaction with the platform, even if they have not experienced its quality attributes (reliability, customisation, security and design). The indirect effects of SGs on consumer satisfaction were also proven, mediated by perceived quality. No previous study demonstrated such relationships simultaneously on e-commerce platforms.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of inhibiting, motivating, and technological factors on users’ intention to participate in the sharing economy.

A self-reported online survey was conducted among Uber users in Hong Kong. A total of 295 valid responses were collected. The research model was empirically tested using the structural equation modeling technique.

The results suggested that perceived risks, perceived benefits, trust in the platform, and perceived platform qualities were significant predictors of users’ intention to participate in Uber.

This study bridged the research gaps in the sharing economy literature by examining the effects of perceived risks, perceived benefits, and trust in the platform on users’ intention to participate in the sharing economy. Moreover, this study enriched the extended valence framework by incorporating perceived platform qualities into the research model, responding to the calls for the inclusion of technological variables in information systems research.

The findings provided practitioners with insights into enhancing users’ intention to participate in the sharing economy.

This study presented one of the first attempts to systematically examine the effects of inhibiting, motivating, and technological factors on users’ intention to participate in the sharing economy.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of trust in enhancing customer loyalty, and to test the mediation role of commitment and customer intimacy in the relationship between trust and customer loyalty.

A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed and 200 were returned (40 percent response rate), and a structural equation modeling technique was used to test the hypotheses.

The results of this study show that trust has a significant relationship with commitment and customer intimacy but no significant relationship was found with customer loyalty. Commitment and customer intimacy have a significant relationship with customer loyalty. The mediation analysis reveals that commitment and customer intimacy play a mediation role in the relationship between trust and customer loyalty.

This study indicates that commitment and customer intimacy affect customer loyalty. The role of commitment and customer intimacy as a mediator between trust and customer loyalty indicates that customers are committed to continuing and maintaining the relationships with Islamic banks.

This study provides empirical evidence on interrelationships between trust, commitment, customer intimacy and customer loyalty in banking relationships.

The main purpose of this research is to investigate finite-element analysis (FEA) on flux reversal-free stator switched reluctance motor (FRFSSRM) for industrial applications. The vibration analysis for an electrical machine is essential because of the acoustic noises. The acoustic noises originate by coincidence of natural frequencies of motor with the vibration frequencies.

The identification with the performance for FRFSRM by torque ripple, vibration. The vibration of the machine is because of unbalanced electromagnetic forces. The mutual coupled winding and a common pole between two adjacent exciting poles reduce these unbalanced forces.

The accelerometer is used to monitor the vibration amplitude in transient mode. A comparison study shows that the vibration is less in the E-core SRM than in the conventional flux reversal SRM.

The shorter flux path reduces the torque ripple and vibration content in SRM. This research article mainly focuses on the parameters such as vibration and torque ripple. The vibration of FRFSRM is identified by accelerometer; ANSYS Package predicts the simulation of the vibration measurement. The dynamic behaviors of this E-core SRM model with rated conditions the vibration had predicted.