Fan-Chen Tseng, Pei-Hsun Emma Liu, T.C. Edwin Cheng and Ching-I Teng
This study intended to identify and categorize the drivers of using online English learning resources (OELR) and to understand OELR's impacts.
Abstract
Purpose
This study intended to identify and categorize the drivers of using online English learning resources (OELR) and to understand OELR's impacts.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an online survey, obtained complete responses from 157 OELR users and used structural equation modeling (SEM) for hypothesis testing.
Findings
Most utilitarian and hedonic drivers lead to positive perceptions of OELR, which in turn positively contribute to continuance intention (CI). Two counterintuitive findings were obtained. First, functionality was negatively related to the perception of ease of use. Second, perceived ease of use (PEOU) was not related to CI to use OELR.
Practical implications
This study has implications as follows: (1) complexity of the functions of OELR may deter rather than attract users, (2) ease of use of OELR is not directly positively related to CIs and (3) users may seek practical benefits (utilitarian) and experiential learning processes (hedonic) when using OELR.
Originality/value
The authors' study has theoretical significance by being the first to caution that excessive functionality or complexity in assisting learning tools would likely hinder further use of OELR. The practical significance of this finding is that the finding highlights two factors (perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived enjoyment) that could effectively increase OELR use.
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Yanhua Ye, Pei Liu and Linghan Zhang
Despite extensive research on the detrimental work-related impact of customer mistreatment, there has been limited investigation into the outcomes that encompass both positive and…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite extensive research on the detrimental work-related impact of customer mistreatment, there has been limited investigation into the outcomes that encompass both positive and negative connotations (i.e. unethical pro-organizational behavior [UPB]). This study aims to test whether, how and when daily customer mistreatment leads to hospitality employees’ daily UPB.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conducted a two-phase daily diary study. In the first phase, participants completed measures of their sense of power and provided demographic information. During the subsequent two-week period, participants completed questionnaires twice daily. The analysis included data from 87 hospitality employees, with 781 surveys remaining. This study performed multilevel analyses using Monte–Carlo simulations.
Findings
This study revealed that hospitality employees experiencing daily customer mistreatment exhibited heightened perceptions of status threats, resulting in increased daily UPB. The moderating effects of employees’ sense of power were found to be significant in both direct and indirect relationships.
Practical implications
Hospitality managers should recognize that customer mistreatment can threaten employees’ social status and result in daily UPB. To protect employees, implementing daily training programs is essential. Moreover, hotels and managers should provide HR management/recognition programs and empowerment initiatives to boost employees’ sense of power and counteract the harmful effects of customer mistreatment on their status.
Originality/value
This study makes contributions to the existing literature on customer mistreatment by establishing a positive relationship between daily customer mistreatment and daily UPB through the mechanism of status threat. Furthermore, thise study highlights the importance of enhancing hospitality employees’ sense of power as a protective factor against the negative consequences of customer mistreatment.
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Yaoqi Li, Jinghua Tu, Mang He and Pei Liu
This study aims to examine the effect of regional discrimination on tourists’ unethical behavior intention and the mediating role of tourist anger. Furthermore, the study examines…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effect of regional discrimination on tourists’ unethical behavior intention and the mediating role of tourist anger. Furthermore, the study examines whether the impact of regional discrimination on tourist anger is moderated by tourist self-efficacy.
Design/methodology/approach
Three scenario experiments were conducted to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicated an indirect effect of regional discrimination on tourists’ unethical behavior intention via tourist anger. In addition, the findings showed that tourist self-efficacy would weaken the relationship between regional discrimination and tourist anger.
Research limitations/implications
This study reveals tourists’ emotional and behavioral reactions to regional discrimination. Further research can examine the influence of regional discrimination from other theoretical lens and field experiments are encouraged.
Originality/value
This study enriches current knowledge on regional discrimination by developing an integral framework to explore tourists’ reactions toward regional discrimination.
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Pei Liu and Eliza Ching-Yick Tse
The purpose of this paper is to identify the importance and performance of customers’ full-service restaurant selection factors in the USA using the importance-performance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the importance and performance of customers’ full-service restaurant selection factors in the USA using the importance-performance analysis model.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was distributed to participants who were 19 years of age or older and had dined at a full-service restaurant in the past month. A total of 413 valid surveys were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic information, satisfaction of restaurant attributes, revisit intention, and scores of importance-performance items. Path analysis was applied to group customer’s perceived importance of restaurant attributes and was used to analyze relationships among five attribute dimensions, satisfaction and revisit intention.
Findings
“Accurate guest check,” “prompt service,” “overall value of the dining experience,” and “lighting” were very important to customers but the restaurants’ performances in these areas were not satisfactory. Three attribute dimensions (food, service, and price and value) were positively and directly related to customer satisfaction and their effects are partially mediated. However, atmosphere and satisfaction are negatively and partially mediated in this study.
Practical implications
Food, service, price and value, and atmosphere dimensions have larger direct effects than indirect effect on revisit intentions. Their impacts on revisit intentions are partially mediated by satisfaction. Thus, great performance alone may not significantly improve revisit intentions. However, great performance can increase customer satisfaction, which has a stronger influence on revisit intentions.
Originality/value
This research explored the mediating effects of satisfaction between five restaurant dimensions and behavioral intentions.
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Pei Liu, Yu Ma, Xin Li, Caodie Peng and Yaoqi Li
Frontline service employees are often subjected to customer mistreatment and considerable studies have tested outcomes of customer mistreatment. However, the importance of its…
Abstract
Purpose
Frontline service employees are often subjected to customer mistreatment and considerable studies have tested outcomes of customer mistreatment. However, the importance of its antecedents is particularly underestimated. This meta-analytic paper aims to develop an overarching framework that identifies the antecedents of customer mistreatment as well as potential boundary conditions to account for observed variations reported in extant studies.
Design/methodology/approach
Comprehensive electronic and manual searches were performed to retrieve relevant studies on customer mistreatment, which yielded 125 articles, including 141 independent samples. Altogether, these studies included 40,151 participants. The data were analyzed through random-effect meta-analytic methods in R using the psychmeta package.
Findings
Three types of antecedents were identified. In particular, regarding employees’ demographic characteristics, age was found to be negatively correlated with customer mistreatment. Employees’ personality traits such as agreeableness, conscientiousness, positive affectivity, emotion regulation ability and self-efficacy were found to be negatively correlated with customer mistreatment, while neuroticism and negative affectivity were positively correlated with customer mistreatment. In terms of contextual factors, perceived social support and service climate were negatively related to customer mistreatment, whereas job demands were positively related to customer mistreatment. Moreover, the power distance culture and types of service industries moderated some relationships.
Originality/value
This meta-analytic research, drawing upon the perpetrator predation framework, proposed a new and comprehensive framework to explain why customer mistreatment occurs. It not only promoted the advancement of literature on customer mistreatment but also provided effective and targeted guidance for helping frontline service employees reduce such negative experience.
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Guohua He, Pei Liu, Xinnian Zheng, Lixun Zheng, Patricia Faison Hewlin and Li Yuan
This study aims to explore whether, how and when leaders' artificial intelligence (AI) symbolization (i.e. the demonstration of leaders' acceptance of and support for AI by…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore whether, how and when leaders' artificial intelligence (AI) symbolization (i.e. the demonstration of leaders' acceptance of and support for AI by engaging in AI-related behaviors and/or displaying objects that reflect their affinity for AI) affects employee job crafting behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted two studies (i.e. an experiment and a multi-wave field survey) with samples from different contexts (i.e. United States and China) to test our theoretical model. The authors used ordinary least squares (OLS) and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Leaders' AI symbolization is positively related to employee change readiness and, in turn, promotes employee job crafting. Moreover, employee-attributed impression management motives moderate the positive indirect effect of leaders' AI symbolization on employee job crafting via change readiness, such that this indirect effect is stronger when employee-attributed impression management motives are low (vs high).
Practical implications
Leaders should engage in AI symbolization to promote employee job crafting and avoid behaviors that may lead employees to attribute their AI symbolization to impression management.
Originality/value
By introducing the concept of leaders' AI symbolization, this study breaks new ground by illustrating how leaders' AI symbolization positively influences employees' change readiness, as well as job crafting in the workplace. Further, integrating AI as a novel and timely context for evaluating job crafting contributes to the literature where empirical research is relatively scant, particularly regarding the factors that prompt employees to engage in job crafting.
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Ya-Peng Jia, Wan-Chang Sun, Yan Xiao, Jing-Pei Liu, Cong-Xiao Zhang, Tong-Qiang Zhang and Ze-Feng Hou
This paper aims to research the effect of different concentrations for Nd(NO3)3 and Ce(NO3)3 on the microstructures and corrosion resistance of Ni-W-P composite coatings through…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to research the effect of different concentrations for Nd(NO3)3 and Ce(NO3)3 on the microstructures and corrosion resistance of Ni-W-P composite coatings through electroless plating method.
Design/methodology/approach
Scanning electron microscope, attached energy dispersive spectroscopy system and X-ray diffraction were used in this work. Meanwhile, the immersion test and electrochemical tests were used to characterize the corrosion behavior of the coating.
Findings
The coatings prepared at 1.00 g·L−1 Nd(NO3)3 exhibit a dense structure and high phosphorus content (12.38 wt.%). In addition, compared to the addition of Ce(NO3)3, when Nd(NO3)3 was introduced at a concentration of 1.00 g·L−1, the minimum corrosion rate of the coating was 1.209 g·m−2·h−1, with a noble Ecorr (−0.29 V) and lower Icorr (8.29 × 10−4 A·cm−2).
Originality/value
The effects of rare earths on the deposition and corrosion resistance mechanisms of Ni-W-P composite coatings were explored, with the rare earth elements promoting the deposition of nickel and tungsten atoms. Simultaneously, the amorphization of the coating increases, which excellently enhances the corrosion resistance of the coating.
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Qianni (Jacqueline) Zhu and Pei Liu
This research examines the elements that influence consumer behavior regarding food waste reduction in buffet style restaurants. It specifically analyzes the factors that affect…
Abstract
Purpose
This research examines the elements that influence consumer behavior regarding food waste reduction in buffet style restaurants. It specifically analyzes the factors that affect consumers' efforts to reduce food waste in these establishments by incorporating the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the norm activation model (NAM), and the social exchange theory (SET). Additionally, this study provides practical coping strategies for the restaurant industry.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon an integrated framework, the study collected 547 valid responses through an online survey on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) for structural equation analysis. Participants who are 18 years or older and have prior experience dining in buffet style restaurants were eligible to participate in the study.
Findings
The findings underscore the profound impact of consumer awareness on their attitudes (ATT) toward minimizing food waste. Moreover, subjective norms (SN), perceived behavioral control (PBC), personal norms (PN) and establishment policies emerge as critical drivers of consumer behavior in buffet style dining settings. In light of these results, recommended strategies include enhancing consumer awareness initiatives and introducing house policies within restaurant operations.
Originality/value
This study employs an integrated framework that combines the NAM and TPB, taking into account the impact of house policies grounded in the SET. It provides a beneficial insight on reducing food waste in the buffet style foodservice operations from an interactive dynamic perspective between restaurants and consumers. Furthermore, this research offers valuable implications to the industry’s efforts to address food waste concerns and foster environmentally responsible behavior among consumers.
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Jasper Grashuis, Ye Su and Pei Liu
Food service establishments and online food delivery companies use a revenue share model based on a commission rate. Because of the asymmetry of bargaining power, many food…
Abstract
Purpose
Food service establishments and online food delivery companies use a revenue share model based on a commission rate. Because of the asymmetry of bargaining power, many food service establishments are vulnerable to a high commission rate. What is missing in the ongoing discussion about the revenue share model is the perspective of food consumers, who are the third party in the multi-sided market.
Design/methodology/approach
Within a willingness-to-pay (WTP) framework, we study if food consumers have preferences for the commission rate charged by food delivery companies to food service establishments. With 456 random consumers in the United States, we conduct a controlled experiment in which information is used as treatment in two groups. In the first group, the provided information only relates to the revenue share model (i.e. economic). In the second group, participants also received information about price control initiatives (i.e. economic and political).
Findings
Based on WTP-space mixed logit model results, there is a significant effect of information on preferences for the commission rate. While participants in the control group exhibited no aversion to the commission rate, participants who received treatment had a significant and negative WTP. The magnitude of the effect is estimated at -$1.08 for participants in the first treatment and -$2.28 for participants in the second treatment.
Originality/value
To date there is no applied research on the preferences of consumers in the online food order and delivery industry with respect to upstream conditions (i.e. commission rates).
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Pavitra Dhamija and Surajit Bag
“Technological intelligence” is the capacity to appreciate and adapt technological advancements, and “artificial intelligence” is the key to achieve persuasive operational…
Abstract
Purpose
“Technological intelligence” is the capacity to appreciate and adapt technological advancements, and “artificial intelligence” is the key to achieve persuasive operational transformations in majority of contemporary organizational set-ups. Implicitly, artificial intelligence (the philosophies of machines to think, behave and perform either same or similar to humans) has knocked the doors of business organizations as an imperative activity. Artificial intelligence, as a discipline, initiated by scientist John McCarthy and formally publicized at Dartmouth Conference in 1956, now occupies a central stage for many organizations. Implementation of artificial intelligence provides competitive edge to an organization with a definite augmentation in its social and corporate status. Mere application of a concept will not furnish real output until and unless its performance is reviewed systematically. Technological changes are dynamic and advancing at a rapid rate. Subsequently, it becomes highly crucial to understand that where have the people reached with respect to artificial intelligence research. The present article aims to review significant work by eminent researchers towards artificial intelligence in the form of top contributing universities, authors, keywords, funding sources, journals and citation statistics.
Design/methodology/approach
As rightly remarked by past researchers that reviewing is learning from experience, research team has reviewed (by applying systematic literature review through bibliometric analysis) the concept of artificial intelligence in this article. A sum of 1,854 articles extracted from Scopus database for the year 2018–2019 (31st of May) with selected keywords (artificial intelligence, genetic algorithms, agent-based systems, expert systems, big data analytics and operations management) along with certain filters (subject–business, management and accounting; language-English; document–article, article in press, review articles and source-journals).
Findings
Results obtained from cluster analysis focus on predominant themes for present as well as future researchers in the area of artificial intelligence. Emerged clusters include Cluster 1: Artificial Intelligence and Optimization; Cluster 2: Industrial Engineering/Research and Automation; Cluster 3: Operational Performance and Machine Learning; Cluster 4: Sustainable Supply Chains and Sustainable Development; Cluster 5: Technology Adoption and Green Supply Chain Management and Cluster 6: Internet of Things and Reverse Logistics.
Originality/value
The result of review of selected studies is in itself a unique contribution and a food for thought for operations managers and policy makers.