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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 24 January 2022

Ming-Hui Huang and Roland T. Rust

The purpose of the paper is to note that customers are not necessarily human and to figure out how best to serve artificial intelligence (AI) customers. The authors also propose…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to note that customers are not necessarily human and to figure out how best to serve artificial intelligence (AI) customers. The authors also propose several major research streams, as examples, to help launch research on AI customers and how to serve them.

Design/methodology/approach

The current paper is a conceptual one that draws upon research from many areas to support the ideas proposed.

Findings

AI customer are proliferating. AI as customers can augment or replace human customers and can be the customer itself. Service providers may also be AI, which means that both humans serving AI customers and AI serving AI customers are relevant here. The authors show that even truly autonomous AI customers are likely to be more common in the future. The authors conclude that reverse engineering will probably not be successful in understanding AI customers and that an approach similar to how we research human consumer behavior is likely to be more useful.

Originality/value

Virtually, the entire literature on customers and how to serve them assumes that customers are human. With the rapid advancement of AI, purchase decisions are increasingly made by AI, suggesting that it is now important and necessary to consider the possibility of AI customers and how best to serve them. This paper opens the door for such research.

Content available
Article
Publication date: 29 April 2020

Po-Lin Lai, Dong-Taur Su, Hui-Huang Tai and Ching-Chiao Yang

The increasing demand for high-quality logistics services has forced container shipping firms to decrease logistics service failure to retain the customers. This study thus aims…

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Abstract

Purpose

The increasing demand for high-quality logistics services has forced container shipping firms to decrease logistics service failure to retain the customers. This study thus aims to apply organizational information processing theory (OIPT) to construct a maritime supply chain collaborative decision-making model and examine its impact on logistics service performance.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 142 usable questionnaires were collected from questionnaire survey. A two-step structural equation modeling approach including confirmatory factor analysis was subsequently performed to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that internal information integration positively impacts external information integration, that external information integration positively impacts collaborative decision-making, and that collaborative decision-making positively impacts logistics service performance for container shipping firms. However, a relationship between internal information integration and collaborative decision-making was not found in this study.

Research limitations/implications

This study primarily examines collaborative decision-making from the view of container shipping firms. Future research including other supply chain members is needed to generalize the results and could also incorporate other factors such as relationship quality and culture, into the model to address this issue.

Practical implications

To decrease the occurrence of logistics failures and improve service quality in the maritime logistics process, it is suggested that container shipping firms apply information technology for acquiring and assimilating logistics information internally and externally across the supply chain to facilitate decision-making.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the knowledge about the antecedents and impacts of collaborative decision-making for container shipping firms in Taiwan. Particularly, in line with OITP, the findings indicate that container shipping firms can facilitate logistics decision-making and strategy formulation through information integration, which in turn enhances logistics service performance.

Article
Publication date: 31 March 2020

Zhu Yao, Xianchun Zhang, Jinlian Luo and Hui Huang

Workplace bullying is a common negative event suffered by employees in the workplace. The harm it brings to the organization has become the focus of the field of organizational…

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Abstract

Purpose

Workplace bullying is a common negative event suffered by employees in the workplace. The harm it brings to the organization has become the focus of the field of organizational behavior. The purpose of this study was to explore whether workplace bullying has an impact on employee knowledge hiding and to discover the underlying mechanism between the two.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the conservation of resource theory and the cognitive-affective personality system theory, this paper surveys 327R&D employees of Chinese technological corporations at two time points and explores the relationship between workplace bullying and knowledge hiding as well as the underlying mechanism. This study used confirmatory factor analysis, bootstrapping method and structural equation model to validate the research hypothesis.

Findings

The results show that workplace bullying positively correlates with knowledge hiding; emotional exhaustion and organizational identification play a mediation role between workplace bullying and knowledge hiding, and both variables play a chain mediation role in that relationship; and forgiveness climate moderates the positive impact of workplace bullying on emotional exhaustion, further moderating the chain mediation role of emotional exhaustion and organizational identification.

Originality/value

The findings of this study can not only complement the existing researches on the influence of negative workplace events on employees’ knowledge hiding behaviors but also strengthen scholars’ attention and understanding of the internal mechanism between workplace bullying and knowledge hiding.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 24 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2000

Zeph Yun Chang, Loi Hui Huang and Loi Hui Huang

Customer calls confer accessibility for promoting sales opportunities. It is the key element of a company’s customer service system. Presents a methodology for quality management…

1573

Abstract

Customer calls confer accessibility for promoting sales opportunities. It is the key element of a company’s customer service system. Presents a methodology for quality management of customer communication through telephone, e‐mail and Web support for both internal and external customers. The concept of a customer call centre is introduced and quality dimensions of customer call services are established with call status coded and problem severity issues being addressed.

Details

Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, vol. 10 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-4529

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 November 2018

Martha R. Crowther, Cassandra D. Ford, Latrice D. Vinson, Chao-Hui Huang, Ernest Wayde and Susan Guin

Older adults are at risk for developing metabolic syndrome (MSX). Given the growing rural older adult population and the unknown prevalence rate of MSX in rural communities, the…

Abstract

Purpose

Older adults are at risk for developing metabolic syndrome (MSX). Given the growing rural older adult population and the unknown prevalence rate of MSX in rural communities, the purpose of this paper is to assess the risk factors for MSX among rural elders.

Design/methodology/approach

Individuals aged 55+ from four West Alabama rural communities were assessed by an interdisciplinary healthcare team via a mobile unit (n=216). Descriptive analyses and analysis of variances (ANOVA) were conducted to assess the effect of gender, race and community on the number of risk factors of MSX among rural elders.

Findings

Results of a three-way ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between gender, age and community on the number of MSX risk factors [F (16,193)= 2.41, p <0.01]. Rural communities with lower social economic status (SES) and predominantly African American residents were at higher risk for developing MSX compared to communities with higher SES [F(3, 68) = 7.42, p<0.05].

Practical implications

Findings suggest low SES rural communities are at risk of developing MSX. Innovative approaches such as mobile healthcare delivery are crucial to providing quality healthcare and preventive health screens to underserved rural older adult communities.

Originality/value

Limited research is available on assessing rural midlife and older adults at risk for metabolic syndrome largely due to lack of communication or transportation infrastructure and their history of negative experiences with public institutions. This research demonstrates that these barriers can be addressed.

Details

Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, vol. 19 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-7794

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 April 2017

Yim King Penny Wan, Sow Hup Joanne Chan and Hui Lan Wendy Huang

This paper aims to examine the environmental awareness, initiatives and performance in the Macau hotel industry.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the environmental awareness, initiatives and performance in the Macau hotel industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed research method was adopted involving quantitative surveys with 31 hotels in Macau and 11 face-to-face interviews with the hotel managers, facilities managers and engineers.

Findings

Response from surveys and interviews with 31 hoteliers show that hotels in Macau have a high level of environmental awareness. Most hoteliers actively introduce initiatives that contribute to cost savings. Initiatives including using energy conservation light bulbs, having an active system to detect/repair leaking facilities and installing water conserving fixtures are widely implemented, while programs involving using solar lawn light, recycling leftover food and reusing wastewater are not. Major barriers for going green include the lack of government regulations on environmental management (EM), financial constraints, the lack of employees to handle EM and the fear that environmental initiatives may negatively impact the guest’s experience, especially those VIP and hardcore gamblers and customers who expect enjoying the luxuries services in Macau hotels. Lower star hotels experience more difficulties in adopting green approaches.

Research limitations/implications

This paper presents a single case study of Macau; therefore, the results in this research may have limited generalizability.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the very few attempts that investigate EM in Macau – a renowned world tourism and gambling destination, where the vast majority of hotels have their casino facilities. Results show that apart from the financial consideration and the lack of government enforcement to adopt green measures similar to hotels in other destinations, EM practices of Macau’s hotels are also constrained by its customer base and the acute shortage of human resources that is caused by the tourism boom.

Details

Tourism Review, vol. 72 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1660-5373

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 21 June 2024

Shuxin Huang, Hui Huang, Shaoyao He and Xiaoping Yu

This study aims to examine the effects of technology-, organisation- and environment-readiness, smart economic development, change valence, social cohesion and quality of life on…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effects of technology-, organisation- and environment-readiness, smart economic development, change valence, social cohesion and quality of life on citizenship in the context of smart cities.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a customized questionnaire which was completed by 280 residents of China’s first-tier cities. This study tested the framework using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique.

Findings

The results indicated that smart economy development, social cohesion, change valence, technological readiness, organizational readiness and environmental readiness have a significant impact on the quality of life. Quality of life has a positive impact on citizenship.

Originality/value

This study adds new insights to smart city academic discussions. The study addresses a critical gap identified in existing literature which urges the need for a balance between user-centric, organization-centric and technology-centric approaches. It offers a fresh perspective on how the smart economy, social cohesion and readiness factors are interlinked. These elements together shape urban living experiences. For policymakers and urban planners, our findings provide clear guidance. They highlight the complex dynamics that must be considered to build more unified, inclusive and sustainable smart cities.

Details

Open House International, vol. 50 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 August 2020

Hui Huang, Daniele Leone, Andrea Caporuscio and Sascha Kraus

The present article aims at rising stream of literature about intellectual capital in healthcare organizations, by exploring how knowledge-based activities are designed to promote…

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Abstract

Purpose

The present article aims at rising stream of literature about intellectual capital in healthcare organizations, by exploring how knowledge-based activities are designed to promote innovation and create value. This process concerns not only buyers and sellers of industrial products/services but, more widely, larger networks of healthcare actors which include patients, payers and health institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

To answer the research question, we adopted a conceptual approach aimed at reaching overall comprehension of healthcare innovation mechanisms. We have tracked the pivotal extant studies for catching the roots and dynamics at the base of diffusion of healthcare innovation. This article demonstrates, based on previous literature and theoretical speculations, the contribution that innovative knowledge-based activities (e.g. market access approach) make to intellectual capital in healthcare organizations to promote innovation and create value.

Findings

The results show that three knowledge-based activities of the healthcare ecosystem shape the basis of the proposed conceptual framework. First, a value co-creation strategy to develop capabilities for each health stakeholder is intended as human capital. Second, the market access approach to promote innovation is reported to the relational capital. Third, a digital servitization strategy is referred to the structural capital.

Research limitations/implications

This paper provides implications for the stream of literature about intellectual capital in healthcare organizations. It aims at exploring three knowledge-based activities as value co-creation, market access and digital servitization that respond to different intellectual capital levels components (human, relational, structural).

Originality/value

This article provides a conceptual framework based on the linkage of two fundamental streams of management studies, which correspond to innovation diffusion and intellectual capital management. This offers a more solid conceptualization for managing intellectual capital in healthcare organizations with respect to previous studies and creates value in the ecosystem.

Details

Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1469-1930

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 January 2025

Show-Hui Huang, Wen-Kai Hsu, Thu Ngo Ngoc Le and Nguyen Tan Huynh

A popular production model for high-tech manufacturers is that they move most production lines abroad to produce formal products for sale and just keep a few production lines in…

Abstract

Purpose

A popular production model for high-tech manufacturers is that they move most production lines abroad to produce formal products for sale and just keep a few production lines in headquarters to manufacture sample products for new product development. Under such a production model, the paper aims to develop a selection model of International Air Express (IAE) for high-tech manufacturers in airfreight of sample products using the fuzzy best-worst method (BWM).

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, an assessment model based on the fuzzy BWM approach is proposed for high-tech manufacturers in selecting airfreight carriers for the shipping of sample products. Further, one high-tech electronic manufacturer in Taiwan was empirically investigated to validate the assessment model.

Findings

The result indicates that electronics manufacturer pays more attention to Promptness, Mutual trust, Freight rate and Financial status of fixed assets when selecting IAEs. Besides, FedEx is argued to be the most preferred IAE for the transportation of sample products. Based on the findings, some practical management implications were discussed.

Research limitations/implications

Some literature limitations should be addressed. Initially, the adoption of the fuzzy BWM assumes independence among criteria. Nonetheless, this assumption is not yet to confirm in this study. Accordingly, this limitation leaves room for improvement in future studies. Further, in this paper, five experienced experts from the Radiant Opto-Electronics Corporation (ROEC) case were empirically surveyed. To ensure the validity of the surveying, this paper adopted an interviewing survey instead of a traditional mailed survey. However, more representative samples are still necessary to confirm the empirical results in future research.

Practical implications

Firstly, the proposed research model provides a systematic framework to the decision-making process, which assists high-tech manufacturers in identifying the most suitable IAEs based on multiple criteria. It has been illustrated that high-tech companies deliver their sample products requiring timely and secure means of transport. In practice, manufacturers can assess various IAEs considering some main factors, such as Operational Flexibility (OF), Partner Relationship (PR), Transportation Capability (TC) and Management, using fuzzy BWM. This process ensures the selection of IAEs aligning with their logistical needs and business priorities, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Secondly, empirical results from the ROEC case indicate that electronics manufacturer pays more attention to Promptness, Mutual trust, Freight rate and Financial status of fixed assets when selecting IAEs. Besides, FedEx is argued to be the most preferred IAE for transportation of sample products. In other words, ROEC should consider establishing long-term contracts with preferred IAEs (i.e. FedEx) to secure favorable rates and service commitments. On top of that, results not only provide practical information for manufacturers in selecting IAEs but also for IAE partners to improve their service policies.

Originality/value

The results not only provide practical information for high-tech manufacturers in selecting airfreight carriers but also for the airfreight carriers to improve their service quality.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 March 2017

Chih-Ming Hong, Cong-Hui Huang and Fu-Sheng Cheng

This paper aims to present the analysis, design and implementation of functional link-based recurrent fuzzy neural network (FLRFNN) for the control of variable-speed switched…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present the analysis, design and implementation of functional link-based recurrent fuzzy neural network (FLRFNN) for the control of variable-speed switched reluctance generator (SRG).

Design/methodology/approach

The node connecting weights of the FLRFNN are trained online by back-propagation (BP) algorithms. The proposed estimator requires less processing time than traditional methods and can be fully implemented using a low-cost digital signal processor (DSP) with MATLAB toolboxes. The DSP-based hybrid sensor presented in this paper can be applied to a wind energy-conversion system where the SRG is used as a variable-speed generator. The current transducer is used to monitor the energized current and proximity sensors for rotor salient.

Findings

The authors have found that optimal based on FLRFNN with Grey controller can resolve the regulation of the system with uncertainty model and unknown disturbances. This technique can maintain the system stability and reach the desired performance even with parameter uncertainties.

Originality/value

This design will improve the performance of SRG to operate more smoothly. This application is currently being studied because the SRG has well-known advantages such as robustness, low manufacturing cost and good size-to-power ratio. Performance of the proposed controller can offer better stability characteristics. Finally, the SRG has a very good efficiency in the whole operating range.

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