Pianpian Yang, Hong Sheng, Congcong Yang and Yuanyue Feng
This research examines the underlying psychological process of customers' impulsive buying on social media through the lens of customer inspiration. Drawing on the customer…
Abstract
Purpose
This research examines the underlying psychological process of customers' impulsive buying on social media through the lens of customer inspiration. Drawing on the customer inspiration theory, it identifies the factors influencing customer inspiration on social media from three perspectives: source characteristics, platform characteristics and personal characteristics, which subsequently lead to impulsive buying. Since the conceptualization of source credibility includes three mostly reported components: attractiveness, expertise and trustworthiness, it further contrasts the effects of three dimensions of source credibility on customer inspiration.
Design/methodology/approach
A structural equation model of customers' impulsive buying on social media was developed through the lens of customer inspiration. An online survey with 625 participants was conducted to test the hypotheses, and the partial least squares (PLS3) method was used.
Findings
This research found that source credibility, social presence and customer innovativeness are antecedents of customer inspiration on social media, which positively influence the inspired-by state of the customers, which impacts the inspired-to state and further leads to impulsive buying. By comparing the three dimensions of source credibility, the authors found that attractiveness and expertise positively affect the inspired-by state, while trustworthiness has no significant effect.
Originality/value
This research establishes the link between impulsive buying and customer inspiration, which provides a new psychological perspective to understand impulsive buying. In addition, it investigates the source characteristics of customer inspiration by comparing the effect of three dimensions of source credibility on customer inspiration, which provides the first evidence for connecting customer inspiration and source credibility.
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Hong Sheng, Pianpian Yang and Yuanyue Feng
Social media has emerged as a new marketing channel and an important source for customer inspiration. Understanding the sources and consequences of customer inspiration via social…
Abstract
Purpose
Social media has emerged as a new marketing channel and an important source for customer inspiration. Understanding the sources and consequences of customer inspiration via social media is important for both researchers and marketers. However, little has been done to empirically examine customer inspiration in the social media context. Specifically, the process through which customers become inspired and motivated by social media to purchase the advertised products remains elusive. Therefore, this study extends the conceptualisation of customer inspiration into the social media context, and explores the antecedents of customer inspiration from three perspectives: informational, social and personal. This study also examines the impact of customer inspiration on customers' behavioral intention.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey methodology was used and data from 679 respondents were collected in China. To examine the hypothesized relationships, partial least squares (PLS) was used to analyse the data and Smart PLS 3.0 was used for data analysis.
Findings
The study findings demonstrated that the vividness of ads, social influence and promotion focus had positive impacts on the “inspired-by state”, and subsequently the “inspired-to state”, which in turn positively influenced customers' purchasing intentions. However, media richness has a negative impact on the “inspired-by state”.
Originality/value
This study provides the first evidence of customer inspiration via social media and examines its antecedents and consequences. Practically, this study offers useful guidelines and suggestions for firms on how to inspire customers using social media.
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Shih-Hsuan Chiu, Cheng-Lung Wu, Shun-Ying Gan, Kun-Ting Chen, Yi-Ming Wang, Sheng-Hong Pong and Hitoshi Takagi
The purpose of this study is to increase the thermal and mechanical properties of the photopolymer by filling with the copper powder for the application of rapid tooling.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to increase the thermal and mechanical properties of the photopolymer by filling with the copper powder for the application of rapid tooling.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the photopolymer is filled with the different loading of copper powder for investigating the thermal and mechanical properties of the copper/photopolymer composite. The thermal properties of the copper/photopolymer composite are characterized with the degradation temperature and with the thermal conductivity. The mechanical properties of copper/photopolymer composite are performed with the tensile strength and hardness testing. Moreover, the copper/photopolymer composite is imaged by using a scanning electron microscopic with energy dispersive spectroscopy.
Findings
The tensile strength of the copper/photopolymer composite is increased over 45 per cent at 20 phr copper loading. The hardness of the photopolymer has a negative correlation with the increasing copper loading and is decreased about 28.5 per cent at 100 phr copper loading. The degradation temperature of the copper/photopolymer composite is increased about 7.2 per cent at 70 phr copper loading. The thermal conductivity of the copper/photopolymer composite is increased over 65 per cent at 100 phr copper loading.
Originality/value
The photopolymer used in rapid prototyping system is generally fragile and has poor thermal properties. This study improves the thermal and mechanical properties of the photopolymer with the copper filling which has been never investigated in the field of rapid prototyping applications.
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Monica D. Hernandez, Yong Wang, Hong Sheng, Morris Kalliny and Michael Minor
The authors aim to examine the effect of location-driven logo placement on attention and memory on the web addressing differences between individuals that read unidirectionally…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors aim to examine the effect of location-driven logo placement on attention and memory on the web addressing differences between individuals that read unidirectionally (left-to-right [LTR]) versus bidirectionally (both right-to-left and LTR).
Design/methodology/approach
Using an eye-tracking approach combined with traditional verbal measures, the authors compared attention and memory measures from a sample composed of bidirectional (Arab/English) readers and unidirectional readers.
Findings
The findings reveal that unidirectional and bidirectional readers differ in attention patterns. Compared to bidirectional readers, unidirectional readers pay less attention to the logo on the bottom right corner of the webpage based on verbal measures. The eye-tracking data of the two groups further identify differences based on total hits and duration time. Unidirectional LTR readers demonstrate higher fluency in feature-based attention whereas bidirectional readers show higher fluency in spatial attention.
Originality/value
The authors expand on scarce research on reading direction bias effect on location-driven stimuli placement in online settings. They contribute to the understanding of the differences between unidirectional and bidirectional readers in their cognitive responses (attention and memory) to organization of marketing stimuli.
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Chunqing Li, Wenhua He and Hong Sheng
The main purpose of this study is to summarize the key literature about research on customer experience, understand the evolution of research hotspots in this research field…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to summarize the key literature about research on customer experience, understand the evolution of research hotspots in this research field, build a general theoretical framework on customer experience research and finally point out directions for future research in customer experience.
Design/methodology/approach
Using CiteSpace V software which is a scientific measurement tool, this study conducts a systematic analysis of relevant literature on customer experience, and develops a general framework of customer experience research based on analysis of time-zone of citations and time-line visual knowledge map of keywords.
Findings
Based on the results of the authors’ analysis, this study found that customer experience research mainly includes the following three research areas: (1) Research on the definition and extension of customer experience; (2) Research on the influencing factors of customer experience: from both enterprise perspective and customer perspective; (3) Research on the outcomes and consequences of customer experience. The authors also analyzed the research methods used in customer experience research and found that quantitative research method based on regression model was most commonly used. Finally, the authors identified gaps in the current literature and put forward the directions for future research from four aspects: to further the understanding of the concept of customer experience; to identify more relevant influencing factors of customer experience; to explore the outcomes and consequences of customer experience; and to diversify research methods in customer experience research.
Originality/value
Overall, this study not only provides an important reference for further research in the field of customer experience, but also offers important insights to the practice.
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Jing-feng Wang, Hai-Tao Wang, Wei-Wei Shi and Hong-Yu Sheng
This paper aims to obtain fire resistance of semi-rigid joints for concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) composite frames and temperature filed distribution of composite joints in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to obtain fire resistance of semi-rigid joints for concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) composite frames and temperature filed distribution of composite joints in fire.
Design/methodology/approach
The temperature filed model of semi-rigid joints to CFST columns with slabs was made by using ABAQUS finite element (FE) software, in considering temperature heating-up stage of fire modelling. The effects of composite slab, fire type and construction location were discussed, and the model was verified by the test results. The temperature distribution of composite joint under three-side or four-side fire condition was studied by the sequentially coupled thermal analysis method. The temperature versus time curves and temperature distribution of various construction and location were analyzed.
Findings
The paper provides FE analysis and numerical simulation on temperature field of semi-rigid joints for CFST composite frames in fire. The effects of composite slab, fire type and construction location were discussed, and the model was verified by the test results. It suggests that the temperature distribution of composite joint in three- or four-side fire condition showed a different development trend.
Research limitations/implications
Because of the chosen FE analysis approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.
Practical implications
The research results will become the scientific foundation of mechanical behavior and design method of semi-rigid CFST composite frames in fire.
Originality/value
This paper fulfils an identified need to study the temperature field distribution of the semi-rigid joints to CFST columns and investigate the mechanical behavior of the semi-rigid CFST joints in fire.
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Eldon Y. Li, Xiande Zhao and Tien‐sheng Lee
The banking industry in Hong Kong plays a significant role in the international financial arena. Because of increasingly competitive pressure from domestic and overseas banks, Hong…
Abstract
The banking industry in Hong Kong plays a significant role in the international financial arena. Because of increasingly competitive pressure from domestic and overseas banks, Hong Kong banks must improve service quality and care about customer demand. They must tightly control cost and improve the quality and efficiency of operations in order to maintain profitability. This study surveys the entire population of licensed banks in Hong Kong on their quality management initiatives. It not only analyzes the current status of quality management initiatives in Hong Kong, but also compares the results with those from UK financial institutions in 1994.
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Paul Herz and Paul McGurr
In response to corporate scandals the USA issued the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act to promote corporate responsibility for financial reporting. Some see the impact of the US legislation…
Abstract
Purpose
In response to corporate scandals the USA issued the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act to promote corporate responsibility for financial reporting. Some see the impact of the US legislation crossing borders and influencing the nature of financial reporting in other countries. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether or not there have been increases in transparency in non‐US financial markets, specifically in South East Asia, suggesting a ripple effect as a result of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act.
Design/methodology/approach
The study examines the audited financial statements of 92 South East Asian companies issued before and after the Sarbanes‐Oxley legislation to note any significant increase in transparency. As a proxy for transparency, the study examines the number of footnotes included in audited financial statements.
Findings
The results indicate a statistically significant increase in the number of footnotes in the positive direction. Because of this increase, a changing trend of increased transparency is suggested in South East Asia.
Originality/value
In 2002 the USA passed the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act to promote corporate responsibility for financial reporting. Some see this US legislation creating a ripple effect on financial reporting in other countries. The findings of this study suggest a changing trend of increased transparency in financial reporting in South East Asia. Although this trend cannot be directly attributed to the effects of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act, it appears to be related to a larger, more transcendent worldwide reform movement towards increased corporate responsibility and financial reporting to which the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act appears to have served as a catalyst.
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Ching‐Chyi Lee, Tien‐Sheng Lee and Catherine Chang
Examines the relationships between quality and productivity improvement approaches currently adopted by Chinese firms and the quality, operating, and financial performances of…
Abstract
Examines the relationships between quality and productivity improvement approaches currently adopted by Chinese firms and the quality, operating, and financial performances of these firms. Three major hypotheses were formed, namely: a company’s quality performance is correlated to its quality and productivity improvement approaches; a company’s operation performance is correlated to its quality and productivity improvement approaches; and a company’s financial performance is correlated to its quality and productivity improvement approaches. The hypotheses were tested by using sample data collected from 373 companies in the People’s Republic of China. The first two hypotheses were confirmed, although the second was only weakly supported. The findings of this paper are to large extent consistent with those of previous studies.
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Kelly Z. Peng, Chi‐Sum Wong and Hong‐Sheng Che
The purpose of this paper is to preliminary explain the possibly complicated moderating effects of job resources. The paper specifies the missing link between job demand and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to preliminary explain the possibly complicated moderating effects of job resources. The paper specifies the missing link between job demand and burnout by focusing on the coping strategy argument.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper preliminary supports the mediated moderation model of the missing link by a large sample cross‐sectional survey.
Findings
The two coping strategies as mediators for the relationship between emotional demands and exhaustion are supported. Strong supports for the moderation effect of emotional intelligence on the relationship between emotional demands and the two coping strategies are found. Some support for the moderation of supervisor support on the relationship between deep acting and exhaustion are found.
Research limitations/implications
The paper contributes to the job demands‐control‐support and job demands‐resources models, as the proposed model helps to explain the inconsistent results for the buffering effect of job resources found in the literature. It also contributes to the literature of emotional intelligence, as it provides clear evidence of its importance in handling emotional demands.
Practical implications
Deep acting is important. An organization may take more efforts in training employees to equip them with it. Emotional intelligence is also a vital resource and so organizations may benefit if they engage in relevant selection and training practices.
Originality/value
Emotional intelligence, an individual ability, is empirically demonstrated to be an important type of job resources that can buffer the negative effect of job demands on employee well‐being.