Alessandro Carollo, Seraphina Fong, Giulio Gabrieli, Claudio Mulatti and Gianluca Esposito
Among the growing interest towards market segmentation and targeted marketing, the current study adopted a scientometric approach to examine the literature on wine selection and…
Abstract
Purpose
Among the growing interest towards market segmentation and targeted marketing, the current study adopted a scientometric approach to examine the literature on wine selection and preferences. The current review specifically attempts to shed light on the research that explores the determinants of wine preferences at multiple levels of analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
CiteSpace was used to compute a Document Co-Citation Analysis (DCA) on a sample of 114,048 eligible references obtained from 2,846 publications downloaded from Scopus on 24 May 2021.
Findings
An optimized network of 1,505 nodes and 4,616 links was generated. Within the network, impactful publications on the topic and thematic domains of research were identified. Specifically, two thematic macro-areas were identified through a qualitative analysis of papers included in the 7 major clusters. The first one - “Methods of Wine Making” - included clusters #0, #3, #5, #6 and #18. The second one - “Consumers' Attitudes and Preferences Towards Wine” - included clusters #1 and #2. The first thematic macro-area included more technical aspects referring to the process of wine making, while the second thematic macro-area focused more on the factors influencing individuals' preferences and attitudes towards wine. To reflect the aims of the current paper, publications giving light to the “Consumers' Attitudes and Preferences Towards Wine” macro-area were analyzed in detail.
Originality/value
The resulting insights may help wine makers and wine sellers optimize their work in relation to market segments and to the factors influencing individuals' purchasing behaviors.
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The purpose of this paper is to execute the efficiency analysis of the selected metaheuristic algorithms (MAs) based on the investigation of analytical functions and investigation…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to execute the efficiency analysis of the selected metaheuristic algorithms (MAs) based on the investigation of analytical functions and investigation optimization processes for permanent magnet motor.
Design/methodology/approach
A comparative performance analysis was conducted for selected MAs. Optimization calculations were performed for as follows: genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO), bat algorithm, cuckoo search algorithm (CS) and only best individual algorithm (OBI). All of the optimization algorithms were developed as computer scripts. Next, all optimization procedures were applied to search the optimal of the line-start permanent magnet synchronous by the use of the multi-objective objective function.
Findings
The research results show, that the best statistical efficiency (mean objective function and standard deviation [SD]) is obtained for PSO and CS algorithms. While the best results for several runs are obtained for PSO and GA. The type of the optimization algorithm should be selected taking into account the duration of the single optimization process. In the case of time-consuming processes, algorithms with low SD should be used.
Originality/value
The new proposed simple nondeterministic algorithm can be also applied for simple optimization calculations. On the basis of the presented simulation results, it is possible to determine the quality of the compared MAs.
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Chiara Bartoli, Angelo Baccelloni, Alessio Di Leo and Alberto Mattiacci
This study explores luxury wine hospitality by considering (1) physical activities and (2) activities created by integrating the physical domain with digital technology. In doing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores luxury wine hospitality by considering (1) physical activities and (2) activities created by integrating the physical domain with digital technology. In doing so, it aims to identify the different types of wine tourism-related luxury experiences and build a framework for interpreting hybrid luxury experiences in wine hospitality in the digital era.
Design/methodology/approach
An explorative mixed-methods approach was adopted to investigate types of luxury wine hospitality using cluster analysis and in-depth interviews with producers of wines with controlled and guaranteed designation of origin in Italy’s Sangiovese area.
Findings
This study presents a framework for understanding hybrid digital and physical experiences in wine hospitality by examining the core components of luxury experiences. We identify six types of luxury experiences in wine hospitality that combine a physical experiential component with varying degrees of integration with digital technologies.
Practical implications
Our findings (1) provide wine businesses operating in hospitality within the luxury segment with a useful tool for optimising the integration of digital technology into physical experiences to add value to visitors’ activities and (2) highlight the importance of digital skills for wineries that organise luxury experiences.
Originality/value
This study systematises the integration of digital technologies into physical activities related to wine hospitality. It presents a hybrid physical–digital analytical framework that adopts an experiential outline of the strategic design of wine hospitality businesses.
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Our interactions with multiple selves are becoming increasingly complex through immersive technologies. We are not merely controlling our virtual representations through on-screen…
Abstract
Our interactions with multiple selves are becoming increasingly complex through immersive technologies. We are not merely controlling our virtual representations through on-screen avatars but can now look through their eyes and walk in their shoes due to the embodiment illusion in virtual reality. This chapter examines who is looking back when we look into virtual mirrors and the consequent implications of such experiences. Current research in this domain lacks coherence and frameworks, often relying on reductionist grounds, focussing on personality traits, user types or demographic characteristics like age or gender. These approaches become insufficient given the significant impact of interacting with virtual avatars on shaping cognition and behaviour. The chapter argues for examining embodying avatars as a highly interactive and dynamic social dyad rather than a sum of the user and the avatar. This approach will involve rearticulating game studies' player–avatar relationship (PAR) and social psychology expansion theory, particularly the inclusion of others in the self. Parallel exploratory studies of rich VR communities' experiences and discussions would open new perspectives and phenomena, expanding our horizons and future research. Ultimately, the chapter aims to enable the development of meaningful and grounded literature on VR avatars, addressing the complexity of the phenomenon and the lack of interdisciplinary conversations, thereby providing a more comprehensive understanding of our interactions with embodied virtual representations.
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Junaid ul Haq and Mark A. Bonn
The purpose of this paper is to obtain perceptions from three distinct millennial segments about human and nonhuman brands related to travel. Specifically, inter and intra…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to obtain perceptions from three distinct millennial segments about human and nonhuman brands related to travel. Specifically, inter and intra relationships between human and nonhuman brand credibility and equity constructs were investigated.
Design/methodology/approach
Three millennial generational segments representing 571 respondents familiar with human and nonhuman brands, were investigated to explore their human and nonhuman brand credibility and equity perceptual issues. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the study hypotheses. Multi-group analysis was used to observe group differences.
Findings
Selected millennial segments were found to have differences in their behavior pertaining to human and nonhuman brand constructs. All hypotheses of the overall model were accepted. For group differences, a significant difference was observed. Gen Z was found to be different in emulating humans and their linked nonhuman brands when compared to both younger and older Gen Y segments.
Research limitations/implications
Study findings contribute to the marketing and tourism branding literature, as do findings related to generational differences.
Practical implications
The authors suggested implications for hospitality and tourism marketing professionals under the headings of emotional attachment, entertaining content, use of social media and exploring brands online. Implications including multicultural, brands with strong values and engaging with brands can be helpful for hospitality managers in attracting millennials.
Social implications
Social implications suggest behavioral differences related to three sub-groups of generational cohorts involving millennials.
Originality/value
This is the first study dedicated to observing millennial perceptions for human and nonhuman brands.
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Terry Lease, Marni Goldenberg, Matt Haberland and Sam Wallan
The paper has a twofold purpose: (1) to test the application of means-end theory to providers of hospitality goods and services, and (2) to explore this question in the context of…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper has a twofold purpose: (1) to test the application of means-end theory to providers of hospitality goods and services, and (2) to explore this question in the context of winery tasting rooms when they had a unique opportunity to restructure their hospitality experience due to government restrictions in response to COVID.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was adopted, and a convenience sample was used to conduct semi-structured laddering interviews. Forty interview transcripts were coded as means-end ladders, which were analyzed using a custom computer program to develop the implication matrix and the hierarchical value map.
Findings
This paper demonstrates that means-end is a useful approach to investigate the values and behaviors of the producer, specifically hospitality hosts. It finds that the principal goal of tasting rooms is to generate sales, and offering a compelling guest experience is the characteristic that contributes the most to achieving that goal. The staff and the atmosphere created for the guests are the two factors with the greatest influence on the guest experience.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to use means-end theory to study the hospitality host, or the producer of goods and services in general, and the first to study winery hospitality primarily through the lens of means-end theory. The study also helps fill a gap in research on tasting room sales focused on the winery’s goals.
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Wine consumer behavior has long been a topic of discussion among scholars and industry professionals aiming to understand the underlying predictors of key behavioral outcomes. To…
Abstract
Purpose
Wine consumer behavior has long been a topic of discussion among scholars and industry professionals aiming to understand the underlying predictors of key behavioral outcomes. To help explain wine consumer behavior, concepts such as involvement, expertise, loyalty, satisfaction and perceived risk are often examined. The overarching objective of this study is to determine the relationship between these predictors and their impact on wine purchase intention utilizing a meta-analytical structural equation modeling (MASEM) technique.
Design/methodology/approach
As MASEM provides substantive evidence regarding the relationships between theoretical constructs through the combination of multiple studies, the researchers’ aim is to make definitive statements about the predictors of purchase intention.
Findings
Findings revealed several relationships that support previous research but also identified relationships that contradict previous literature. This study contributes valuable insights into consumer behavior that wine brands can utilize to improve their marketing efforts.
Practical implications
Wine marketers with a greater understanding of the stronger predictors of purchase intention should be able to create marketing plans that drive wine sales.
Originality/value
Despite the abundance of research that has utilized these theoretical constructs to demonstrate their propensity for determining behavioral outcomes such as purchase intention, no previous attempts have synthesized this body of literature through the use of meta-analysis.
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Michelle M.E. Van Pinxteren, Mark Pluymaekers and Jos G.A.M. Lemmink
Conversational agents (chatbots, avatars and robots) are increasingly substituting human employees in service encounters. Their presence offers many potential benefits, but…
Abstract
Purpose
Conversational agents (chatbots, avatars and robots) are increasingly substituting human employees in service encounters. Their presence offers many potential benefits, but customers are reluctant to engage with them. A possible explanation is that conversational agents do not make optimal use of communicative behaviors that enhance relational outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to identify which human-like communicative behaviors used by conversational agents have positive effects on relational outcomes and which additional behaviors could be investigated in future research.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a systematic review of 61 articles that investigated the effects of communicative behaviors used by conversational agents on relational outcomes. A taxonomy is created of all behaviors investigated in these studies, and a research agenda is constructed on the basis of an analysis of their effects and a comparison with the literature on human-to-human service encounters.
Findings
The communicative behaviors can be classified along two dimensions: modality (verbal, nonverbal, appearance) and footing (similarity, responsiveness). Regarding the research agenda, it is noteworthy that some categories of behaviors show mixed results and some behaviors that are effective in human-to-human interactions have not yet been investigated in conversational agents.
Practical implications
By identifying potentially effective communicative behaviors in conversational agents, this study assists managers in optimizing encounters between conversational agents and customers.
Originality/value
This is the first study that develops a taxonomy of communicative behaviors in conversational agents and uses it to identify avenues for future research.
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H.A. Dimuthu Maduranga Arachchi
This paper is to examine the direct relationship between perceived corporate citizenship (CC) and purchase intention (PI). This study also tests the mediating role of brand trust…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper is to examine the direct relationship between perceived corporate citizenship (CC) and purchase intention (PI). This study also tests the mediating role of brand trust (BT), consumer–brand identification (CBI) and the moderating effect of personal norms by a contribution of social exchange theory, brand relationship theory and social cognitive theory (SCT).
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative research was carried out by means of a survey with a sample of 411 regular consumers who work for national retail brands, where the unit of analysis was an individual. The study analysed the data to test the research hypotheses using SPSS and Smart PLS.
Findings
This study found a significant positive impact of perceived CC on purchase intention (direct path), and furthermore, a partial mediation was shown for the indirect path. In addition, personal norms have a significant impact on the relationships between perceived CC on purchase intention, brand trust on purchase intention and CBI on purchase intention.
Practical implications
This study provides useful insights for managers to implement CC strategies to enhance consumer purchase intention and brand relationship in the retail sector within the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Originality/value
The current study is perhaps the first to investigate the impact of perceived CC on purchase intention across the BT, CBI and personal norms in the retail industry, period of COVID-19 pandemic. The study also makes some important theoretical contributions and previously not shed light on customer behaviour in this context.