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There is a meager body of research addressing the role educational leadership preparation programs in colleges and universities play in preparing women leaders. Also educational leadership preparation research has yet to explore ways in which mentorship provides additional capital for female graduate students. This study seeks to understand the challenges facing, and the opportunities available to, female graduate students in educational leadership departments.

The study used qualitative methods to explore the constructs of educational leadership preparation and mentorship of female graduate students. Qualitative methods, specifically a questionnaire and a collaborative focus group, were informed by the work of feminist theory and were used to explore participants' experiences and perceptions with the larger purpose of understanding the implications of their experiences for the development of strategies and programs intended to support female graduate students.

The following themes emerged from the participants' stories: constraints within the organizational culture, personal and familial sacrifice, struggles with identity, questioning self, and experiences with mentoring.

The findings have important implications for the roles university leadership preparation program structures might play in supporting female graduate students and their career success. The findings also offer recommendations for the development of mentoring programs for female graduate students.

Currently, there is an exceptional lack of research documenting the lived experiences of female doctoral students, particularly research that can be used to inform policy and program development. To that end, the qualitative study described in this paper helps in understanding the challenges facing, and the opportunities available to, female graduate students in educational leadership departments as well as in understanding the implications of such experiences for the development of strategies and programs intended to support female graduate students.

This study used the colours of plates as atmospheric stimulus factors in the Mehrabian–Russell model of environmental influence, which served as the study’s basic background theory, to explore how plate colour affects consumer appetite preference and dining emotions in Chinese fine dining restaurants. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

The study used quantitative surveys and employed purposeful sampling and rolling snowball surveys of consumers in Chinese fine dining restaurants in Taipei; 581 effective surveys were collected from the test subjects. The research tools included a plate colour appetite preference scale and a dining emotion scale.

There were significant differences in age and gender in terms of appetite preference and plate colour. The plate colours with the highest appetite preference were gold, white and black. There were significant differences in plate colour appetite preference in terms of dining mood, with white and gold plates eliciting positive dining moods.

Most academic papers have focused on studying plates in Western dining, while very few studies have focused on the colour of Chinese dining plates. The greatest contribution and value of this study is its discovery of the colour combination of dining plates that can elicit appetite preferences and positive dining emotions among diners in Chinese fine dining restaurants. This information can be used to stimulate positive dining emotions among consumers and help restaurateurs improve the level of dining aesthetics.

This paper aims to report a stretchable piezoresistive strain sensor array that can detect various static and dynamic stimuli, including bending, normal force, shear stress and certain range of temperature variation, through sandwiching an array of conductive blocks, made of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite. The strain sensor array induces localized resistance changes at different external mechanical forces, which can be potentially implemented as electronic skin.

The working principle is the piezoresistivity of the strain sensor array is based on the tunnelling resistance connection between the fillers and reformation of the percolating path when the PDMS and MWCNT composite deforms. When an external compression stimulus is exerted, the MWCNT inter-filler distance at the conductive block array reduces, resulting in the reduction of the resistance. The resistance between the conductive blocks in the array, on the other hand, increases when the strain sensor is exposed to an external stretching force. The methodology was as follows: Numerical simulation has been performed to study the pressure distribution across the sensor. This method applies two thin layers of conductive elastomer composite across a 2 × 3 conductive block array, where the former is to detect the stretchable force, whereas the latter is to detect the compression force. The fabrication of the strain sensor consists of two main stages: fabricating the conducting block array (detect compression force) and depositing two thin conductive layers (detect stretchable force).

Characterizations have been performed at the sensor pressure response: static and dynamic configuration, strain sensing and temperature sensing. Both pressure and strain sensing are studied in terms of the temporal response. The temporal response shows rapid resistance changes and returns to its original value after the external load is removed. The electrical conductivity of the prototype correlates to the temperature by showing negative temperature coefficient material behaviour with the sensitivity of −0.105 MΩ/°C.

The conductive sensor array can potentially be implemented as electronic skin due to its reaction with mechanical stimuli: compression and stretchable pressure force, strain sensing and temperature sensing.

This prototype enables various static and dynamic stimulus detections, including bending, normal force, shear stress and certain range of temperature variation, through sandwiching an array of conductive blocks, made of MWCNT and PDMS composite. Conventional design might need to integrate different microfeatures to perform the similar task, especially for dynamic force sensing.

A high-end ethnic restaurant is a tourism experience that can increase the attractiveness and brand recognition of a tourism destination. The restaurant environment is a key element that affects consumer visits. The purpose of this paper is to adopt Schmitt’s experience module to analyse tourist preferences and experiences with respect to floral styles in ethnic fine dining restaurants. The results of this study are intended to serve as a reference for operators of fine dining establishments in designing flower arrangements.

This study adopts a quantitative research method. A sample was developed using tablet computers to simulate flower arrangements in restaurants. The research tools included a floral style preference scale and a tourist floral experience scale.

Based on the results, the test subjects preferred European floral design styles in restaurants. Restaurant environments with floral arrangements were best at relaxing the test subjects. A restaurant’s floral style was positively correlated with various aspects of the tourist experience. Gender, age, Chinese flower styles, Japanese flower styles, European flower styles and other variables enabled forecasting the degree of the tourist experience.

When a consumer exhibits higher preference for a restaurant’s floral style, the level of the tourist experience increases. This study investigates the aesthetic experience of restaurants and restaurant atmosphere as a marketing tool. Sensory stimulation within the restaurant atmosphere can be based on the five senses such that tourists may, through the design of the restaurant environment, have specific emotional reactions that improve their tourist experience and reinforce the restaurant’s brand image.

This study examines the temporal dynamics of consumer attitudes, perceived value and purchase intentions toward green agricultural foods, addressing critical gaps in the literature on sustainable consumption behaviours. It emphasises the mediating role of perceived value and its evolution over time, offering insights into consumer decision-making processes.

A longitudinal design was adopted, collecting data through structured questionnaires from primary household food purchasers in northern Taiwan at baseline, three months and six months. Analytical techniques, including multiple regression, mediation analysis and repeated measures ANOVA, were employed to examine relationships and track changes over time.

The results reveal that consumer attitudes positively influence perceived value, which fully mediates the relationship with purchase intentions. Temporal analysis indicates significant increases in perceived value and purchase intentions over six months, demonstrating that sustained exposure to green agricultural foods reinforces consumer commitment and pro-environmental behaviours. Attitudes alone do not directly predict purchase intentions without the mediation of perceived value, highlighting the critical role of perceived benefits in driving long-term sustainable consumption.

This study provides actionable insights for enhancing the perceived value of green agricultural foods. Businesses should prioritise health and environmental benefits, while policymakers can design campaigns and incentives to promote sustainable dietary habits, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 12.

By exploring the mediating role of perceived value in transforming positive consumer attitudes into purchase intentions, this study highlights how perceived value, shaped by health and environmental benefits, drives consumer behaviour. These findings contribute valuable insights for enhancing market appeal and supporting sustainable food marketing strategies.

Mobile instant messaging (MIM) apps could provide rich and instant information in employees’ communication. However, how media richness impacts MIM user loyalty is unknown. The purpose of this paper is to adopt media richness and social presence theories as theoretical foundations to address this insufficiency.

Collecting 247 responses from an online survey, the authors use structural equation modelling for data analysis and hypothesis testing.

The authors found that immediate feedback and personal focus are the main aspects of media richness that are positively related to social presence, relatedness need satisfaction and user loyalty to MIM.

This is the first study using two pertinent theories to explain how aspects of media richness affect user loyalty to MIM. The present findings suggest that firms developing MIM apps focus on immediate feedback and personal focus as effective means to encourage user loyalty.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the existence, role, and hidden problems associated with customer perceived opportunism (PO) in e‐return service (e‐RS) encounters.

A theoretical framework is proposed linking return policy (RP) and information credibility (IC) with customer PO, trust, and stickiness intention (SI). This study reviews research and concepts from various fields, including marketing, psychology, and information systems and derives six hypotheses. Data from online users are examined using LISREL 8.8.

The results confirmed that PO mediates between e‐RS and trust, as well as the power of the proposed model to predict e‐RS customer behavior.

This work developed a novel customer e‐RS behavioral model to characterize the current online environment. Potential limitations of the proposed method are also described, along with suggestions for further research on sampling and model development, in order to accurately forecast the future development of the online environment.

The study findings remind retailers to understand the inevitability of PO and associated damage when providing e‐RS, and suggest effective measures, such as smooth e‐RS process design and reasonable fee plans, to solve this problem.

This study developed the first behavioral model of the existence of both positive and negative customer perceptions of e‐RS. PO is the key factor for reducing the effect of high‐quality e‐RS on negative perceptions.

Using the theoretical lens of social capital, this paper provides insight into senior public relations (PR) professionals’ views on and attitudes towards digital communication in Singapore and Perth, Western Australia, and explores the fundamental question of PR purpose.

Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice and in particular his notion of social capital, this exploratory study is based on the critical analysis of 31 semi-structured interviews with senior PR professionals in Singapore and Perth, Western Australia.

PR professionals concur with assumptions made in the extant literature regarding the potential of digital media for PR, despite broad agreement that the fundamentals of good communication have not changed. At its core PR is about counselling, relationships and the building of social capital. Hence, digital tools and platforms are typically being referred to as merely an extension of the PR toolkit. However, as illustrated within the context of influencer engagement, PR has increasingly adopted advertising-led models and has moved away from its core business of developing strategic relationships and goodwill, hence contributing to the convergence of previously distinct communication functions.

This paper is believed to be one of the first to look at the theory of social capital related to PR within a digital context. Further, it takes a holistic view of PR professionals’ views on working with digital media in two geographical locations that have been under-represented in scholarly work in the field of PR. While much of the extant literature has focussed on the benefits of social media for PR, this paper takes a critical look at current challenges, including the rise of social media influencers. The paper contributes to theory relevant to social capital as it looks at the convergence of the professions relevant to digital disruption and argues for PR claiming its distinctive attributes.

The problem of missing children draws much attention of both governmental and nongovernmental organizations in China due to huge numbers of the missing children. According to the records of Baby Back Home network (BBHNet), a professional website to search missing children in China, 1,666 missing children have been found via releasing information on BBHNet; however, there are still 30,561 families searching for their children and 24,603 missing children are searching for biological parents through this website and have not succeeded yet. What is the difference between successful and unsuccessful cases in the aspect of released information? Motivated by this question, our research proposes to determine the crucial information in the process of searching missing children. A logistic regression model was developed on the data summarized from 500 succeed cases and 500 cases which have not succeed yet from BBHNet for forecasting success rate of searching missing children. The model identifies that the differences in terms of released information, number of children, address, and natural geographical features are the three most crucial factors that cause differences in the result of searching. This research can be used as a guide for improving the success rate of searching missing children and provide reference for developing a missing children information-sharing platform.

This study aims to examine how technology readiness (TR) influences customers' perception and adoption of self‐service technologies (SSTs) through development of an empirical model to explore the relationships among TR, perceived service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward SSTs.

A theoretical framework is proposed to suggest the links between the four constructs. Extant research and concepts from various fields, including marketing, psychology and information system (IS), are reviewed, deriving six hypotheses. Data from SST users is examined through structural equation modeling (SEM).

Results indicate TR influences perceived SST service quality and behavioral intentions, while perceived SST service quality has a positive impact on customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward SSTs.

This study represents an early attempt at explaining the role of TR in customer SST usage. Future research directions are discussed, with an emphasis on incorporating attitudinal, behavioral, situational and psychographic factors to improve our understanding of SST usage.

TR should be given increased attention by firms implementing SSTs to improve customer perception and adoption of SSTs. Firms also need to examine all SST service quality dimensions in order to improve customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward SSTs. An aggressive approach toward strengthening TR drivers and reducing TR inhibitors will show benefits for both firms and customers.

This paper represents the first study to propose and empirically examine the relationships among TR, perceived SST service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward SSTs.