Despite the well-recognized importance of recycled water, the study of industry-peer pressure on recycled water is relatively new. This study investigates how organizations…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the well-recognized importance of recycled water, the study of industry-peer pressure on recycled water is relatively new. This study investigates how organizations experience and react to industry-peer pressure to set recycled water targets. Additionally, this study investigates the role of board chairs involved in sustainability committees in contributing to responses to industry-peer pressure.
Design/methodology/approach
Using Eviews 12, this study employed a pooled logistic regression model to analyze data from 1,346 firms on Taiwan and Taipei exchanges (2017–2020).
Findings
The findings revealed that frequency-based imitation drives recycled water target-setting diffusion. However, there is no direct relationship between outcome-based imitation and recycled water target-setting. Notably, outcome-based imitation drives the adoption of recycled water target-setting of firms with board-chair membership in sustainability committees.
Research limitations/implications
This study faces certain data limitations. First, this study primarily focuses on water recycling. Future research could explore other ways to reduce water usage, such as using water-efficient equipment. Second, this study gathered information solely on the presence or absence of a board chairperson on the sustainability committee. Future researchers could explore the impact of the composition of sustainability committee on recycled water target-setting. Lastly, the sample used in this study is restricted to Taiwan's corporations that existed during 2017–2020. Future researchers may consider adopting a longitudinal design in other economies to address this limitation.
Practical implications
The findings of this study offer several guidelines and implications for recycled water target-setting and the composition of sustainability committees. It responds to an urgent call for solutions to water shortages when pressure from governments and nongovernmental organizations is relatively absent. The number of industry peers that have already set recycled water targets is indispensable for motivating firms to set their own recycled water targets. In terms of insufficient water-related regulatory pressure and normative pressure, this study found evidence suggesting that the direct motivation for setting recycled water targets stems from mimetic pressures via frequency-based imitation. The evidence in this study suggests that policymakers should require companies to disclose their peers’ recycled water target information, as doing so serves as an alternative means to achieving SDG 6.3.
Social implications
Recycled water target-setting might be challenging. Water recycling practices may face strong resistance and require substantial additional resources (Zhang and Tang, 2019; Gao et al., 2019; Gu et al., 2023). Therefore, this study suggests that firms should ensure the mindfulness of board members in promoting the welfare of the natural environment when making recycled water target-setting decisions. To reap the second-mover advantage, firms must consider the conditions in which board members can more effectively play their role. Corporations may help their chairpersons in setting recycled water targets by recruiting them as members of sustainability committees. Meanwhile, chairpersons tend to activate accurate mental models when the water conservation performance of pioneering industry peers is strong enough to indicate the potential benefits of adopting recycled water target-setting. Investors’ and stakeholders’ understanding of how the composition of sustainability committees is related to recycled water target-setting may help to identify the potential drivers of firms’ water responsibility. Investors and stakeholders should distinguish firms in terms of the board chair’s membership of their sustainability committee and focus on water-use reduction outcomes in the industry. This study provides insights into circumstances whereby chairpersons help to restore the water ecosystem.
Originality/value
This study explains how frequency-based and outcome-based imitation are two prominent mechanisms underlying the industry-peer pressure concerning recycled water target-setting. Moreover, this study fills literature gaps related to the moderating roles of board-chair membership in sustainability committees concerning industry-peer pressure on recycled water target-setting.
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Yueh-Hysuan Lai, Mei-Tzu Huang and Tom M.Y. Lin
This study investigates the mechanism of defensive word-of-mouth (WOM), which refers to consumers responding to unfair negative online reviews of a brand with which they identify.
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the mechanism of defensive word-of-mouth (WOM), which refers to consumers responding to unfair negative online reviews of a brand with which they identify.
Design/methodology/approach
Study 1 employs an experimental design that manipulates brand identification and the perceived fairness of negative WOM, using a gift card choice scenario to measure decision-making behavior. Study 2 involves a real event with Google reviews and follows a quasi-experimental design, manipulating identification with the university and using Google Maps star ratings to measure brand attitude.
Findings
Consumers with high brand identification are more likely to defend the brand when confronted with unfair negative WOM. However, they do not always exhibit defensive WOM in fair cases. Furthermore, the results show that the defensive WOM can strengthen consumers’ brand attitude and supportive behavior.
Practical implications
Encouraging defensive WOM by mobilizing brand advocates and highlighting the unfairness of negative WOM could be a practical strategy to defend the brand and minimize the risk of online firestorms. Notably, defensive WOM itself strengthens the relationship between consumers and the brand.
Originality/value
This study proposes a mechanism for the defensive WOM phenomenon and demonstrates that the rebound effect in brand attitude caused by negative WOM comes from consumers’ willingness to express defensive WOM. We draw on self-affirmation theory to address the gap in theoretical explanations for defensive WOM. This contributes to the literature on self-identity and WOM research by showing that consumers defend their identities through WOM communication.
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Danping Liu, Hedan Fang, Mei Huang, Changchun Jiang and Jingchen Ma
Encouraging green consumption is a proven strategy for supporting destination sustainability. Nonetheless, extant research approaches destination sustainability mainly from an…
Abstract
Purpose
Encouraging green consumption is a proven strategy for supporting destination sustainability. Nonetheless, extant research approaches destination sustainability mainly from an economic perspective. In this study, we explore the effectiveness of destination social responsibility (DSR) as a way to encourage green consumption among tourists from a social interaction perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
We used a mixed-method approach with two studies (i.e. a scenario experiment and a survey) to test our hypotheses. The scenario experiment included four versions of a narrative scenario with 40 samples each, and 421 valid questionnaires were obtained in the survey.
Findings
Our findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between DSR and green pressure. And DSR positively influences tourists’ green product purchase behavior (GPB). Tourists who have a high fear of negative evaluation (FNE) experience more pressure when exposed to DSR than those with low FNE.
Originality/value
This study sheds light on the mechanisms through which DSR influences tourists’ GPB from a stress transaction perspective and also offers practical implications for tourism marketing and destination management.
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Mei Huang, Kexin Wang, Yue Liu and Shuangyu Xu
Effective post-disaster communication is essential for destination marketing organizations to encourage visitors following natural disasters. This research aimed to analyze the…
Abstract
Purpose
Effective post-disaster communication is essential for destination marketing organizations to encourage visitors following natural disasters. This research aimed to analyze the impact of two typical types of post-disaster communication messages – solidarity messages and testimonial messages – on post-disaster visiting intention. This research proposes effective communication strategies for post-disaster destination marketing.
Design/methodology/approach
For the case of Jiuzhai Valley, China, which experienced market recovery after two years of rebuilding following a 2017 earthquake, this study designed three contextual experiments based on post-disaster communication scenarios on the Internet and social media to test the causal chain between recovery message types and post-disaster visiting intentions. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance, independent samples t-tests, and the bootstrap method.
Findings
The results indicate that both solidarity messages and testimonial messages evoked higher visiting intention than the no-message group. However, solidarity messages (vs testimonial messages) were more effective when shared on the destination management organization's official account than when they were shared on an influencer's account, with their effects being mediated by the symbolic – as opposed to the hedonic – value of tourist behavior.
Practical implications
Destination management organizations should actively carry out marketing communication through the Internet and social media for areas that have experienced disasters. Crisis communicators should consider inviting popular social media influencers to visit the destination and share their experiences to enhance market confidence, while also paying more attention to the operation of official social media accounts.
Originality/value
This study sheds light on the use of the Internet and social media as tools for post-disaster marketing. By expanding on post-disaster communication theory, this study fills a research gap regarding the effectiveness of tourism marketing strategies after a crisis.
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This paper illustrates how Taiwan has tried to mobilize its prehistory Austronesian linguistic heritage and indigenous cultural memories to reposition itself in the Asia-Pacific…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper illustrates how Taiwan has tried to mobilize its prehistory Austronesian linguistic heritage and indigenous cultural memories to reposition itself in the Asia-Pacific. It examines how the attempt has gradually evolved into cross-border exchange and partnership based on the interconnectivity across the Pacific on different levels.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on policy review of the Taiwan government's growing focus on indigenous culture in strategizing diplomacy and cultural policy from 2000 through 2021 and the researcher's participant observation in expert cultural heritage meetings (2018–2021). It is also complemented by semi-structured interviews with both selected state actors and civil actors.
Findings
The past connection among indigenous communities in Taiwan and the Austronesian peoples contributes to building up new cultural circuits across-borders based upon shared indigenous heritage and demonstrates the extraterritorial role of heritage, which can be the potential base for developing diplomacy.
Research limitations/implications
The research is limited in not directly engaging with actors in the Pacific given limited time, budget and mobility under the coronavirus disease (COVID) pandemic. The author would like to follow on that in her future research.
Originality/value
The paper sheds light on the uneasy relationship between indigenous heritage making and nation building and its cultural implications. This study demonstrates that the state framework of heritage is not necessarily appropriate to deal with these complicated historical matters, especially when the notion of heritage per se is not decolonised in a settler state.
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Huang Chang Mei, Shen Wei Hua and Xiao Xiao Cong
The paper attempts to establish GM(1,1) grey prediction model group for the top three Olympic track and field sports performance, and to predict the 30th London Olympic track and…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper attempts to establish GM(1,1) grey prediction model group for the top three Olympic track and field sports performance, and to predict the 30th London Olympic track and field results and its tendency using grey systems theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Athletics sports achievements are influenced by many factors, such as the physical quality, athletes individual growth cycle, and injuring or retirement of excellent athletes, the outstanding performance of some athletes, the using of high‐tech sports training instrument, the implementation plan of scientific training guidance, the introduction of advanced technology, facilities and improvement, and so on. Those aspects can make the match result uncertain, which are running in a uncertain and continually changing environment, so sports achievements have obviously grey features. Combined with grey modeling methods, and aimed at the top three Olympic track and field sports performance, this paper established GM (1,1) grey prediction model group and analysed the trend of Olympic track and field. And in the end of the paper, the 30th Olympic men's and women's the top three athletic achievements prediction intervals are also predicted.
Findings
The results show that forecasting model group has high‐precision. In the 46 champions prediction models, three models have the forecast accuracy of 100 percent; 27 models' forecast accuracy are greater than 99.5 percent, and the rest of the models forecast accuracy are greater than 98.58 percent. In the 46 silver medalists prediction models, five models have the forecast accuracy of 100 percent; 33 models' forecast accuracy are greater than 99.5 percent and the rest of the models' forecast accuracy is greater than 98.48 percent. In the 46 bronze medalist prediction models, four models have the forecast accuracy of 100 percent; 25 models' forecast accuracy is greater than 99.5 percent and the rest of the models forecast accuracy is greater than 98.76 percent. The essay deeply analyzes the top three achievements' trend of Olympic Games Track and field. In the end, the paper predicts the 30th Olympic track and field results.
Practical implications
The method exposed in the paper can be used for the short‐term or long‐term prediction of sports scores metering in international competition (such as track and field, swimming, rowing, etc.), and also for personal athletic performance prediction.
Originality/value
The paper succeeds in realising both grey prediction model group for the top three Olympic track and field performance in all projects, and prediction of the 30th London Olympic track and field results by using the newest developed theories: grey systems theory.
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Networking behaviors assist individuals in doing their jobs better and advancing their careers. However, most research emphasizes the effects of job characteristics on networking…
Abstract
Purpose
Networking behaviors assist individuals in doing their jobs better and advancing their careers. However, most research emphasizes the effects of job characteristics on networking behaviors, neglecting the effects of individual differences in goal orientations. Moreover, few studies investigate the prospective evaluation of promotability and the mediating effect of networking behavior on the relationship between goal orientation and promotability. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to clarify the nomological network and to expand the domain of networking behavior by identifying networking as career- and community-based networking behaviors and by examining the differential relationships among goal orientation, networking behaviors, and promotability.
Design/methodology/approach
This study surveyed and collected data from 160 financial employees and 103 supervisors working at branches of a large bank in Taiwan. Questionnaires addressing both networking behavior and goal orientation were distributed to employees, and one week later their supervisors were sent another survey about employees’ promotability evaluations.
Findings
Learning goal orientation was positively related to both career- and community-based networking behaviors. Performance goal orientation was also positively related to career-based networking behaviors, but negatively related to community-based networking behaviors. Career-based networking behaviors, particularly maintaining contacts and engaging in professional activities, were found to be positively related to promotability. Results also show that career-based networking behaviors, particularly maintaining contacts and engaging in professional activities, mediated the relationship between goal orientation and promotability.
Research limitations/implications
This study addresses the importance of distinguishing between networking behaviors as career based and networking behaviors as community based and shows that these two sets of networking behaviors arise from different goal orientations and have differential effects on supervisory evaluation of promotability.
Practical implications
By linking networking behavior with promotability, this study helps managers understand how employees’ enactment of specific networking behaviors can facilitate both the employees’ career development and the employees’ placement in important organizational positions.
Originality/value
This study fulfills an identified need to understand the nomological network of networking behavior.
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This study aims to examine what kind of role social capital plays in the relationship between human capital and career outcomes, with a particular focus on testing the mediation…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine what kind of role social capital plays in the relationship between human capital and career outcomes, with a particular focus on testing the mediation and moderation models.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data compiled from 111 employees at three financial institutions in Taiwan, social capital was measured by employees based on network in‐degree centrality, and development potential was measured by supervisors.
Findings
Results showed that the effects of human capital on developmental potential were fully mediated by social capital. Moreover, employees with firm‐specific human capital, managerial positions and longer tenure, received higher potential evaluations by their supervisors through their central positions.
Research limitations/implications
The study shed light on the direct and significant effects of social capital on developmental potential, while human capital should translate into social capital to get positive career outcomes. That is, it is social capital that transforms human capital into workplace gains, e.g. producing positive career outcomes and increasing supervisors' perception of potential.
Practical implications
Employees should make best use of social capital transformed from human capital to obtain positive career outcomes in the organizations.
Originality/value
Support for the authors' mediation model suggests that both social capital and careers literature can be enhanced though integration. It follows that future research on career outcomes would benefit from the inclusion of social capital variables.
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Xingwen Wu, Zhenxian Zhang, Wubin Cai, Ningrui Yang, Xuesong Jin, Ping Wang, Zefeng Wen, Maoru Chi, Shuling Liang and Yunhua Huang
This review aims to give a critical view of the wheel/rail high frequency vibration-induced vibration fatigue in railway bogie.
Abstract
Purpose
This review aims to give a critical view of the wheel/rail high frequency vibration-induced vibration fatigue in railway bogie.
Design/methodology/approach
Vibration fatigue of railway bogie arising from the wheel/rail high frequency vibration has become the main concern of railway operators. Previous reviews usually focused on the formation mechanism of wheel/rail high frequency vibration. This paper thus gives a critical review of the vibration fatigue of railway bogie owing to the short-pitch irregularities-induced high frequency vibration, including a brief introduction of short-pitch irregularities, associated high frequency vibration in railway bogie, typical vibration fatigue failure cases of railway bogie and methodologies used for the assessment of vibration fatigue and research gaps.
Findings
The results showed that the resulting excitation frequencies of short-pitch irregularity vary substantially due to different track types and formation mechanisms. The axle box-mounted components are much more vulnerable to vibration fatigue compared with other components. The wheel polygonal wear and rail corrugation-induced high frequency vibration is the main driving force of fatigue failure, and the fatigue crack usually initiates from the defect of the weld seam. Vibration spectrum for attachments of railway bogie defined in the standard underestimates the vibration level arising from the short-pitch irregularities. The current investigations on vibration fatigue mainly focus on the methods to improve the accuracy of fatigue damage assessment, and a systematical design method for vibration fatigue remains a huge gap to improve the survival probability when the rail vehicle is subjected to vibration fatigue.
Originality/value
The research can facilitate the development of a new methodology to improve the fatigue life of railway vehicles when subjected to wheel/rail high frequency vibration.
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Shih-Shuo Yeh, Anestis K. Fotiadis, Mei-Ling Huang and Tzung-Cheng Huan
Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process, this study aims to identify organizational and market factors that prevent hoteliers from adopting greener management systems. This study…
Abstract
Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process, this study aims to identify organizational and market factors that prevent hoteliers from adopting greener management systems. This study first constructs a list of critical factors based on expert judgments reported in the literature and the responses from a select group of experienced managers. Then, the list is further refined by six hotel managers who consolidate the factors, which results in four categories explained by 20 items. Subsequently, this study draws from surveys on an expert panel consisting of 20 study subjects who are familiar with hotel operations. The survey results show that hoteliers’ abilities to create a greener image are the most important factor influencing the managers’ decisions to adopt environmentally friendly management schemes. Nevertheless, their motivation of adopting a green strategy seems to be associated with a marketing strategy, instead of generic environmental stewardship.