Li Cui, Shanshan He, Hepu Deng and Xiaoyi Wang
With the rapid development of fresh food e-commerce, sustaining customer loyalty is becoming critical for fresh food e-tailers (FFE) to be competitive. This study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
With the rapid development of fresh food e-commerce, sustaining customer loyalty is becoming critical for fresh food e-tailers (FFE) to be competitive. This study aims to investigate how to sustain customer loyalty of FFE in China.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive literature review leads to the development of a conceptual model using the American customer satisfaction index (ACSI). This model is then tested and validated through structural equation modelling (SEM) of the survey data in China.
Findings
The study reveals that trust and perceived product risk significantly affect customer loyalty. It states that trust is significantly influenced by customer satisfaction and perceived product risk. Furthermore, the study shows that perceived risk of online shopping does not significantly influence customer trust and loyalty.
Originality/value
This study is the first in China for exploring how to sustain customer loyalty of FFE. The findings are significant for FFE to develop customer loyalty by formulating appropriate policies and strategies.
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Zhibang Qiao, Shanshan Lv, Jiyou Gu, Haiyan Tan, Junyou Shi and Yanhua Zhang
The purpose of this paper is to obtain high-solids-content and low-viscosity starch adhesive, and improve bonding strength of the pure starch adhesive.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to obtain high-solids-content and low-viscosity starch adhesive, and improve bonding strength of the pure starch adhesive.
Design/methodology/approach
Maize starch was treated by hydrochloric acid solution with different concentrations, and acid-thinned starch adhesive was prepared. Polyisocyanate as a crosslinking agent was added to improve water resistance of the pure starch adhesive.
Findings
The physical and chemical properties of the acid-thinned starch adhesive were characterised. Acid hydrolysis did not change structure of starch granules, but increased its crystallinity. After acid modification, starch granules became less smooth and some fragments appeared. Acid treatment had little influence on thermal stability of starch, when acid hydrolysis was not strong. High concentration of HCl solution led to starch granules being destroyed, resulting in decrease in bonding strength. The optimal HCl concentration was 0.5 mol/L. Polyisocyanate addition was beneficial to improve the bonding strength of the acid-thinned starch adhesive.
Research limitations/implications
Acid hydrolysis changed the properties of the starch adhesive.
Practical implications
Acid hydrolysis decreased viscosity of the starch adhesive and improved its solids content, which had a positive effect on the application of the starch adhesive.
Social implications
It was helpful to develop an environment-friendly, natural polymer-based wood adhesive.
Originality/value
The properties of acid-thinned starch and acid-thinned starch adhesive were studied.
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Chao Miao, Ronald H. Humphrey, Shanshan Qian and In-Sue Oh
Most of the studies in entrepreneurship depend on single-source rating methods to collect data on both predictors and criteria. The threat to effect sizes as a result of using…
Abstract
Purpose
Most of the studies in entrepreneurship depend on single-source rating methods to collect data on both predictors and criteria. The threat to effect sizes as a result of using single-source ratings is particularly relevant to psychology-based entrepreneurship research. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the prospects of applying 360-degree feedback to the field of entrepreneurship and to discuss a set of cases regarding how 360-degree feedback may boost effect sizes in entrepreneurship research.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative review of current literature was performed.
Findings
The review indicated that the effect sizes in psychology-based entrepreneurship research are mostly small and the use of single-source ratings is prevalent; some preliminary findings supported the utility of 360-degree feedback in entrepreneurship research; entrepreneurial orientation (EO) research may benefit from 360-degree feedback; and members of top management teams, employees from research and product development, sales agents, retail buying agents, store sales clerks, and consumers are all valid informants to provide ratings of EO.
Originality/value
The present study provided theoretical explanations and used empirical evidence to elucidate how 360-degree feedback may benefit the field of entrepreneurship. In addition, recommendations for future research using 360-degree feedback in entrepreneurship research were offered and discussed. A sample research study on EO using 360-degree feedback was delineated.
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Shanshan Zhang, Zhiqiang Wang, Xiande Zhao and Min Zhang
The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the effects of institutional support on product and process innovation and firm performance and describe how dysfunctional…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the effects of institutional support on product and process innovation and firm performance and describe how dysfunctional competition influences relevant outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
This study develops a research model based on institution-based view and tests it using structural equation modeling and empirical data collected from 300 manufacturers in China.
Findings
The results show that institutional support positively affects product and process innovation and firm performance. Both product and process innovation improve firm performance. The findings reveal that dysfunctional competition significantly reduces the positive effects of institutional support on product and process innovation but leaves the effects of institutional support and product and process innovation on firm performance unaffected.
Originality/value
This study contributes to innovation literature by providing insights into the impact of China’s institutional environment on manufacturing firms’ product and process innovation decisions. The findings also contribute to institution-based view literature by providing empirical evidence on the joint effects of institutional support and dysfunctional competition on product and process innovation and firm performance. This study can help manufacturers in China take advantage of institutional environment and adjust product and process innovation decisions accordingly.
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This paper aims to investigate the investment strategy of a two-sided platform on reducing transaction costs of two user sides and to study the pricing problem of the platform.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the investment strategy of a two-sided platform on reducing transaction costs of two user sides and to study the pricing problem of the platform.
Design/methodology/approach
Mathematical derivation is used to compute the optimal decisions of a two-sided platform on pricing and investment. Numerical analysis is used to illustrate the findings.
Findings
It is found that the demand of one user side decreases in the maximal transaction costs reduction to this side but increases in the maximal transaction costs reduction to the other side. It is also found that a platform should never choose the investment in such a way that the maximal transaction costs reductions of two user sides are the same.
Research limitations/implications
Several limitations exist in this paper, most of which exist due to the assumptions. These limitations could be good research directions in the future. For example, only one platform’s decision is considered, and platforms’ competition is not taken into account. Considering other platforms’ competition, the decisions of the users and the platform would be different.
Originality/value
From the transaction costs perspective, this paper finds that a platform should never choose the investment in such a way that the maximal transaction costs reductions of two user sides are the same. This conclusion has not been found in previous literature.
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Shanshan Zhou, Massimo Battaglia and Marco Frey
Analyzing how and what the local multi-utility AIMAG learned through the 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes, the purpose of this paper is to “normalize” the organizational learning…
Abstract
Purpose
Analyzing how and what the local multi-utility AIMAG learned through the 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes, the purpose of this paper is to “normalize” the organizational learning (OL) triggered by disasters.
Design/methodology/approach
Seven managers who experienced the earthquakes were interviewed. The collected data are supplemented by archival materials. The analysis was conducted based on the 4I model (Crossan et al., 1999), using the qualitative data analysis tool “NVivo.”
Findings
The earthquakes audited AIMAG’s knowledge repositories, revealing its weakness and strength. When the earthquakes struck, individuals intuited the situations based on their previous experience, interpreting the need to respond to the interruptions and begin recovery immediately. The collective interpretation formed the basis for joint actions, which integrated the group learning at the organizational level. The effective cognition and behavior were instituted to the organization, and the new knowledge was absorbed into the organization’s knowledge repositories awaiting the next audit.
Originality/value
The concept of “learning through disasters” is advocated. By perceiving disasters as a series of interruptions that may have happened before and may re-occur, the learning is connected to organizations’ past and future through knowledge repositories. In addition, by analyzing data based on the multi-level OL model, the learning triggered by disasters was observed to occur throughout the organization at individual, group and organizational levels, in which routines played a critical linking role.
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Shanshan Zhang, Ron Chi-Wai Kwok, Paul Benjamin Lowry and Zhiying Liu
Given the importance of online social network (OSN) media features, many studies have focused on how different types of OSNs with various media features influence users’ usage and…
Abstract
Purpose
Given the importance of online social network (OSN) media features, many studies have focused on how different types of OSNs with various media features influence users’ usage and engagement. However, a recent literature review indicates that few empirical studies have considered how different types of OSNs with different information accessibility levels influence users’ beliefs and self-disclosure. By comparing two OSN platforms (OSNs with high-level information accessibility vs OSNs with low-level information accessibility), the purpose of this paper is to address this opportunity by investigating the differential impacts of the two platforms on individuals’ psychological cognition – particularly users’ social exchange beliefs – and explaining how these beliefs translate into OSN self-disclosure.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a factorial design approach in an experimental setting to examine how different levels of information accessibility (high vs low), influence the social exchange beliefs (i.e. perceived social capital bridging, perceived social capital bonding and perceived privacy risks) of OSN users and subsequently influence OSN self-disclosure.
Findings
The results show that users on OSNs with high-level information accessibility express significantly higher perceived social capital bridging and perceived privacy risks than users on OSNs with low-level information accessibility. However, users on OSNs with low-level information accessibility express higher social bonding beliefs than users on OSNs with high-level information accessibility, indicating that there are different effect mechanisms toward OSN self-disclosure.
Originality/value
The focus of this research helps unveil the complex relationships between OSN design features (e.g. information accessibility), psychological cognition (e.g. social capital bridging, social capital bonding and privacy risks) and OSN self-disclosure. First, it clarifies the relationship between information accessibility and self-disclosure by examining the mediating effect of three core social exchange beliefs. Second, it uncovers the distinct effects of high-level information-accessible OSNs and low-level information-accessible OSNs on OSN self-disclosure.
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Shanshan Zhang, Fengchun Huang, Lingling Yu, Jeremy Fei Wang and Paul Benjamin Lowry
Researchers continue to address the concept of self-disclosure because it is foundational for helping social networking sites (SNS) function and thrive. Nevertheless, the authors'…
Abstract
Purpose
Researchers continue to address the concept of self-disclosure because it is foundational for helping social networking sites (SNS) function and thrive. Nevertheless, the authors' literature review indicates that uncertainty remains around the underlying mechanisms and factors involved in the self-disclosure process. The purpose of this research is to better understand the self-disclosure process from the lens of dual-process theory (DPT). The authors consider both the controlled factors (i.e. self-presentation and reciprocity) and an automatic factor (i.e. social influence to use an SNS) involved in self-disclosure and broaden The authors proposed a model to include the interactive facets of enjoyment.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed model was empirically validated by conducting a survey among users of WeChat Moments in China.
Findings
As hypothesized, this research confirms that enjoyment and automatic processing (i.e. social influence to use an SNS) are complementary in the SNS self-disclosure process and enjoyment negatively moderates the positive relationship between controlled factor (i.e. self-presentation) and self-disclosure.
Originality/value
Theoretically, this study offers a new perspective on explaining SNS self-disclosure by adopting DPT. Specifically, this study contributes to the extant SNS research by applying DPT to examine how the controlled factors and the automatic factor shape self-disclosure processes and how enjoyment influences vary across these processes – enriching knowledge about SNS self-disclosure behaviors. Practically, the authors provide important design guidelines to practitioners concerning devising mechanisms to foster more automatic-enjoyable value-added functions to improve SNS users' participation and engagement.
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Yucheng Zhang, Long Zhang, Xin Zhang, Miles M. Yang, Shanshan Zhang, Shyh-Jane Li and Yu-Ying Huang
Drawing on social identification theory, this research aims to explore an important mechanism – patients’ perceived empathy from a hospital, which is defined as caring…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on social identification theory, this research aims to explore an important mechanism – patients’ perceived empathy from a hospital, which is defined as caring, individualized attention provided by the hospital – that explains how service quality influences patients’ loyalty to the hospital.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a structural equation modelling framework to estimate the mediation relationship between service quality and patient loyalty using two studies based on hospital employees and patients.
Findings
In Study 1, hospital staff survey data showed that service quality enhanced patients’ perceived empathy from the hospital. In Study 2, the authors confirmed and extended the findings of Study 1 by using patient survey data that suggested that patients’ empathy mediated the relationship between service quality and patients’ loyalty to the hospital.
Originality/value
The results of the two studies suggested that service quality increased patients’ empathy, which in turn improved patients’ loyalty to a hospital. The results extend the customer loyalty literature by exploring the critical antecedents and mechanisms of customer loyalty in the healthcare context. The studies interpret healthcare phenomena from the service aspect of fulfilling patients’ unique needs and providing a good hospital service experience. Moreover, the authors offer an insightful approach to explaining the service quality–patient loyalty linkage in the healthcare industry. Important theoretical and managerial contributions and suggestions for future research are discussed.