Jun Yang, Rui Zheng, Ling Zhao and Sumeet Gupta
As the social media platform becomes an ever more important communication channel between company and customer, companies are learning how they can best utilize social media to…
Abstract
Purpose
As the social media platform becomes an ever more important communication channel between company and customer, companies are learning how they can best utilize social media to better communicate their brands with customers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the communication tactics adopted by the enterprise microblogs using a communication framework. Further, the authors hope to find out how these communication tactics influence customer brand experience (BE) and subsequently brand loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
First, to identify the communication tactics used by enterprise microblogs, the authors recruited six active microblog users and listed all possible characteristics of enterprise microblogs that could increase customers’ fondness for the brand. Second, based on the listed 19 characteristics and existing theories, the authors pre-classified and conceptualized the content and style tactics categories. The authors also followed a sorting procedure to verify our classification. Finally, based on the sorted characteristics and previous research, the authors designed a questionnaire and 459 sets of valid data were collected from enterprise microblog users.
Findings
The communication tactics are classified into two dimensions, namely content tactics and style tactics. The content tactics include content diversity, content accuracy and content timeliness, and the style tactics include impression enhancement style and interactivity enhancement style. The results reveal that the communication content and style tactics significantly enhance overall customer BE and further brand loyalty. The study results also show that style tactics exert more influence on BE than content tactics.
Originality/value
This paper highlights the company’s important role in company-customer communication on social media, and categorizes the effective communication tactics used by the enterprise microblog within a communication framework. Companies could build brand loyalty by enhancing users’ BE using effective communication. The communication perspective and measures of the communication tactics in this study provide an ideal background for future research on IT-based company-customer interaction.
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Xiaoqiang Ma, Jiaqi Wang, Ling Zhao and Jinmian Han
The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the effects of different dimensions of social capital on the well-being of farmers in China’s undeveloped poverty-stricken…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the effects of different dimensions of social capital on the well-being of farmers in China’s undeveloped poverty-stricken areas, and study the equivalent multiple of social capital and income compensation.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper opted for an exploratory study using the open-ended approach of grounded theory, including 1,176 interviews with rural households in poverty-stricken areas in China. The data were complemented by documentary analysis. Then an econometric model of social capital and farmers’ well-being was applied to the data.
Findings
The results show that the number frequently visiting relatives, reciprocity, participation and trust level are significantly positively related to the well-being of the farmers, and the level of participation in social capital requires the most income compensation, while the level of trust comes second.
Originality/value
This paper can serve as a template for developing a useful tool that can be fitted to national or regional data for studying the effects of social capital on the well-being of farmers in poor areas or countries and for calculating the concrete equivalent multiple of social capital and income compensation.
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Yingying Hu, Ling Zhao, Xin (Robert) Luo, Sumeet Gupta and Xiuhong He
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to clarify what specific behaviors are involved in consumers' partial switching in mobile application (app) usage, and, second, to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to clarify what specific behaviors are involved in consumers' partial switching in mobile application (app) usage, and, second, to explore the common and differential motivations of these behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper specified two behaviors in consumers' partial switching in mobile app usage, trialing and combining behaviors, and conceptualized them as different types of variety seeking behaviors. A theoretical model contrasting intrinsic motivations and extrinsic motivations on the two behaviors was developed and tested with a sample of 561 mobile app users in China.
Findings
The findings showed that both trialing and combining behaviors could be motivated by intrinsic individual-related and extrinsic technology-related factors. Besides, intrinsic individual-related factors were more effective in motivating trialing behavior, whereas extrinsic technology-related factors were more effective in motivating combining behavior. All these findings are applicable and consistent in both hedonic and utilitarian apps.
Originality/value
This study extends and advances the literature on information technology switching by investigating consumer use behaviors from a new perspective of partial switching and multiple competing apps usage. This study also contributes to variety seeking literature by extending the understanding of variety seeking to the context of mobile app usage. Finally, by investigating the associations and distinctions of trialing and combining behavior, this study not only helps to fully understand the partial switching but also enriches the understanding of different types of variety seeking behaviors.
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Jinlin Wan, Ling Zhao, Yaobin Lu and Sumeet Gupta
Mobile appstores have fast sprung up during the last few years. The large number of apps in these appstores results in increased search effort for the customer as well as fierce…
Abstract
Purpose
Mobile appstores have fast sprung up during the last few years. The large number of apps in these appstores results in increased search effort for the customer as well as fierce competition leading to poorer revenues for both appstores as well as developers. Therefore, appstores allow developers to resort to bundling apps so as to increase the revenues and improve customer loyalty. Since an app-bundle is a mix of two or more apps, it may induce both positive and negative emotions simultaneously in the consumer. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of app-bundling strategy from consumers’ perspective, and help developers design app-bundles.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on ambivalence theories, this research investigate different antecedents and influence of positive attitude and negative attitude on purchase behavior, and derives seven key app-bundles attributes through an exploratory study. The data were collected from 930 consumers of app-bundles in China and analyzed using SEM approach.
Findings
The findings indicate that positive attitude and negative attitude are two separate concepts and the identified seven app-bundling attributes have distinct effect on shaping consumers’ positive and negative attitude.
Originality/value
This study makes three key contributions to theory and practice. First, this study identifies the specific attributes of app-bundles using exploratory study. Second, this study addresses the challenges involved in examining bundles using ambivalence theory. In doing so, it characterizes attitude as positive and negative and treats them as separate constructs. Third, as called forth by previous studies, this study establishes the co-existence of positive attitude and negative attitude.
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Yingying Hu, Ling Zhao, Sumeet Gupta and Xiuhong He
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore the negative consequences of ubiquitous connectivity enabled by personal IT ensembles (PITEs) usage; and second, to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore the negative consequences of ubiquitous connectivity enabled by personal IT ensembles (PITEs) usage; and second, to investigate the gender differences in the adverse effects of ubiquitous connectivity.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs a socio-technical approach to identify the technical and interpersonal dimensions of PITE-enabled ubiquitous connectivity and develops a theoretical model to investigate their stress-inducing effects based on the framework of technostress. Furthermore, the moderating role of gender is examined based on the social role theory. The authors test the model on a sample of 439 Chinese netizens.
Findings
Ubiquitous technical and interpersonal connectivity induce four stressors: information overload, communication overload, life invasion and privacy invasion. These stressors further lead to psychological exhaustion and reluctance to try new ITs. The ubiquitous technical connectivity exerts stronger effects on stressors for female users than male users, and interpersonal connectivity exerts a stronger effect for male users than female users.
Originality/value
This study primarily contributes to the small amount of research on PITE-enabled ubiquitous connectivity by considering ubiquitous connectivity from a socio-technical perspective and examining the stress-related effects and outcomes of both technical and interpersonal dimensions of ubiquitous connectivity. This study also provides valuable insights into the gender differences in the stress-inducing effects of the two dimensions of ubiquitous connectivity.
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Zanthippie Macrae and John E. Baur
The personalities of leaders have been shown to impact the culture of their organizations and are also expected to have a more distal impact on the firm’s financial performance…
Abstract
The personalities of leaders have been shown to impact the culture of their organizations and are also expected to have a more distal impact on the firm’s financial performance. However, the authors also expect that leader gender is an important intervening variable such that exhibiting various personality dimensions may result in unique cultural and performance-based outcomes for women and men leaders. Thus, the authors seek to examine first the impact of leader personality on organizational performance, as driven through organizational culture as a mediating mechanism. In doing so, the authors propose the expected impact of specific personality dimensions on certain types of organizational cultures, and those cultures’ subsequent impact on the organization’s performance. The authors then extend to consider the moderating effects of leader gender on the relationship between leader personality and organization. To support their propositions, the authors draw from upper echelons and implicit leadership theories. The authors encourage researchers to consider the proposition within a sample of the largest publicly traded US companies (i.e., Fortune 500) at an important era in history such that for the first time, 10% of these companies are led by women. In doing so, the authors hope to understand the leadership dynamics at the highest echelons of corporate governance and provide actionable insights for companies aiming to optimize their leadership composition and drive sustainable performance.
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Michael Matthews, Thomas Kelemen, M. Ronald Buckley and Marshall Pattie
Patriotism is often described as the “love of country” that individuals display in the acclamation of their national community. Despite the prominence of this sentiment in various…
Abstract
Patriotism is often described as the “love of country” that individuals display in the acclamation of their national community. Despite the prominence of this sentiment in various societies around the world, organizational research on patriotism is largely absent. This omission is surprising because entrepreneurs, human resource (HR) divisions, and firms frequently embrace both patriotism and patriotic organizational practices. These procedures include (among other interventions) national symbol embracing, HR practices targeted toward military members and first responders, the adulation of patriots and celebration of patriotic events, and patriotic-oriented corporate social responsibility (CSR). Here, the authors argue that research on HR management and organization studies will likely be further enhanced with a deeper understanding of the national obligation that can spur employee productivity and loyalty. In an attempt to jumpstart the collective understanding of this phenomenon, the authors explore the antecedents of patriotic organizational practices, namely, the effects of founder orientation, employee dispersion, and firm strategy. It is suggested that HR practices such as these lead to a patriotic organizational image, which in turn impacts investor, customer, and employee responses. Notably, the effect of a patriotic organizational image on firm-related outcomes is largely contingent on how it fits with the patriotic views of other stakeholders, such as investors, customers, and employees. After outlining this model, the authors then present a thought experiment of how this model may appear in action. The authors then discuss ways the field can move forward in studying patriotism in HR management and organizational contexts by outlining several future directions that span multiple levels (i.e., micro and macro). Taken together, in this chapter, the authors introduce a conversation of something quite prevalent and largely unheeded – the patriotic organization.
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Daniela Marconi and Francesca Sanna-Randaccio
The purpose of this study is to analyse the role of the clean development mechanism (CDM) established by the Kyoto Protocol in channelling foreign technology to China. Appraising…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyse the role of the clean development mechanism (CDM) established by the Kyoto Protocol in channelling foreign technology to China. Appraising the experience of CDM remains of key importance when drawing lessons for the post-2012 climate regime.
Methodology/approach
Descriptive analysis of the sources and the determinants of foreign technology transfer based on the examination of 1,355 registered projects. Econometric analysis of the probability of having a foreign supplier of technology in any project.
Findings
The prominence of German firms as technology providers and the absence of a strong relationship between technology suppliers and credit buyers. The econometric analysis finds that project size and cost, project location, credit buyers’ and consultants’ characteristics, as well as technology diffusion are all relevant factors in determining the probability of having a foreign supplier of technology.
Research implications
China is a particularly interesting case for analysing technology transfer in CDM projects since, after a slow start, the country has become the largest and most dynamic CDM recipient worldwide. Furthermore, the analysis of CDM projects may offer some insights into the complex web of technological links between Chinese and foreign firms.
Practical implications
The transfer of emission-saving technologies to developing countries is expected to play a major role in addressing environmental problems worldwide.
Originality/value
This study analyses the sources and determinants of international technology transfer in CDM projects in China, and offers some insights into how the characteristics of the major players and the links between them affect this phenomenon.
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Huanxin Lai, Gailan Xing, Shantong Tu and Ling Zhao
The purpose of this paper is to present a pressure‐correction procedure for incompressible flows using unstructured meshes. A method of implementing high‐order spatial schemes on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a pressure‐correction procedure for incompressible flows using unstructured meshes. A method of implementing high‐order spatial schemes on unstructured grids was introduced.
Design/methodology/approach
The procedure used a collocated cell‐centered unstructured grid arrangement. In order to improve the accuracy of calculation, the widely used high‐order schemes for convection, developed for structured grids and in the form of either the normalized variable and space formulation (NVSF) or the total variation diminishing (TVD) flux limiters (FL), were introduced and implemented onto the unstructured grids. This implementation was carried out by constructing a local coordinate and introducing a virtual upstream node.
Findings
The procedure was validated by calculating the lid‐driven cavity flows which had benchmark numerical solutions. For comparison, these flows were also computed by a commercial package, the FLUENT. The results obtained by the present procedure agreed well with the benchmark solution although very coarse grids were used. For the FLUENT, however, worse agreements with the benchmark solutions were obtained although the grids used for computation were the same. These demonstrated the robustness of the presented numerical procedure.
Originality/value
With the present method, high‐order schemes in either NVSF or TVD FL forms for structured grids can be easily implemented onto unstructured grids. This provides more choices of high‐order schemes for calculating complex flows.
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Ganghua Chen, Jingmei Xu and Songshan (Sam) Huang
This study emphasizes the growing significance of destination attributes in shaping the experiences and behaviours of gastronomy and culinary tourists. Understanding both core and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study emphasizes the growing significance of destination attributes in shaping the experiences and behaviours of gastronomy and culinary tourists. Understanding both core and complementary attributes of a gastronomy tourism destination is crucial for its sustainable development. However, there is a lack of a reliable measurement for tourists’ perceived attributes of gastronomy tourism destinations (PAGTD). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a scale to measure tourists’ PAGTD.
Design/methodology/approach
The study systematically followed the scale development and validation process, using three samples (Sample 1, n = 200; Sample 2, n = 204; and Sample 3, n = 204) to establish the psychometric properties of the proposed PAGTD scale.
Findings
The validated scale comprises five dimensions, namely, food culture, food sensations, food cooking, service environment, and food price & quality, encompassing a total of 22 measurement items.
Originality/value
This research significantly contributes to the gastronomy tourism literature by elucidating the dimensionality of PAGTD and validating the PAGTD scale.
目标
目的地属性对美食游客的体验和行为的影响日渐凸显。理解美食旅游目的地的核心属性和补充属性对目的地可持续发展至关重要。然而, 目前还缺乏一份测量游客感知的美食旅游目的地属性(PAGTD)的量表。因此, 本文旨在开发并验证游客感知的美食旅游目的地属性量表(PAGTD量表)。
设计/方法
本文严格遵循量表开发与验证的程序, 利用三份样本(样本1, n=200; 样本2, n=204; 样本3, n=204)建立了PAGTD量表的信度和效度。
研究结果
经过验证, PAGTD量表包括5个维度:美食文化、美食感官因素、美食烹饪、服务环境、美食价格与质量, 共计22个测项。
原创性/价值
本文不仅阐明了游客感知的美食旅游目的地属性的多维结构, 还开发并验证了一份具有良好信效度的PAGTD量表。
Objetivo
Este estudio hace hincapié en la creciente importancia de los atributos de los destinos a la hora de configurar las experiencias y los comportamientos de los turistas gastronómicos y culinarios. Comprender tanto los atributos principales como los complementarios de un destino turístico gastronómico es crucial para su desarrollo sostenible. Sin embargo, se carece de una medición fiable de los atributos percibidos por los turistas de los destinos de turismo gastronómico (PAGTD). Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este estudio es desarrollar una escala para medir los PAGTD de los turistas.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
El estudio siguió sistemáticamente el proceso de desarrollo y validación de la escala, utilizando tres muestras (Muestra 1, n=200; Muestra 2, n=204; y Muestra 3, n=204) para establecer las propiedades psicométricas de la escala PAGTD propuesta.
Resultados
La escala validada comprende cinco dimensiones: saber, cultura alimentaria, sensaciones alimentarias, cocina de los alimentos, entorno del servicio y precio y calidad de los alimentos, que abarcan un total de 22 ítems de medición.
Originalidad/valor
Esta investigación contribuye significativamente a la literatura sobre turismo gastronómico al dilucidar la dimensionalidad del PAGTD y validar la escala PAGTD.