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This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of customer inoculation strategies in the context of AI service failures in the hospitality and tourism industries. Furthermore, it examines how these strategies can enhance customer complaint behavior and satisfaction with service recovery, thereby improving the overall service experience.

Four distinct studies were conducted: Study 1 investigated the influence of customer inoculation on complaint behavior post-AI service failure. Study 2 assessed the impact of service remedies on customer satisfaction. Study 3 explored the implications of initial purchase and usage intentions. Finally, Study 4 validated the findings using a large-scale online survey.

The results indicated that customer inoculation significantly increases customer complaint behavior and satisfaction with service remedies following AI service failures. They also showed that this relationship is mediated by psychological distance. Furthermore, customer inoculation positively affects initial purchase and usage intentions, demonstrating effectiveness at various customer engagement stages.

This study enriches the literature on AI hospitality service failure and recovery by introducing the novel concept of customer inoculation. Additionally, it significantly contributes to the inoculation theory literature, which covers diverse fields. Practically, this study proposes an efficient and low-cost strategy for marketers.

This study introduces the concept of customer inoculation in the context of AI service failures, a novel approach in the hospitality and tourism literature. It provides empirical evidence of the efficacy of the strategy, bridging a crucial gap in understanding customer behavior in the face of technological disruptions.

This study aims to develop synthetic ester lubricating oil using renewable sinapic acid as raw material, to explore the structural design and selection of raw materials for green, high-performance synthetic ester oils.

A series of the sinapate ester oils were synthesized through esterification and alkoxylation reactions using renewable source sinapic acid as the raw material. The molecular structures of the oils were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The oils were evaluated for safety, viscosity-temperature properties, thermal and oxidative stability, as well as friction reducing and anti-wear characteristics.

Compared to commercial base oil tris (2-ethylhexyl) trimellitate (Phe-3Ci8), the bio-lubricant exhibits superior antifriction and anti-wear properties. Notably, the JCi8-C12 sample performed exceptionally well, reducing the friction coefficient by 11.42% and wear volume (WV) by 54.44% in steel/steel tribo-pairs. In steel/aluminum tribo-pairs, the friction coefficient decreased by 27.48%, while WV was reduced by 85.81%. Mechanistic studies reveal that the introduction of short-chain methoxy groups and stable conjugated systems (aromatic rings and double bonds) inhibit oxidation and decomposition at elevated temperatures. The p-p stacking effect enables lubricant molecules to arrange stably on friction surfaces, forming a durable lubricating film.

The utilization of biomass resources to develop green synthetic lubricating oil with excellent performance not only enhances the added value of waste from agricultural processing but also offers significant benefits in terms of both economic and environmental sustainability.

This study’s aim is to introduce a high-performance sorbent for the removal of both anionic (Congo red; CR) and cationic (methylene blue; MB) dyes from aqueous solutions.

Sodium silicate is adopted as a substrate for GO and AgNPs with positive charge are used as modifiers. The synthesized nanocomposite is characterized by FTIR, FESEM, EDS, BET and XRD techniques. Then, some of the most effective parameters on the removal of CR and MB dyes such as solution pH, sorbent dose, adsorption equilibrium time, primary dye concentration and salt effect are optimized using the spectrophotometry technique.

The authors successfully achieved notable maximum adsorption capacities (Qmax) of CR and MB, which were 41.15 and 37.04 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The required equilibrium times for maximum efficiency of the developed sorbent were 10 and 15 min for CR and MB dyes, respectively. Adsorption equilibrium data present a good correlation with Langmuir isotherm, with a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.9924 for CR and R2 = 0.9904 for MB, and kinetic studies prove that the dye adsorption process follows pseudo second-order models (CR R2 = 0.9986 and MB R2 = 0.9967).

The results showed that the proposed mechanism for the function of the developed sorbent in dye adsorption was based on physical and multilayer adsorption for both dyes onto the active sites of non-homogeneous sorbent.

The as-prepared nano-adsorbent has a high ability to remove both cationic and anionic dyes; moreover, to the high efficiency of the adsorbent, it has been tried to make its synthesis steps as simple as possible using inexpensive and available materials.

Salt rock from salt lakes can serve as a cost-effective material for subgrade filling, as demonstrated in projects like the Qarhan Salt Lake section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the Qarhan Salt Lake section of the G215 Highway. This state-of-the-art paper aims to summarize the engineering properties of salt rock filling and present the advances of its utilization.

This paper collects and analyzes laboratory and field data of salt rock filling from previous studies to present a comprehensive analysis of the engineering properties and utilization of salt rock fillings.

Salt rock primarily contains minerals such as halite and glauberite, which contribute to its unique phase-changing behavior under varying environmental conditions, impacting its mechanical properties. Salt rock filling shrinks when in contact with vapor or unsaturated brine and expands under cooling or evaporation. Its use is particularly recommended for arid regions, with specific restrictions depending on the structure type. This paper discusses suggested countermeasures to mitigate these issues, as well as key quality acceptance indices for salt rock filling compaction. Moisture content after air-drying is recommended as a crucial parameter for construction quality control.

This review aims to support future research and engineering practices in salt rock subgrade applications.

With the advent of Industry 5.0, digital transformation (DT) has received much attention in the tourism industry. Therefore, this research aims to provide a thematic map of the DT of tourism in Industry 5.0 and then provide a model for tourists’ acceptance of Industry 5.0 digital technologies.

First, a systematic literature review was done to provide the thematic map of this field, and the data were analyzed using the R-Tool. In the second step, a meta-analysis of all available studies on technology acceptance by tourists in Industry 5.0 was conducted, and the data were analyzed using CMA3 software.

The findings are divided into four main themes: motor themes (acceptance of technology by tourists); basic themes (smart tourism through digital technologies); niche themes (digital transformation of tourism in small and medium-sized enterprises) and essential or declining themes (digital transformation in destination marketing). The second part showed that performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC), hedonic motivation (HM), price value (PV) and habit (HB) positively affect behavioral intention (BI). FC, HB and BI have a positive effect on use behavior (UB). Age variable moderates the impact of FC, HM and HB on BI but does not moderate the impact of PV on BI. Age variable moderates the effect of HB on UB. Gender variable moderates the impact of HB on UB but does not moderate the effect of FC, HM, PV and HB on BI. The experience variable moderates the effect of FC on BI, HB on UB and BI on UB but does not moderate the impact of HM and HB on BI.

This research is the first to present a thematic map of DT in the tourism industry in Industry 5.0. It is also the first research demonstrating the digital technology acceptance model by tourists in Industry 5.0.

Consumer behavior is evolving rapidly due to the increasing role of technology in daily life. Online food ordering has emerged as a key channel in this changing landscape. This paper investigates the relationships between online promotions, consumer skepticism, information sharing on social media and the intention to purchase food and beverages through online delivery services.

Measures were developed based on a review of existing literature. Data from 402 participants were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).

The study reveals that online promotions significantly impact consumers' sharing of restaurant posts. Additionally, consumer skepticism about online food sales affects both their sharing behavior and their intention to purchase online. Engagement in sharing restaurant posts online is a strong predictor of online food purchasing intentions.

The findings offer valuable insights for restaurant operators, policymakers and technology developers in the competitive online food delivery sector. They emphasize the importance of implementing innovative promotions and crafting appealing food presentations. These strategies can accelerate customer decision-making, attract new customers and contribute to market expansion and customer base sustainability.

This research provides significant insights for restaurant owners and contributes to the limited literature on online promotions, consumer skepticism and information sharing in the restaurant industry. It also lays the groundwork for future studies aimed at deepening understanding in this field.

This study aims to explore whether top management team (TMT) faultlines affect corporate digitalization and what the impact mechanism is, thus effectively promoting the digital transformation of enterprises from the perspective of optimizing TMT structure.

This study sampled companies that were listed in China between 2011 and 2020. Using the two-way fixed effect model, it empirically tests the impact of TMT faultlines on the digital transformation of enterprises.

TMT task-related faultline significantly positively impacts enterprise digital transformation, while the bio-demographic faultline has a significant negative effect. The regulatory role played by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) power intensity in the relationship between the bio-demographic faultline and digital transformation is a negative one. The above relationship is strongly influenced by industry technical sophistication, corporate location and listing board.

The research has promoted the development of the upper echelons theory in the context of digitalization. Moreover, it enlightens the research of digital transformation’s influencing factors and mechanisms. However, no suitable mediating variable was found.

This research has significant implications for managers to optimize the internal structure of the TMT according to different enterprises’ business strategies in order to establish an efficient management team.

This study provides a new theoretical framework for TMT’s role in enterprise digital transformation. Further, it makes a beneficial exploration of the boundary and situational conditions of their relationship.

Drawing on response style theory and conservation of resources theory, this study aims to examine how neuroticism indirectly influences negative affect via rumination, and whether this mediating effect is moderated directly by individual resources (i.e. emotion regulation) and indirectly by social resources (i.e. perceived organizational support [POS]).

A total of 181 valid responses were collected using two-wave self-reported questionnaires in Taiwan, and the research hypotheses were tested using partial least squares regression.

The results showed that when both emotion regulation and POS are low, neuroticism has a positive indirect effect on negative affect via rumination. However, this effect weakens or becomes insignificant under other conditions.

The findings of this study offer a more in-depth examination of the relationships among the traits, rumination, negative affect and both internal and external resources of frontline employees in the service industries. Neuroticism, as a personality trait, is not easily changed. Therefore, helping frontline employees at service sites improve their rumination, training them to regulate their emotions and enhancing the POS can be useful strategies for managers and human resource departments to pursue.

This paper investigates the impact of financial technology innovation on bank performance. Using a large sample of FinTech mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals by major and regional US banks as well as artificial intelligence (AI) patent applications and grants by banks from 2010 to 2022, their impact on bank return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) is explored.

System GMM estimators created for dynamic panel models are employed to evaluate the impact of a bank’s acquisitions of technology-oriented, AI and FinTech corporations and the filing of technology-oriented patents on profitability.

A positive association between the number of FinTech M&A deals and bank performance is documented; however, none of the patent variables (grant, filing or publication) appear to have a significant effect.

A large sample of FinTech M&A deals and patents by US major and regional banks is used to study the impact on bank performance. A comprehensive empirical analysis is performed while controlling for bank size and other bank characteristics.

Although businesses increasingly use augmented reality (AR) to enhance service experiences, the way AR service marketing inspires consumers remains underexplored. Drawing on the consumer inspiration literature, the authors examine how AR service marketing activities such as entertainment, interaction, trendiness and customization enhance consumer inspiration. In addition, the authors explore the role of consumer empowerment and skepticism as key underlying mechanisms between consumer inspiration and value co-creation (VCC) or co-destruction (VCD) intentions.

The study used a mixed method, explanatory sequential design to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their proposed theoretical framework. The quantitative survey study involved 344 AR app users, followed by a qualitative open-ended essay study with 34 AR app users.

Results suggest that AR service marketing activities positively influence consumer inspiration, which in turn increases consumer empowerment and reduces skepticism. The authors also found that consumer empowerment leads to VCC, while skepticism leads to VCD. These findings provide valuable insights for practitioners seeking to implement AR service marketing activities effectively to inspire consumers, foster value creation and manage value destruction.

The study highlights inspiration as a key factor in motivating consumers to co-create value, transcending typical service experiences and limitations. Empowered consumers, feeling inspired, are more inclined to contribute effectively to VCC, also fostering trust in the service provider. AR serves not just as a sales channel, but also as a tool for relationship-building and brand retention. Managers should leverage AR to elicit feelings of trendiness, customization and interaction, fostering empowerment and inspiring consumers to co-create value.

This study significantly contributes to the growing body of literature on consumer inspiration and AR service marketing. It emphasizes the need to consider external (i.e. marketing-induced) stimuli in understanding the sources and consequences of consumer inspiration through AR.