Search results

This study investigates the dual roles of emotion and cognition in shaping customer experiences within the hospitality sector, examining their distinct impacts on the formation of customer loyalty.

Employing a sequential exploratory mixed-method design, this research integrates qualitative interviews with eighteen hospitality managers and a quantitative survey involving 595 customers to develop and validate a new instrument measuring affective and cognitive experiential states for general hospitality consumers.

The study's results reveal that emotional experiences strongly correlate with affective loyalty, while cognitive experiences significantly influence cognitive loyalty. The study contributes to the existing literature by introducing a robust instrument that effectively captures the experiential dimensions, offering insights into customer loyalty formation.

The reliance on retrospective self-reporting in the quantitative phase may introduce recall bias, potentially limiting the precision of the findings. Future research should seek to mitigate this by employing real-time data capture methods.

The newly developed measurement tool presents a practical solution for industry professionals aiming to enhance customer experience management by focusing on both affective and cognitive aspects, thus facilitating targeted strategies to cultivate customer loyalty. The implications for service design suggest that both emotional and cognitive elements must be considered to optimize customer experiences and drive loyalty.

This work advances the theoretical understanding of customer experience by distinguishing between its affective and cognitive dimensions and their respective contributions to loyalty. It offers a validated empirical tool, setting a foundation for future investigations.

This research paper aims to investigate reinforced concrete (RC) walls' behaviour under fire and identify the thermal and mechanical factors that affect their performance.

A three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model is developed to predict the response of RC walls under fire and is validated through experimental tests on RC wall specimens subjected to fire conditions. The numerical model incorporates temperature-dependent properties of the constituent materials. Moreover, the validated model was used in a parametric study to inspect the effect of the fire scenario, reinforcement concrete cover, reinforcement ratio and configuration, and wall thickness on the thermal and structural behaviour of the walls subjected to fire.

The developed 3D FE model successfully predicted the response of experimentally tested RC walls under fire conditions. Results showed that the fire resistance of the walls was highly compromised under hydrocarbon fire. In addition, the minimum wall thickness specified by EC2 may not be sufficient to achieve the desired fire resistance under considered fire scenarios.

There is limited research on the performance of RC walls exposed to fire scenarios. The study contributed to the current state-of-the-art research on the behaviour of RC walls of different concrete types exposed to fire loading, and it also identified the factors affecting the fire resistance of RC walls. This guides the consideration and optimisation of design parameters to improve RC walls performance in the event of a fire.

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, has been used in the health-care industry for over two decades. It is in high demand in the health-care industry due to its strength to manufacture custom-designed and personalized 3D constructs. Recently, AM technologies are being explored to develop personalized drug delivery systems, such as personalized oral dosages, implants and others due to their potential to design and develop systems with complex geometry and programmed controlled release profile. Furthermore, in 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first AM medication, Spritam® (Apprecia Pharmaceuticals) which has led to tremendous interest in exploring this technology as a bespoke solution for patient-specific drug delivery systems. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of AM technologies applied to the development of personalized drug delivery systems, including an analysis of the commercial status of AM based drugs and delivery devices.

This review paper provides a detailed understanding of how AM technologies are used to develop personalized drug delivery systems. Different AM technologies and how these technologies can be chosen for a specific drug delivery system are discussed. Different types of materials used to manufacture personalized drug delivery systems are also discussed here. Furthermore, recent preclinical and clinical trials are discussed. The challenges and future perceptions of personalized medicine and the clinical use of these systems are also discussed.

Substantial works are ongoing to develop personalized medicine using AM technologies. Understanding the regulatory requirements is needed to establish this area as a point-of-care solution for patients. Furthermore, scientists, engineers and regulatory agencies need to work closely to successfully translate the research efforts to clinics.

This review paper highlights the recent efforts of AM-based technologies in the field of personalized drug delivery systems with an insight into the possible future direction.

This study explores the coping strategies employed by people of color in response to racial discrimination and examines how cultural norms inform these strategies.

In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 34 Black and Asian Americans about their experiences with racial discrimination.

Findings reveal that participants cope through humor, seeking social support on social media, from family and friends, and through avoidant coping strategies. Seeking social support from empathetic others, especially when they shared the same racial background as participants, contributes to feelings of comfort, sanity, and a sense of community. Group differences emerge in seeking family support with Black Americans more likely to seek parental support, likely because of racial socialization practices by their parents that prepared them for experiencing bias. Asian Americans preferred talking to siblings or cousins, citing a cultural gap between them and their parents.

The study underscores the importance of considering the quality of social support, not just its use, as a buffer against harms related to discrimination.

Racial discrimination is a routine experience for many people of color. This study demonstrates how the type of coping strategy matters for coping with the distress that often accompanies these experiences.

In contrast to monoracial-focused studies, this research demonstrates the convergence and divergence of coping strategies among different racial groups.

Researchers have examined the influence of the factors on reducing return rates in retailing over the years. However, the returns experience is often an overlooked way to drive customer engagement and repeat sales in the now ubiquitous omnichannel setting. The focus on returns prevention in existing research overshadows management’s need to understand better the comprehensive mechanics linking the customer in-store return experience with their repurchase actions. Recognizing the need to bridge different stages of the returns management process, this research aims to explore the facilitators and barriers of in-store return activities.

Analysis of customer corporate data from 5,339 returns at the retail level provides insights from the customer return experience. Expanding our theoretical understanding, a deductive research approach then examines how those factors impact customer repurchase intentions both online and at brick-and-mortar stores. Stage two of the study employs a scenario-based role-playing experiment with consumer respondents to test hypotheses derived from signaling theory and justice theory.

Results find that returns policy and loyalty program capabilities are essential in creating a positive customer in-store experience. Moreover, a return experience enhanced by frontline employee service can retain existing shoppers and drive additional store traffic, further stimulating retailer sales.

These findings refine our understanding of returns management in evolving omnichannel retailing and offer practical insights for retailers to manage customer relationships through in-store returns.

The case is derived from secondary sources, including publicly available reports and information about all companies directly or indirectly engaged in the industry. No primary sources were available.

This teaching case is designed for students to demonstrate their mastery of industry-level analysis in the emerging space tourism industry. It allows students to understand what constitutes the industry within the broader space sector and to apply analytical tools such as PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces, with the option to discuss strategic groups. Students gain insights into how the industry is evolving within its broader environment and how companies could respond or differentiate themselves. Information is also provided for students to consider the broader social impact of a relatively new industry from the perspective of sustainable development.

The case is written for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in strategic management courses. The case placement is ideally in conjunction with industry-level analytical frameworks such as Porter’s Five Forces, PESTEL analysis, strategic groups (optional) and industry life cycle. Most strategic management textbooks cover these concepts in the first few chapters. For example, “Strategic Management, 14th edition” by Hill, Schilling and Jones (2023) covers these topics in chapter 2. Given that space tourism is an embryonic industry dependent on technological innovation, instructors might also use this case in innovation or entrepreneurship-related courses. This case could also be used to address critical issues, such as sustainability, in tourism management courses.

This chapter reinforces the overall premise of the book: placemaking is here to stay, has become an integral part of decision-making for the built environment, has much of value to offer, and should encompass all layers of our diverse urban communities. Nevertheless, even dominant paradigms need critical attention, and this chapter reinforces the contributions of the individual chapters and the overall message that placemaking needs to be more holistic, to demonstrate more “joined-up thinking”, in a fast-changing world in which our growing urban areas need to prepare for climate change and other uncertainties.