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Uses experiences in Bulgaria to exemplify market entry and control strategies employed by franchisors in a business environment that is geographically and culturally remote from the West. Carries out interviews in 1996 with Bulgarian franchisors and franchisees to test a number of hypotheses relating to issues including the type of franchisor, system densities, market entry strategies and monitoring tactics. Identifies 17 environmental factors ‐ cultural, organisational, political and legal ‐ which represent possible areas of conflict between the franchisor and franchisee. Establishes that franchisors adapt to a remote business environment in a variety of ways in respect of both market entry and monitoring strategies ; establishes some significant correlations between different types of franchisors and their strategies. Finds that western franchisors and Bulgarian owned firms often place different emphasis on the relative importance of environmental factors. Observes a broad variation in market entry tactics. Recommends that franchisors need to establish criteria to establish risks in remote business environments and devise appropriate strategies prior to entry.

Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American preemptive invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the subsequent prisoner abuse, such an existence seems to be farther and farther away from reality. The purpose of this work is to stop this dangerous trend by promoting justice, love, and peace through a change of the paradigm that is inconsistent with justice, love, and peace. The strong paradigm that created the strong nation like the U.S. and the strong man like George W. Bush have been the culprit, rather than the contributor, of the above three universal ideals. Thus, rather than justice, love, and peace, the strong paradigm resulted in in justice, hatred, and violence. In order to remove these three and related evils, what the world needs in the beginning of the third millenium is the weak paradigm. Through the acceptance of the latter paradigm, the golden mean or middle paradigm can be formulated, which is a synergy of the weak and the strong paradigm. In order to understand properly the meaning of these paradigms, however, some digression appears necessary.

This study aims to examine the moderated-mediation impact of consumer involvement and destination preference on travel intentions. Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) and elaboration likelihood model (ELM) guided the conceptual framework of this study.

Churchill’s (1979) guidelines instrumentalize the scientific development and validation of measurement scales for data collection. The authors used higher-order multivariate analyzes such as structural equation modeling (SEM) and the Hayes process model for evaluating the hypotheses. The study uses Bauer et al. (2006) method to assess the conditional indirect effects of Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on travel intention through destination preference at varying levels of consumer involvement.

SOR and ELM model successfully explained the moderated-mediation effect of eWOM, consumer involvement and destination preference in influencing the travel intentions. Results broaden the applicability of SOR and ELM in tourism marketing. Results indicate that consumer involvement moderated the direct and indirect influence of eWOM on travel intention via destination preference, such that the eWOM influence in shaping travel intention is stronger for highly involved consumers.

The present study broadens the applicability of integrated SOR and ELM models to explain the moderated-mediation network between eWOM and travel intentions. Study findings offer new avenues to tourism marketers for the magnified effect of eWOM for promoting tourism. Tourism marketers may use customer journeys to build destination preference through organic information exchange with prospective travelers. Future researchers and practitioners can build prescriptive and predictive models based on altered levels of consumer involvement.

Present study pioneers in examining the interactive effect of moderated mediation network of consumer involvement and destination preference in shaping the travel intention. Grounded in SOR and ELM model, the present study is a trailblazer to offer the integrated moderated-mediation model between eWOM, destination preference, consumer involvement and travel intention.

电子口碑、目的地偏好和消费者参与 – 刺激-机体-响应 (SOR) 视角

本研究考察了消费者参与和目的地偏好对旅行意图的适度中介影响。刺激-有机体-响应 (SOR) 和精细化可能性模型 (ELM) 指导了本研究的概念框架。

Churchill (1979) 指南将科学发展和数据收集测量尺度的验证工具化。我们使用高阶多元分析, 如结构方程模型 (SEM) 和 Hayes 过程模型来评估假设。该研究使用 Bauer et al. (2006) 的方法来评估 eWOM 通过不同消费者参与水平的目的地偏好对旅行意愿的条件间接影响。

SOR 和 ELM 模型成功解释了 eWOM、消费者参与和目的地偏好在影响旅行意图方面的调节中介效应。结果拓宽了 SOR 和 ELM 在旅游营销中的适用性。结果表明, 消费者参与通过目的地偏好调节了 eWOM 对旅行意愿的直接和间接影响, 因此对于高度参与的消费者而言, eWOM 在塑造旅行意愿方面的影响更强。

本研究扩大了综合 SOR 和 ELM 模型的适用性, 以解释 eWOM 和旅行意图之间的调节中介网络。研究结果为旅游营销人员提供了新的途径, 以扩大电子口碑对促进旅游业的影响。旅游营销人员可以通过与潜在旅行者的有机信息交换, 利用客户旅程来建立目的地偏好。未来的研究人员和从业者可以根据消费者参与程度的变化建立规范和预测模型。

目前的研究先驱在检验消费者参与和目的地偏好的调节中介网络在塑造旅行意图方面的交互作用。本研究以 SOR 和 ELM 模型为基础, 是提供 eWOM、目的地偏好、消费者参与和旅行意图之间的综合调节中介模型的开拓者。

关键词 – 目的地偏好、eWOM、旅行意图、消费者参与度、SOR 模型、ELM 模型

eWOM, preferencia de destino y participación del consumidor: una lente de estímulo-organismo-respuesta (SOR)

Resumen

el presente estudio examina el impacto de la mediación moderada de la participación del consumidor y la preferencia de destino en las intenciones de viaje. Estímulo-Organismo-Respuesta (SOR) y Modelo de probabilidad de elaboración (ELM) guiaron el marco conceptual de este estudio.

las directrices de Churchill (1979) instrumentalizan el desarrollo científico y la validación de escalas de medición para la recopilación de datos. Usamos análisis multivariados de orden superior como el modelado de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) y el modelo de proceso de Hayes para evaluar las hipótesis. El estudio utiliza el método de Bauer et al. (2006) para evaluar los efectos indirectos condicionales de eWOM sobre la intención de viaje a través de la preferencia de destino en diferentes niveles de participación del consumidor.

los modelos SOR y ELM explicaron con éxito el efecto de mediación moderada de eWOM, la participación del consumidor y la preferencia de destino para influir en las intenciones de viaje. Los resultados amplían la aplicabilidad de SOR y ELM en el marketing turístico. Los resultados indican que la participación de los consumidores moderó la influencia directa e indirecta de eWOM en la intención de viaje a través de la preferencia de destino, de modo que la influencia de eWOM en la configuración de la intención de viaje es más fuerte para los consumidores altamente involucrados.

el presente estudio amplía la aplicabilidad de los modelos integrados de SOR y ELM para explicar la red de mediación moderada entre eWOM y las intenciones de viaje. Los resultados del estudio ofrecen nuevas vías a los comercializadores del turismo para el efecto magnificado de eWOM para promover el turismo. Los especialistas en marketing de turismo pueden utilizar el recorrido del cliente para crear preferencias de destino a través del intercambio de información orgánica con posibles viajeros. Los futuros investigadores y profesionales pueden construir modelos prescriptivos y predictivos basados en el nivel alterado de participación del consumidor.

el presente estudio es pionero en examinar el efecto interactivo de la red de mediación moderada de la participación del consumidor y la preferencia de destino en la configuración de la intención de viaje. Basado en el modelo SOR y ELM, el presente estudio es un pionero en ofrecer el modelo integrado de mediación moderada entre eWOM, preferencia de destino, participación del consumidor e intención de viaje.

Gives an in depth view of the strategies pursued by the world’s leading chief executive officers in an attempt to provide guidance to new chief executives of today. Considers the marketing strategies employed, together with the organizational structures used and looks at the universal concepts that can be applied to any product. Uses anecdotal evidence to formulate a number of theories which can be used to compare your company with the best in the world. Presents initial survival strategies and then looks at ways companies can broaden their boundaries through manipulation and choice. Covers a huge variety of case studies and examples together with a substantial question and answer section.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mechanisms of low alloyed medium-carbon steel (LAMCS) corrosion in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ inhibited by seeds oils of rubber (SOR), Neem (SON) and Jatropha (SOJ) containing varying degree of free fatty acid (FFA).

Specific gravity, acid values and FFA compositions of oils were determined. Potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are techniques used to investigate the corrosion inhibition mechanisms with evaluated Gibbs free energy of adsorption.

Corrosion inhibition efficiencies of oils reached values >99% as obtained from PDP and EIS. Protective oxide layer was formed on LAMCS consequent on containment of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups in the FFA of SOR, SON and SOJ, respectively. The SOR and SOJ are found to be mixed inhibitors, whereas SON behaved as anodic inhibitor. Mechanism of adsorption of SOR was synergistic between physisorption and chemisorption, while SON and SOJ exhibited physisorption. SEM micrographs images showed that uninhibited sample exhibited thicker mass of corrosion products. Formation of protective oxide layer was confirmed by XRD diffractograms.

This study has shown that the need for modification of vegetable seed oils containing FFA is unnecessary as the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups of the FFA contained in the respective oil were found to be the center of adsorption of the oils on the steel surface. Hence, cost and by-products associated with modification of oils used as corrosion inhibitors are eliminated.

SOR, which has the highest percentage FFA, was found to be the most influential on the corrosion inhibition mechanism of LAMCS, specifically within 0.01–0.02 g/mL concentration. FFA contained in the respective seed oil aided formation of protective oxide layer at interface between H₂SO₄ and LAMCS, relative to amount composed.

This study aims to investigate the impact of socially oriented responsibility (SOR) (i.e. social, environmental, ethical and governance) on the cost of equity in the firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange.

The industry-adjusted earnings price ratio (IndEP) was used to evaluate the cost of equity. The cost of equity is calculated for those industries that, except firm i (with a positive profitability), have at least five other firms with a positive profitability in the industry. Hence, 79 firms were selected among seven industries from 2012 to 2022 for hypothesis testing. Gordon’s growth model was used to evaluate the cost of equity and assess the robustness of the findings. The information about 183 companies was retrieved for analysis based on Gordon’s growth model.

The results showed that SOR positively affects firms’ cost of equity. Besides, testing the details also showed that social practices (SO), environmental practices (EN), governance practices (GO) and ethical practices (ET) have a positive impact on the cost of equity. The robustness of results supported the main inferences.

Iran’s economic environment and capital market have been open to discussion within the global community. It is important to note that the relationship between SOR and the cost of equity in developed markets cannot be easily applied to developing Asian markets. Therefore, the present findings, along with the challenges faced in a developing Islamic economy, can contribute to informed decision-making on a global scale.

Guided by stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory, this study analyzed the user-generated content (UGC) produced by attendees from six anime conventions in the USA.

A total of 739 online reviews and 1,932 photos were collected from the social platforms of six large anime conventions in the USA (Yelp and Facebook), and the study employed thematic analysis and image analysis to analyze the collected UGCs.

The findings revealed eight main themes (i.e. ambient and space, customers, service and products, sign and symbol, social density, emotional status, motivation, and behavior intention) and 32 subthemes across the three dimensions of SOR theory. Leveraging the power of cutting-edge image analysis, the image labels obtained from the analysis contributed to the creation of network clusters. The result of the image analysis also continued consistently with the thematic analysis result, which reflected SOR theory.

Theoretically, the study applied SOR theory and blended thematic and image analyses to gain a comprehensive understanding of anime convention attendees’ experience and categorized the attendees’ emotional status as positive or negative to reflect their overall evaluation. Practically, this study highlighted some complaints from attendees and provided suggestions for operators. However, the study focused only on large anime conventions in the USA; future studies should compare attendees’ experiences with small and large conventions or anime conventions worldwide.

The study utilized UGCs to understand the key patterns essential to attendees during anime conventions in the USA and applied SOR theory to its investigation.

Explores the issue of global licensing of technological advancement. Deals particularly with the legal side of things, minimizing risk in particular. Indicates that the fastest and best way of penetrating foreign markets is to use a local branch already established in the foreign market, or, alternatively, establish a subsidiary or joint venture. Focuses then on licensing and some of the problems that can arise from that – piracy, exploitation, competition and financial implications if things go wrong. Suggests ways to circumvent this through licensing agreements, patents, trademarks, copyright, technology transfer agreements, and/or national intellectual property laws. Defines a licensing agreement, covering the subject matter of the license, technical assistance provisions, specification of the scope of the license, royalty compensation, quality standards and warranties, infringement of licensed rights, and duration and termination of the agreement. Mentions, also, antitrust considerations and the tax aspects of licensing. Recommends this approach as it spells out terms and conditions clearly to all parties, thereby, hopefully, reducing misunderstanding and disputes.

The Environmental Data Registry (EDR) is a cornerstone of the US Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to manage and integrate environmental information for the purposes of safeguarding human health and protecting the environment. This paper seeks to present findings on the use of the EDR/SoR metadata registry system based on data from web logs transactions. It aims to broaden our understanding of how metadata registries are used, particularly as indicated by their own users.

The paper presents an analysis of web log transactions of a six‐year period (1998‐2004). The focus of this paper is in three areas: use presented on a daily, monthly and yearly basis; trends in use (increasing/decreasing) over a period of more than six years; and users of the metadata registry system as shown through the domain and directory reports.

The paper presents the daily, monthly and yearly use of the EDR/SoR. It shows trends in its use for a period of over six years and identifies some of the metadata registry's users and the information they seek (as shown in the directory reports).

Transactional web logs, in general, record the internet protocol address of the computer that accessed the web site/service. That is not necessarily linked to any one specific user. Therefore, results are presented as actual access numbers rather than human beings.

This paper is among the first of its kind to examine web log transactions in assessing metadata registry usage. This research is intended to enhance the understanding of the user and application of the EDR/SoR and therefore provide a baseline for metadata registry systems' evaluation in general.

The metaverse is considered an evolution of the Internet, and it engages users with digital content more seamlessly due to its enhanced immersion and diverse applications. The current study examines factors affecting the intention to adopt the metaverse. Existing studies on metaverse were found insufficient in explaining users’ intention to adopt metaverse, for which the companies are investing vast amounts of money for its implementation. The study fills the research gaps in the literature and applies the UTAUT2 (Unified Theory Of Acceptance And Use of Technology) and PAD (Pleasure, Arousal, Dominance) theory in the SOR (Stimulus-Organism-Response) framework. The study proposes a conceptual model by including effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, social influence, security personalization as stimuli, arousal, dominance, pleasure, immersive experience and perceived value as organismic variables and intention to adopt metaverse as the response variable, with gender as a moderator.

The study used purposive non-probability sampling approach and total of 420 responses were collected to examine the model. The partial least squares (PLS) technique is used for data analysis using Smart PLS software.

The study’s findings suggest that social influence and immersive experience have the highest impact on perceived value which affects users’ intention to adopt metaverse. Results indicate that individuals perceive value on using metaverse when it provides enjoyment and fun as well as security. Hence, it is important to ensure not only that individuals feel hedonically motivated but also feel secured and exert less effort to use the metaverse.

The study contributes to the existing literature on metaverse and extends its association with immersive experience and the theories applied. The fundamental qualities of metaverse that contribute to its immersive and enjoyable nature can influence users' behavioral responses. Our research emphasizes the importance of executives acknowledging the development of organismic experience within metaverse.

The insights derived from this study will serve to expand the knowledge of metaverse application developers, offering valuable guidance in incorporating these factors into their development processes. By prominently displaying security measures, metaverse brands can demonstrate their commitment to mitigating risks associated with virtual interactions. This includes clearly communicating the security protocols in place to protect user data and privacy and providing detailed information about security features can build trust and alleviate concerns.

The study highlights how the metaverse features affect individuals toward its adoption intent. Specifically, the study reveals that social influence and security affect the metaverse, further affecting the adoption intent of the metaverse. This has implications for enhancing customer relationships and value cocreation with different stakeholders. The research also recognizes that security measures are necessary for metaverse technology. These reactions could include placing regulations and standards in place to deal with the social and economic effects, making sure that data is collected and used ethically, and giving privacy and security measures priority.

This paper contributes to the body of knowledge as it is the first of its kind to explore and link immersive experience, pleasure and perceived value from the metaverse’s point of view to explore the user’s adoption intention. The study also contributes to the SOR framework with UTAUT2 and PAD theories by applying it to the metaverse context, which is used in limits.