Shyju P.J., Iqbal Ahmad Bhat, Kathryn Myers and Naresh Tanwar
The purpose of this paper is to examine the perspectives of local stakeholders on the role of religious tourism and the development process that alter the sacred space and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the perspectives of local stakeholders on the role of religious tourism and the development process that alter the sacred space and religious heritage of Varanasi. Specific objectives include study local stakeholders' view on the motivation of visitors, the image of the city they carry home, role of infrastructure development altering sacredness of the city, major issues pertaining to conservation of the city's religious heritage and whether tourism dominates the sacred space of the city.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study follows the philosophical approach of constructionism and is an inductive study based on the ontological features of realism. The study is conducted using qualitative research design. Participants were purposely selected from different groups to provide representative data. through in-depth interviews with a set of 22 open-ended questions.
Findings
The study acknowledged the spatial changes happening in an old city over time. The portrayed image of Varanasi remains deeply rooted in the minds of pilgrims, whereas the tourist perspective often goes beyond the texts as an experience. The reflection of local stakeholders in the transformation of sacred space to tourist experiencescape as a consumable experience, which is influenced by market-driven forces is a major finding of the study.
Research limitations/implications
Difficulties in finalising the respondents and building up the theoretical base, which is one of the main limitations of the study. During the process of data collection, the respondents mainly focussed upon the impacts of tourism on Varanasi, and the researchers made every effort to extract qualitative information on the current research. At times, some respondents hesitated to share their view on political influences in the development process, which restricted the authors to obtain righteous information, that could have contributed a better understanding of the deep-rooted issues of religious heritage conservation. Another limitation is that the perspectives of visitors have not been included in this research.
Practical implications
The study will contribute to the theoretical areas of tourism development in historic and sacred cities. As an interdisciplinary area, the selected theme of the study delves in to landscape planning, heritage preservation, tourism development in historic cities and more importantly how residents understand the changes happening in a scared environment. The present research opens opportunities for further researches such as social pressures and tourism development, urban morphology and its transformation in ancient cities and so on.
Social implications
Varanasi is an ancient city in India, which is also the heartland of Hinduism. The study reveals the understanding of respondents on religious traditions, sentiments and the social values attached to a place. At the same time, it also highlights the role of tourism in generating an intercultural dialogue with local cultures, appreciating the sacred value of sites associated with religious sentiments.
Originality/value
The study addresses the role of tourism in altering the landscape of ancient city of Varanasi. The original view of respondents has been used in the article to maintain originality. There are several researches conducted on Varanasi, but the present study is conducted in a systematic way to gather the real understanding of local people. The study acknowledges the changes happening in the city along the course of time.
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This chapter examines the role of heritage as a means of empowering destination communities and providing deeper and more meaningful encounters between tourists and their…
Abstract
This chapter examines the role of heritage as a means of empowering destination communities and providing deeper and more meaningful encounters between tourists and their destination, which contributes to the notion of Destination Conscience by highlighting more sustainable and humane ways of ‘doing’ tourism and opening places up to greater community involvement and access by visitors. This includes heritage concepts such as Indigenous communities, local spirituality and religious traditions, public archaeology and ordinary heritage, and how these translate into deeper engagement between residents and tourists, community empowerment and a more creative and holistic tourist experiences. Conceptually, this chapter highlights notions of empowerment, tourists' experiences and Destination Conscience.
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Pallavi Dogra and Arun Kaushal
The study attempts to investigate the role of social media in spreading awareness regarding ayurvedic immunity boosters (AIB) and changes in diet. Further, the study examines the…
Abstract
Purpose
The study attempts to investigate the role of social media in spreading awareness regarding ayurvedic immunity boosters (AIB) and changes in diet. Further, the study examines the factors affecting the willingness to pay for ayurvedic immunity boosters (WPIB) during the pandemic and new normal situation with the moderating effect of the “fear of COVID-19 infection.”
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected from millennials in two phases, i.e. the first phase (1 July–August 2021) with 300 respondents and a second phase with (June–August 2022) 257 respondents. An online questionnaire was shared with millennials using the snowball sampling technique. Descriptive statistics with SPSS and SmartPLS 4.0 software were applied to analyze the data.
Findings
The results found a variation in AIB content sharing on social media during 2021 and 2022. Results found that respondents reported significant changes in their lifestyle and diet, like consuming honey, khada, tulsi tea, etc. In 2021, health consciousness and trust significantly affected WPIB, whereas in 2022, only health consciousness was substantially affected. Fear of COVID-19 infection moderates the relationship between health consciousness, perceived fear and willingness to pay for ayurvedic products, whereas the effect on consumer preference and trust remains insignificant.
Research limitations/implications
Results could help ayurvedic product manufacturing companies understand the consumers' mindset and the factors that stimulate consumers to buy these immunity boosters. Ayurvedic advertisers should design unambiguous messages that focus on health consciousness and have trustable components to encourage consumers to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Originality/value
This is one of its kinds of studies that presents the contrasts of how the COVID-19 crisis has significantly changed individuals' dietary intake and affected lifestyle patterns.
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Jithendran Kokkranikal, Alastair M. Morrison and Vanessa Gowreesunkar
Festivals and events have been regarded as one of the sources of super-spreading of the COVID-19 virus. This industry has higher vulnerability to external factors. Against this…
Abstract
Festivals and events have been regarded as one of the sources of super-spreading of the COVID-19 virus. This industry has higher vulnerability to external factors. Against this backdrop, this chapter explores the various methods that will define the future for them while promoting the ideas of sustainability.
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Chang (Cherise) Li and Elizabeth Agyeiwaah
Promoting “Quality Education” as part of Sustainable Development Goal 4 requires educational stakeholders to understand the nature of online learning from the learners’…
Abstract
Purpose
Promoting “Quality Education” as part of Sustainable Development Goal 4 requires educational stakeholders to understand the nature of online learning from the learners’ perspective. This study aims to explore the asymmetric effects of online learning attributes on overall learning satisfaction in tourism and hospitality education.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopt the three-factor satisfaction theory and the three analytical steps penalty–reward contrast analysis, impact range performance analysis (IRPA) and impact asymmetry analysis. The authors then juxtapose the results of such analytical approaches to the traditional importance–performance analysis (IPA) for further insights.
Findings
Traditional IPA suggests nine high importance and performance online attributes. However, the IRPA reveals that only four attributes fall within high performance and high range of impact on satisfaction. The attribute “secure” had a low performance despite a significant impact on satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications
By exploring asymmetric effects, scholars, service providers and participants of online education can have a deeper insight into the nature and dynamic effect of attributes on overall satisfaction.
Originality/value
By exploring the asymmetric impacts of online learning attributes on overall learning satisfaction, the findings provide a novel insight into the multidimensionality of online learning attributes.
目的
推动“优质教育”作为可持续发展目标四的一部分, 要求教育利益相关者从学习者的角度从本质上了解在线学习。本研究探讨了在线学习属性对旅游和酒店教育整体学习满意度的非对称影响。
研究方法
我们采用三因素满意度理论结合三个分析步骤:惩罚奖励对比分析(PRCA); 影响范围性能分析(IRPA); 影响非对称分析(IAA), 并将这种分析方法的结果与传统的重要性-表现分析(IPA)对比以获得深入理解。
研究结果
传统的重要性-表现分析的结果展现了在线学习满意度具有较高重要性和表现的九个属性。然而, IRPA 显示只有四个属性属于高性能和满意度的高影响范围。“安全”这一属性虽然对满意度有显着影响, 但它的表现评估却很低。
研究意义
对非对称影响的探索帮助在线教育的学者、服务提供者和参与者们更深入地了解对于整体满意度而言不同属性的本质和动态影响。
原创价值
通过探讨在线学习属性对整体学习满意度的非对称影响, 我们的研究结果为理解在线学习属性对于整体满意度的影响提供了多维度的新颖视角。
Propósito
La promoción de la “Educación de Calidad” como parte del Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible 4 requiere que los actores educativos entiendan la naturaleza del aprendizaje en línea desde la perspectiva de los estudiantes. Este estudio explora los efectos asimétricos de los atributos del aprendizaje en línea sobre la satisfacción general del aprendizaje en la educación en turismo y hotelería.
Diseño/Metodología/Enfoque
Aplicamos la teoría de la satisfacción de tres factores y los tres pasos analíticos: análisis de contraste de penalización-recompensa (PRCA), análisis de rendimiento del rango de impacto (IRPA) y análisis de impacto asimétrico (IAA). A continuación, aplicamos los resultados de estos enfoques analíticos al tradicional análisis de importancia-rendimiento (IPA) para obtener más información.
Resultados
El análisis tradicional de importancia-rendimiento sugiere nueve atributos en línea de gran importancia y rendimiento. Sin embargo, el IRPA revela que sólo cuatro atributos se encuentran dentro de la franja de alto rendimiento y alto impacto en la satisfacción. El atributo “seguridad” tuvo un desempeño bajo a pesar de tener un impacto significativo en la satisfacción.
Implicaciones de la investigación
Al explorar los efectos asimétricos, los académicos, los proveedores de servicios y los participantes de la educación en línea pueden tener una visión más profunda de la naturaleza y el efecto dinámico de los atributos en la satisfacción general.
Valor original
Al explorar los impactos asimétricos de los atributos del aprendizaje en línea en la satisfacción general del aprendizaje, nuestros hallazgos brindan una visión novedosa de la multidimensionalidad de los atributos del aprendizaje en línea.
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Pinaz Tiwari and Nimit Chowdhary
This study aims to explore the good crowding effect among Indian domestic travellers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the city destination. This study uses the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the good crowding effect among Indian domestic travellers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the city destination. This study uses the framework of social motivation theory to achieve the objective.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a qualitative research design by taking the case of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 37 respondents, and themes were drawn manually.
Findings
The analysis found four themes that create a good crowding effect among domestic tourists, namely, convenience and price; familiarity and place attachment; social affiliation; and safety. The themes indicated that despite the pandemic, and constant occurrences of new variants, Indian domestic tourists’ on-site attitude towards crowding was favourable.
Research limitations/implications
Firstly, the good crowding effect during the pandemic could have been better understood using empirical data. Secondly, the results cannot be generalized, specifically for developed economies.
Practical implications
This study offers practical implications to destination managers and local administrative bodies for whom achieving sustainability in urban tourism has always been concerning. These include developing infrastructural facilities, encouraging cultural activities in city centres and improving the perception of safety to sustain the good crowding effect.
Social implications
The affective dimension involved in making a travelling decision played a significant role in the post-pandemic phase. While suppliers needed survival, tourists needed social affiliation and escape from the mandated home isolation due to multiple phases of COVID-19 lockdown in India. This study adds value to society by emphasising that the need for social affiliation among travellers remains intact, and the tourism industry should embrace this transformation.
Originality/value
While most of the pandemic-related studies criticised crowd and tourists’ crowd averting behaviour, this study reported that the good crowding effect could also be an outcome owing to different factors. Therefore, this study offers distinctive nuance of tourists’ behaviour in the post-COVID-19 phase, allowing destination managers and tourism stakeholders to re-think their strategies.
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Rami Zeitun and Ousama Abdulrahman Anam
This paper aims to investigate the effect of product offering and other service quality (SQ) dimensions on the satisfaction of the customers of both Islamic and conventional…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the effect of product offering and other service quality (SQ) dimensions on the satisfaction of the customers of both Islamic and conventional banks, using evidence from an oil-based economy that is based on a prolonged SERVQUAL model with 11 dimensions and other statistical analysis methods.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected from 461 Islamic and conventional bank customers in Qatar via a survey and several tests were used to test certain hypotheses. Component analysis, factor analysis and gap and ascendency analysis were used in this study. Afterward, a correlation analysis and regression model were used to examine the hypotheses and validate the instruments used.
Findings
The results show that regardless of the type of bank, customers always have greater expectations of the services than they had perceived. A customer’s expectation of the product on offer is the only dimension that is significantly different in relation to the two types of banks. However, reliability, competence, responsiveness, credibility and empathy dimensions are significantly different of the two types of banks in customers’ perception of quality. In addition, the results suggest that both types of banks need to concentrate their efforts on the product offering, competence and courtesy dimensions.
Research limitations/implications
The size of our sample of Islamic and conventional banks is unequally balanced. Future studies might therefore choose an equally balanced sample.
Practical implications
Bank managers in both types of banks need to continue improving the quality of their service including product offering and to adopt advanced methods to enhance customer satisfaction (CS) and reduce the gaps in quality in the dimensions used. Furthermore, managers in both types of banks need to put more emphasis on product offering, competence, courtesy and communication if they wish to improve SQ. Moreover, Islamic banks must guarantee that they possess competent, highly trained personnel who are familiar with Islamic finance products, so as to enhance the quality of service and attract customers.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the effect of product offering and other dimensions of SQ on CS in both Islamic and conventional banks by using 11 dimensions of SQ. In addition, it provides evidence of gaps in SQ, at the dimensions level, for both types of banks in an oil-based economy. The results of this study are valuable in helping decision-makers and bank managers who wish to raise the level of SQ and improve CS and in validating the results from other countries with a dual financial system.
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Wassim Albalkhy, Rateb Sweis, Hassan Jaï and Zoubeir Lafhaj
This study explores the role of the Internet of Things (IoT) as an enabler for Lean Construction principles and tools in construction projects.
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the role of the Internet of Things (IoT) as an enabler for Lean Construction principles and tools in construction projects.
Design/methodology/approach
In response to the scarcity of studies about IoT functionalities in construction, a two-round systematic literature review (SLR) was undertaken. The first round aimed to identify IoT functionalities in construction, encompassing an analysis of 288 studies. The second round aimed to analyze their interaction with Lean Construction principles, drawing insights from 43 studies.
Findings
The outcome is a comprehensive Lean Construction-IoT matrix featuring 54 interactions. The highest levels of interaction were found in the Lean Construction principle “flow” and the functionality of “data transfer and real-time information sharing”.
Research limitations/implications
The study focuses on the role of IoT as an enabler for Lean Construction. Future work can cover the role of Lean as an enabler for advanced technology implementation in construction.
Originality/value
The Lean Construction-IoT matrix serves as a resource for researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers seeking to enhance Lean Construction by leveraging IoT technology. It also provides various examples of how advanced technology can support waste elimination and value generation in construction projects.
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Obrain Tinashe Murire, Liezel Cilliers and Willie Chinyamurindi
This study examined the influence of social media use on graduateness and the employability of exit students in South Africa.
Abstract
Purpose
This study examined the influence of social media use on graduateness and the employability of exit students in South Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used quantitative and descriptive research designs to test the proposed hypotheses. An online survey was used to collect the data from a study sample. A sample of 411 respondents was received, with structural equation modelling (SEM) being used to assess the model fit.
Findings
The study found that the direct effect of social media use on graduateness skills is significant. Secondly, the direct effect of graduateness skills on perceived employability is also significant. The results also showed existence of support for the mediation of graduateness skills on the relationship between social media use and perceived employability.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides empirical evidence to the proposed model and infers the potential role of social media in addressing issues related to graduateness and the employability of exit students.
Practical implications
In addressing the challenge of unemployment, the use of social media can potentially aid in matters of skills acquisition.
Originality/value
The results demonstrate how technology through the use of social media potentially fits within enhancing graduateness and employability skills.