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This study aims to explore the tower crane safety factors (TCSFs) that influence tower crane safe operations (TCSOs) in modular integrated construction (MiC). It evaluates how the adoption of these factors contributes to achieving TCSOs and promoting sustainable practices (SPs) within MiC.

To achieve this aim, the study employed a systematic search to ensure a comprehensive collection of variables. Additionally, it conducted a questionnaire survey involving professionals and utilized a brainstorming technique to categorize the different variables. Finally, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the relationship between TCSOs and SPs.

The results of measurement models indicated strong convergent and discriminant validity, with each observed variable correlating well with its latent variable. Moreover, a significant positive correlation between TCSOs and SPs was evidenced by a path coefficient (β = 0.755) and a p-value of <0.05. Lastly, the structural model revealed that the independent variables strongly influence the dependent variable (i.e. SPs) by 57%, underscoring safety's pivotal role in advancing sustainability within MiC projects. These findings provide empirical evidence that improving tower crane safety can directly enhance sustainable practices, offering a dual benefit of increased safety and sustainability for the construction sector.

This study makes a unique and previously undiscovered contribution to the field by identifying the TCSFs in MiC and employing a novel approach by utilizing PLS-SEM to create a unique mathematical model. It offers valuable insights into the relationship between TCSFs, TCSOs and SPs, thus contributing to methodological advancements within Safety Science and providing a foundation for future research and practical implementation in the construction industry.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of working capital efficiency (WCE) and its components on the composite financial performance of a sample of Indian firms.

Our sample includes 796 non-financial listed firms from 2015–16 to 2021–22. Sample firms’ profitability, liquidity, solvency, cash flow management, and financial and operational leverage have been used to classify them into companies with high composite financial performance (HCFP) and with low composite financial performance (LCFP) by using K-Means Clustering technique. A composite financial performance score (CFPS) of 1 has been assigned to HCFP and 0 to LCFP. We have used logistic regression models with fixed effect to estimate the effect of cash conversion cycle (CCC) and its components, i.e. inventory days, accounts receivable days and accounts payable days on CFPS in the presence of control variables such as growth, leverage, firm size, and age.

The study finds that CCC and inventory days are inversely associated with CFPS. This finding shows that the firms’ WCE leads to superior financial performance on a composite basis.

The research findings are based on samples drawn from the population of the listed Indian non-financial companies. Since the operation, financial practices, working capital policies, and management styles of firms vary greatly among nations, the results of this study should be extended to firms in other countries after taking into account the degree of resemblance to the sample firms.

The findings of this study hold significant value for industry practitioners, as they provide guidance in determining the optimal allocation of funds for working capital and devising strategies for effectively managing inventory levels, credit sales, and vendor payments in order to increase the overall value of the company. This study aims to help investors in building their investment portfolios by identifying companies with superior composite financial performance. Investors can enhance the construction of their investment portfolios by strategically selecting companies that demonstrate superior overall performance.

The results of our study will help companies improve their WCM strategies to enhance their overall value, and their significance increases manifold during economic downturns. Business firms that perform well by efficiently managing their working capital have a multiplier effect on the economy and society at large in the form of GDP contribution, labor income, taxes to the government, investment in capital assets, and payments to suppliers.

To understand the impact of WCE on firms’ performance, the extant working capital literature focuses on some specific characteristics such as profitability, valuation, solvency, and liquidity. The limitation of employing a single parameter is its inability to present the comprehensive performance evaluation of firms. This study is among the earliest studies that focus on the holistic evaluation of WCE's impact on the composite performance of a company.

This study aims to predict customers’ intention (INT) to visit green hotels through an extended norm activation model (NAM) framework. The extended NAM includes environmental concern (EC), price consciousness (PC) and aesthetic values (AEV).

A quantitative survey design was used to collect 340 valid responses from customers in Pakistan. Partial least square - structural equation modeling was used to assess the hypothesized relationships.

The results show that EC and awareness of consequences have a significant ascription of responsibility (AR) and personal norms (PN) towards INT. The results confirmed the moderating effect of PC on the relationship between PN and INT and the moderating effect of AEV on relationship between PN and INT and AR and INT. The findings indicate that PN does not mediate the relationship between AR and INT. These findings indicate that customers are aware of the consequences of resource depletion and environmental pollution that result from the unsustainable hotel practices. Therefore, customers tend to visit aesthetically green hotels at affordable prices.

The study proposes that green hotels should design marketing strategies in a way that increases customers’ awareness and concern towards environmental issues. Marketing campaigns focusing on environmental aspects of green hotels enhance its green reputation and motivate customers to visit green hotels. In addition, managers must consider enhancing the beauty of hotels at a competitive price.

This is the first study to use an extended NAM by integrating EC, average variance extracted and PC to predict customers’ INT towards green hotels. The extended NAM framework provides comprehensive understanding of the relationships between EC, AR and PN regarding visiting green hotels. In addition, the study emphasizes on AEV’s crucial role in influencing customers’ INT to visit green hotels.

This paper aims to present the mechanical design and kinematics of a novel rigid-flexible coupling hybrid robot to develop a promising aeroengine blades in situ repair technology.

According to requirements analysis, a novel rigid-flexible coupling hybrid robot is proposed by combining a three degrees of freedom (DOF) parallel mechanism with a flexible continuum section. Then the kinematics models of both parallel mechanism and flexible continuum section are derived respectively. Finally, based on equivalent joint method, a two-step numerical iterative inverse kinematics algorithm is proposed for the whole robot: (1) the flexible continuum section is equivalently transformed to a 2-DOF spherical joint, thus the approximate analytical inverse kinematic solution can be obtained; (2) the accurate solution is derived by an iterative derivation of both parallel mechanism and flexible continuum section.

To verify structure scheme and the proposed kinematics modeling method, numerical simulations and prototype experiments are implemented. The results show that the proposed kinematics algorithm has sufficient accuracy and computational efficiency in the whole available workspace, that is end-effector position error and orientation error are less than 0.2 mm and 0.01° respectively, and computation time is less than 0.22s.

A novel rigid-flexible coupling hybrid robot for aeroengine blades in situ repair is designed. A two-step numerical iterative inverse kinematics algorithm is proposed for this unique hybrid robots, which has good accuracy and computational efficiency.

Conceptual and empirical research over the past 20 years has moved the social media (SM) literature beyond the embryotic stage to a well-developed academic discipline. As the lead article in the special issue in the Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing on Cutting-Edge Research in Social Media and Interactive Marketing, this review and agenda article has two key goals: (1) to review key SM and interactive marketing research over the past three years and (2) to identify the next wave of high priority challenges and research opportunities.

Given the “cutting-edge” research focus of the special issue, this review and research agenda paper focused on articles published in 25 key marketing journals between January 2021 and March 2024. Initially, the search request was for articles with “social media, social selling, social commerce” located in the article title, author-selected key words and journal-selected keywords. Later, we conducted searches based on terminology from articles presented in the final review. In total, over 1,000 articles were reviewed across the 25 journals, plus additional ones that were cited in those journals that were not on the initial list.

Our review uncovered eight key content areas: (1) data sources, methodology and scale development; (2) emergent SM technologies; (3) artificial intelligence; (4) virtual reality; (5) sales and sales management; (6) consumer welfare; (7) influencer marketing; and (8) social commerce. Table I provides a summer of key articles and research findings for each of the content areas.

As a literature review and research agenda article, this paper is one of the most extensive to date on SM marketing, and particularly with regard to emergent research over the past three years. Recommendations for future research are integrated through the paper and summarized in Figure 2.

Consumer welfare is one of the eight emergent content areas uncovered in the literature review. Specific focus is on SM privacy, misinformation, mental health and misbehavior.

The proliferation of non-fungible token (NFT)-based crypto-art platforms has transformed how creators manage, own and earn money through the creation, assets and identity of their digital works. Despite this, no studies have examined the drivers of continuous content contribution behavior (CCCB) toward NFTs. Hence, this study draws on the theory of relational bonds to examine how various relational bonds affect feelings of psychological ownership, which, in turn, affects CCCB on metaverse platforms.

Using structural equation modeling and importance-performance matrix analysis, an online survey of 434 content creators from prominent NFT platforms empirically validated the research hypotheses.

Financial, structural, and social bonds positively affect psychological ownership, which in turn encourages CCCBs. The results of the importance-performance matrix analysis reveal that male content creators prioritized virtual reputation and social enhancement, whereas female content creators prioritized personalization and monetary gains.

We examine Web 3.0 and the NFT creators’ network that characterizes the governance practices of the metaverse. Consequently, the findings facilitate a better understanding of creator economy and meta-verse commerce.

The use of digital channels to promote products and services is experimenting with an unprecedented boom in promotion and communication marketing campaigns; airports such as Los Angeles (IATA: LAX) in the United States, Orlando International (IATA: MCO) in the United States, Schiphol Amsterdam (IATA: AMS) in the Netherlands or Changi airport (IATA: SIN) in Singapore are pioneers and recognised experts in marketing communication and technical aspects of promotion campaigns. The brand image of airports is a great opportunity to universalise loyalty marketing and price promotion for airport business portfolios. For this reason, in this chapter, we speak about neuromarketing science, which is a marketing discipline that uses medical techniques to understand how our central nervous system reacts to marketing stimuli. This is helping companies and airports get more consumer insights through digital channels.

Although virtual anchors have emerged as potent marketing tools, their acceptance by consumers is controversial. Specifically, the relative efficacy of selecting an all-human-like or animal-human-like virtual anchor is not well-defined. However, anthropomorphic visual cues are vital in enhancing live streaming. This study aims to analyze the disparate effects of an animal-human-like or all-human-like virtual anchor on purchase intention as well as evaluate the possible underlying influential mechanisms and boundary conditions.

In this research, three different studies were carried out to elucidate the impact of virtual anchors on purchase intention. Study 1 evaluated the core impact of an animal-human-like and all-human-like virtual anchor on purchase intention, as well as the mediating role of perceived warmth and competence. Studies 2 and 3 were then performed to investigate the moderating impacts of product type and certainty of consumer needs, respectively. Furthermore, research data for these studies was collected using the Credamo tool and analyzed via SPSS, using PROCESS for moderation and mediation analyses.

The research findings indicate that virtual anchors can trigger purchase intention, with perceived warmth and competence acting as mediating factors. Based on the utilitarian products and high certainty of consumer needs, the influence of perceived competence on purchase intention is augmented. Therefore, an all-human-like virtual anchor increases purchase intention. In contrast, the impact of perceived warmth on purchase intention is supplemented for hedonic products and low certainty of consumer needs. Thus, an animal-human-like virtual anchor increases purchase intention.

This research study evaluated consumer reactions to all-human-like and animal-human-like virtual anchors for different product types and the certainty of consumer needs to optimize the comprehension of a virtual anchor. Furthermore, the assessment of the mediating roles of perceived warmth and competence provided valuable insights into the influential mechanisms by which virtual anchors affect purchase intention. Moreover, this study provided managerial implications to guide retailers and brands on the strategic adoption of virtual anchors to enhance purchase intention based on the product type and the certainty of consumer needs.

Male celebrities are increasingly being chosen to endorse female cosmetic brands by marketing managers, yet this practice has not received sufficient scholarly attention. This study aims to explore the dynamics of male celebrities endorsing cosmetic brands.

The study employs the netnography approach to collect data from an online community.

The study contributes to the marketing literature by providing a conceptual framework of male celebrities endorsing cosmetic brands, highlighting the key attributes that contribute to the effectiveness of these endorsements, the evolution of relationships between fans, celebrities and brands, the features of this dynamic relationship and the influence of male celebrity endorsements on fans’ purchase decisions.

This research sheds light on an emerging trend in the marketing industry and provides valuable managerial insights for marketers seeking to effectively use male celebrity endorsements to promote female cosmetic brands.