Hui-Chun Chang, Yung-Kai Lin, Chia-Hua Liang, Hsin-Wei Huang, Yung-Hao Lin, Yung-Hsiang Lin, Wei-Chun Hu and Chi Fu Chiang
Population aging was a global trend, and the most obvious thing after aging was the change in skin appearance. Therefore, the active ingredients that delay skin aging were…
Abstract
Purpose
Population aging was a global trend, and the most obvious thing after aging was the change in skin appearance. Therefore, the active ingredients that delay skin aging were particularly noticed. Past studies had pointed out that Chinese herbal extracts can improve skin elasticity, reduce wrinkles and melanin precipitation. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether combining hydrolyzed collagen with Chinese herbal extracts can improve skin conditions and achieve anti-inflammatory effects.
Design/methodology/approach
Fifty subjects were randomly divided into collagen or placebo groups, and one bottle of collagen or placebo drink was used every day for four weeks, after which skin and inflammatory factors were tested.
Findings
In comparison with the baseline results, the skin parameters were improving after four-week intervention. In addition, the IL-6, IL-8, TNF-a were significantly decreased and tissue inhibitor matrix metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) was increased after four-week hydrolyzed collagen intervention.
Originality/value
This study showed that hydrolyzed collagen combined with Chinese herbal extracts can improve the condition of the skin, and can also reduce inflammatory associated factors, thereby achieving anti-aging effects.
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Hui-Chun Huang, Ya-Ting Chang, Che-Yi Yeh and Chung-Wei Liao
The authors empirically evaluated the effect of price promotions on customer quality evaluations and repeat-purchase intentions in coffee chain stores. The moderating role of…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors empirically evaluated the effect of price promotions on customer quality evaluations and repeat-purchase intentions in coffee chain stores. The moderating role of customer characteristics in this process was also investigated.
Design/methodology/approach
Consumers in 12 coffee chain stores were surveyed and 488 usable questionnaires were obtained. Relationships in the test model were examined using structural equation modeling techniques. A multiple-group solution was used to test the moderating effects of consumer characteristics.
Findings
The results of structural equation modeling analyses suggested that price-promotion activities at Starbucks in Taiwan had a favorable effect on customer quality evaluations and positively influenced repeat-purchase intentions. The moderating effects of consumer characteristics were partially supported. Whereas sex showed no significant moderating effect, consumption frequency did demonstrate a moderating effect.
Practical implications
The results indicate that existing customers may see price promotions at Starbucks in Taiwan as a reward or incentive, and thus lead to an increase in favorable evaluations. The findings provide a new perspective that may encourage those involved in the marketing of coffee chain stores to manage price promotions in a more strategic manner by considering customer characteristics.
Originality/value
The effects of price promotions on brand evaluation remain controversial and may vary among product categories. Additionally, most studies regarding price promotions have used an experimental approach, and few studies of price promotions in the coffee industry have been reported. The study is among the first to empirically examine the effects of price promotions and the moderating role of consumer characteristics in the process at coffee chain stores.
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Abbas J. Ali, Monle Lee, Yi‐Ching Hsieh and Krish Krishnan
Individualism collectivism measures, along with decision styles, are examined in Taiwan. About 600 questionnaires were distributed directly to employees with managerial positions…
Abstract
Individualism collectivism measures, along with decision styles, are examined in Taiwan. About 600 questionnaires were distributed directly to employees with managerial positions in private, public, and mixed enter prises in the capital, Taipei. In general, Taiwanese were found to be more collectivist than individualistic. Participants displayed a strong preference for consultative and participative styles and determined that these two styles were the most effective in practice. Further more, participants indicated that their immediate supervisors were mostly consultative and autocratic.
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Hui‐Chun Chu, Gwo‐Jen Hwang and Judy C.R. Tseng
This paper aims to propose an innovative approach to assist teachers in using electronic libraries to develop learning activities for context‐aware ubiquitous learning, in which…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose an innovative approach to assist teachers in using electronic libraries to develop learning activities for context‐aware ubiquitous learning, in which the learning system can detect students' behaviors and guide them to learn in the real world with personalized support from the digital world.
Design/methodology/approach
An electronic library with context‐awareness metadata for supporting learning activities conducted in real‐world environments is presented. Furthermore, a systematic procedure for guiding teachers in employing the electronic library to develop learning activities is proposed based on an innovative approach.
Findings
From a practical application conducted on an elementary school, it is found that, with this innovative approach, electronic libraries not only have the potential in supporting traditional in‐class or online learning activities, but also can assist teachers and digital content workers in developing high quality learning activities and related digital learning materials to support outdoor learning.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this paper imply that, to promote the utilization rate of electronic libraries for more specified purposes, more features of the application domains need to be considered while designing the database schemas of the electronic libraries.
Practical implications
From the feedback of teachers and digital content workers, it is found electronic libraries have high potential for supporting outdoor learning activities for “Science” and “Social science” courses with proper database schema design and the provision of user guidance.
Originality/value
An electronic library for supporting context‐aware ubiquitous‐learning is presented and an innovative approach for guiding teachers to design learning activities is proposed.
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Liang-Chih Huang, Chun-Hui Su, Cheng-Chen Lin and Szu-Chi Lu
The purpose of this paper is to attempt to unlock how and why abusive supervision influences employees’ day-to-day behaviors. Thus, the present study proposes that employees who…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to attempt to unlock how and why abusive supervision influences employees’ day-to-day behaviors. Thus, the present study proposes that employees who are continuously faced with a supervisor’s hostile verbal and nonverbal behavior might obstruct their willingness to exhibit two different kinds of extra-role behaviors [i.e. organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and voice] because sustained abusive behavior might hinder employees from their tasks and result in disengagement. Abused employees are more likely to disengage from their current tasks, and this is likely to in turn result in lower OCB and voice.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected from a Taiwan mid-sized high-tech manufacturing company. The present study adopted a within-person approach (a daily-basis research design) and collected data from 60 front-line employees over 10 working days. Although all variables were self-rated, common method variance is minor. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to ensure discriminant and convergent validity, and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results of CFA ensure the measures have discriminant and convergent validity, while the results of HLM analysis showed that work engagement fully mediates the negative relationship between abusive supervision and the two kinds of extra-role behaviors. The bootstrapping results also support the full mediation effect of work engagement.
Originality/value
The present study used the job demands-resources model to examine how abusive supervision influences employees’ OCB and voice and found that work engagement is one possible mechanism between these two types of extra-role behavior. Specifically, a daily research design discovered that in a given working day, once a leader exhibits abusive supervision behavior, compared with any given day without abusive behaviors, employees will find it difficult to focus on their current tasks (i.e. through exhibiting decreased work engagement), which will in turn influence their willingness to exhibit OCB and voice on that particular day. Thus, both researchers and managers should focus on the daily interactions between leaders and employees because it is impossible to achieve organization success in one day, but rather such success is the aggregate result of both leaders’ and employees’ daily efforts.
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Farheen Mujeeb Khan and Yuvika Gupta
This study aims to contribute to literature on mobile learning (m-learning) by proposing four research clusters whereby scholars can expand m-learning research to facilitate…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to contribute to literature on mobile learning (m-learning) by proposing four research clusters whereby scholars can expand m-learning research to facilitate effective learning experiences for students.
Design/methodology/approach
This study reviews student-centric literature on m-learning since 2010 and presents insights on m-learning while applying well-established bibliometric techniques. Consequently, 722 articles published in the past decade were evaluated by identifying key research areas, most influential authors, countries, journals and organisations. Most influential studies based on number of citations were also examined.
Findings
Through article co-citation analysis, four clusters representing m-learning literature were identified: concept of m-learning, application of m-learning in education, designing framework for model learning/acceptance and emerging technologies.
Originality/value
As mobile learning (m-learning) has undergone an evolution from being an emerging field to a significant teaching and research tool, it is pertinent to explore and identify the trends of m-learning research.