Yi-Fen Liu, Jun-Fang Liao and Jacob Jou
The purpose of this paper is to explore healthcare waiting time and the negative and positive effects (i.e. the dual effects) it has on outpatient satisfaction.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore healthcare waiting time and the negative and positive effects (i.e. the dual effects) it has on outpatient satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
Self-administered surveys with 334 outpatients and follow-up interviews with 20 outpatients in three large hospitals in Taiwan were conducted to collect data.
Findings
Quantitative surveys demonstrated that perceived waiting time correlated with satisfaction negatively first but then positively. Satisfaction also correlated with doctor reputation and patient sociability. Follow-up qualitative interviews further revealed that, for some patients, waiting contributed positively to patient evaluations through signaling better healthcare quality and facilitating social interaction.
Originality/value
This research demonstrated the possibility that waiting might have positive effects on healthcare satisfaction. It also identified variables that could produce greater positive perceptions during hospital waiting and underlying mechanisms that could explain how the positive effects work. This research may potentially help hospitals with a better understanding of how they can improve patients’ waiting experiences and increase satisfaction.
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Christian N. Madu and Rudolph A. Jacob
In this article, we discuss the role of the internet in cultural changes and transformation. The traditional view is that inherent cultures affect business operations so…
Abstract
In this article, we discuss the role of the internet in cultural changes and transformation. The traditional view is that inherent cultures affect business operations so corporations must be cognizant of the prevalent cultures in their operating environments. Frequently, failures of multinational corporations in new environments are often blamed on corporate lack of knowledge and understanding of these prevalent cultures. While this may still be true in today’s environment, the influence of technology, particularly the internet in the 21st century, has been so significant that the world may be approaching a “unification of cultures”. Thus, this paper argues that the internet will lead to a global cultural transformation that will enhance global business operations by removing cultural barriers that lead to sub‐optimal business operations.
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Huan Chen, Dalong Ma and Bhakti Sharma
This study aims to delve into entrepreneurs’ perceptions and interpretations of short video marketing on TikTok.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to delve into entrepreneurs’ perceptions and interpretations of short video marketing on TikTok.
Design/methodology/approach
In light of the study’s exploratory nature, a qualitative approach was used. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with 17 entrepreneurs to uncover their insights on short video marketing via TikTok. Data analysis was carried out using thematic analysis and NVivo, and rigorous measures were in place to ensure the quality of the study.
Findings
This study’s findings suggested that entrepreneurs’ usage of TikTok is customer-oriented, with the purposes of promoting their businesses, generating word-of-mouth and managing customer relationships. As such, the gratification of connection with their audience, entertainment and information provision needs motivate entrepreneurs’ use of TikTok for social media marketing. Additionally, entrepreneurs’ use of TikTok may also contribute to their gratification of creativity and spontaneity needs, which may otherwise be limited in the context of other social media platforms.
Originality/value
This study expands the previous literature on entrepreneurship, social media marketing and the uses and gratification approach by revealing the specifics, nuances and dynamics of TikTok marketing from the entrepreneurs’ emic perspective.
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Huan Chen, Slyvia Chan-Olmsted, Julia Kim and Irene Mayor Sanabria
This study aims to examine consumers’ perception of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI marketing communication.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine consumers’ perception of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI marketing communication.
Design/methodology/approach
Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data and phenomenological reduction was used to analyze data.
Findings
Findings suggest that consumers’ interpretation of AI is multidimensional and relational with a focus on functionality and emotion, as well as comparison and contrast between AI and human beings; consumers’ perception of voice-assisted AI centers on the aspects of function, communication, adaptation, relationship and privacy; consumers consider AI marketing communication to be unavoidable and generally acceptable; and consumers believe that AI marketing communication to be limited in its effect on influencing their evaluation of products/brands or shaping their consumptive behaviors.
Originality/value
According to the authors' knowledge, this study is the first research project to gauge consumers' perception on AI and AI marketing communication.
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Piyali Ghosh, Geetika Goel and Mohit Ojha
Government of India has been addressing the issue of homelessness through shelters in urban areas, mandated with provision of basic amenities including drinking water and…
Abstract
Purpose
Government of India has been addressing the issue of homelessness through shelters in urban areas, mandated with provision of basic amenities including drinking water and washrooms. This research paper aims to investigate into the condition of such homeless shelters in terms of importance of and satisfaction from mandatory amenities therein as perceived by users, i.e. urban homeless poor.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from a survey spanning a sample of 401 shelter inmates have been used to construct a service quality performance matrix (SQPM) to analyse the importance of amenities and satisfaction of shelter inmates out of these amenities. A priority order of these amenities for improvement has been drawn thereafter with a customer satisfaction index (CSI).
Findings
The results of SQPM show ten items registering high importance-low satisfaction. Amenities such as utensils for cooking and psycho-social counselling are important but not available. Priority-wise amenities that need to be improved are: psycho-social counselling, facility of referral and transport, utensils for cooking, childcare facilities, waste management, adequate fire safety measures, recreation space, pest and mosquito control, first aid and kitchen/cooking space and equipment needed for cooking.
Practical implications
A total of 10 amenities have been ranked in order of priority, for which, the government needs to define its improvement action plans for delivering maximum satisfaction to inmates of shelters out of their stay.
Originality/value
The findings reveal that urban homeless staying in shelters are being deprived of many of the amenities earmarked as mandatory. Existing studies on shelters in India are usually descriptive, providing a summary of available amenities therein. This study is the first to contribute to literature on housing by applying SQPM and CSI on amenities available at homeless shelters.
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Stephen Chen and Chong Ju Choi
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of tacit knowledge in successful knowledge‐based cities. It focuses on a case study of Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan. The…
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of tacit knowledge in successful knowledge‐based cities. It focuses on a case study of Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan. The growth of successful knowledge‐based cities is dependent on three interrelated processes that create and transfer tacit knowledge in cities: local knowledge creation, transfer of knowledge from external sources and transfer of that knowledge into productive activities. Researchers need to focus on processes for the creation and transfer of tacit knowledge in cities, and designers and policy makers of knowledge‐based cities need to focus on creating tacit knowledge in cities. Discusses the connection between tacit knowledge and growth of global cities.
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Asela Indunil Gunesekera, Yukun Bao and Mboni Kibelloh
The purpose of this study is to review the effect of usability factors on e-learning user relationships, namely, student–student interaction (SSI), student–instructor interaction…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to review the effect of usability factors on e-learning user relationships, namely, student–student interaction (SSI), student–instructor interaction (SII) and student–content interaction (SCI), in the existing e-learning literature. Further, this study intended to identify whether usability contributes to the satisfaction of e-learners.
Design/methodology/approach
This study has undertaken a systematic review using the PRISMA methodology to filter the literature in the domain of e-learning with respect to usability concerns using six databases. An analytical framework has been formulated to evaluate the literature against different dimensions of interactions and usability.
Findings
Results reveal that while SSI has grabbed 71.4 per cent research attention with respect to usability factors of e-learning systems, SCI has been given the least focus, i.e. 26.6 per cent. According to the results, e-learning systems’ usability issues influence the user relationships and affect the user satisfaction, which will lead to lack of user continuity.
Practical implications
The findings of this review will provide insights to instructional designers to construct more satisfied learning content for the users. The analysis framework of this study will encourage researchers to drive future research in e-learning along with the concern of usability.
Originality/value
This research emphasizes on the importance of SCI to focus future e-learning research on a different angle, in addition to SSI and SII. The analysis framework of this study will provide different dimensions, specifically for the empirical research in the domain of e-learning.
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Gives a bibliographical review of the error estimates and adaptive finite element methods from the theoretical as well as the application point of view. The bibliography at the…
Abstract
Gives a bibliographical review of the error estimates and adaptive finite element methods from the theoretical as well as the application point of view. The bibliography at the end contains 2,177 references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations dealing with the subjects that were published in 1990‐2000.
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Zakka Hammadi Ghifari and Ririn Diar Astanti
This study proposes a new framework for business process improvement (BPI) by identifying areas of improvement based on customer complaints.
Abstract
Purpose
This study proposes a new framework for business process improvement (BPI) by identifying areas of improvement based on customer complaints.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed framework comprises several stages. The first stage captures the voice of customer (VoC) in the form of customer complaints. The complaints are processed using text mining and sentiment analysis. Negative sentiments indicate areas for improvement by matching words with SERVQUAL dimensions. The FMEA method is used to identify business processes that need to be improved.
Findings
The opposing quality dimensions of SERVQUAL can be incorporated into a database for later identifying consumer complaints. FMEA can be used to identify potential failures in aspects that correspond to consumer complaints; therefore, improvement areas can be identified. The proposed framework, applied to a garment manufacturer, shows that the SERVQUAL dimensions, which were originally intended for service companies, can be adapted to manage customer complaints to support BPI in manufacturing companies.
Practical implications
The framework can be used by either the manufacturing or service industries to handle customer complaints and use the complaint analysis results to identify improvement areas to avoid the same complaints occurring in the future.
Originality/value
In this study, the construction of a database based on the SERVQUAL dimension to match sentiment results, where negative sentiment indicates improvement, and the use of FMEA to indicate specific business processes that should be improved is novel and has not yet been proposed by previous studies.