Tao Wen, Tong Qin and Raymond R. Liu
The purpose of this paper is to make up the deficiency of theoretical research in nostalgic marketing and is helpful for the original theories of brand marketing and experiential…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to make up the deficiency of theoretical research in nostalgic marketing and is helpful for the original theories of brand marketing and experiential marketing to deepen further.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses the approach of the empirical study. Based on the literature review, a theoretical model of the impact of nostalgic emotion (NE) on brand trust and brand attachment is constructed and corresponding research hypotheses are proposed. Then nostalgia-themed restaurants are selected to complete a questionnaire survey, and SPSS22.0 and LISREL8.70 are used for data analysis and hypothesis testing.
Findings
The results of the paper show that NE consists of four dimensions in the context of China: atmosphere nostalgia, interpersonal nostalgia, family nostalgia and personal nostalgia. Among these, NE has a significant positive impact on brand trust and brand attachment; further, brand trust has a significant positive impact on brand attachment and plays a partial mediating role in the impact of NE on the latter.
Research limitations/implications
As the nostalgic restaurant industry is the research object, the theoretical model described here may be limited to this specific industry. The potential applicability of the theoretical model to other service industries requires further study.
Practical implications
The results of the paper are helpful in building a good nostalgic experience, increasing consumer trust in restaurant brands, and strengthening the connection between NE and restaurant brand reconstruction.
Social implications
The results of the paper on the impact of NE on brand trust and brand attachment provide a referential basis and guide for services’ companies (e.g. restaurants) to revitalize the services’ brands.
Originality/value
The first contribution is that NE scale is constructed for the nostalgia-themed restaurants. The second contribution is that the paper reveals the mechanism of the impact of NE on brand trust and brand attachment.
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The purpose of this paper is to analyze long-term institutional causes and consequences of preference falsification by studying the evolution of China’s patriarchal clan system.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze long-term institutional causes and consequences of preference falsification by studying the evolution of China’s patriarchal clan system.
Design/methodology/approach
The historic study shows that although the clan system was abolished in the Qin dynasty, it re-emerged among high-standing families in the Han dynasty and spread to common people after the Tang dynasty.
Findings
The author submits that the clan system was an institutional response to the preference falsification problem that arose due to the dictatorial political institutions first established in the Qin dynasty. It helped people to take collective action by themselves and also opened a back door to influence government decisions. A piece of clear evidence is the co-evolution of the clan system and government personnel system.
Social implications
In this sense, the clan system probably also helped to prolong the political institutions for 2,000 years.
Originality/value
This is the first institutional study on the clan system in China.
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Yaqin Zou, Xuemei Jiang, Caiyun Wen and Yang Li
After the Collective Forest Tenure Reform (CFTR) in China, the enthusiasm of farmers for forestry management is stimulated. However, the forest tenure security varies among…
Abstract
Purpose
After the Collective Forest Tenure Reform (CFTR) in China, the enthusiasm of farmers for forestry management is stimulated. However, the forest tenure security varies among farmers, making the research conclusions of its impact on forestry management efficiency inconsistent. Based on the survey data of 1,627 households from the collective forest regions in 6 provinces of China in 2017, this paper not only discusses the differences of farmers' forestry management efficiency after the reform, but also further explores the heterogeneous impact of forest tenure security on forestry management efficiency in combination with different forest management types.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed the stochastic frontier production function model to measure the forestry management efficiency of farmers. Then, Tobit models were used to discuss the influencing factors of farmers' forestry management efficiency.
Findings
The results demonstrate that the improvement of farmers' forest tenure security can effectively improve forestry management efficiency, but the effect is affected by forest management types. For farmers who manage economic forests and non-timber forests, safe tenure promotes the forestry management efficiency; while for those who manage ecological public welfare forests, tenure security plays an opposite role.
Originality/value
Therefore, satisfying farmers' differentiated demands for forest tenure according to forest management types to improve forest tenure security and further refining supporting policies of collective forestry reform is of great significance to improve the efficiency of farmers' forestry management in collective forest regions.
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Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to design a novel seasonal discrete grey model for forecasting monthly natural gas consumption by incorporating damping accumulation and time-polynomial term.
Design/methodology/approach
Considering the principle of new information priority and nonlinear patterns in the original series of monthly natural gas consumption, we establish a novel discrete seasonal grey model by adding the damping accumulation and time-polynomial term into the existing model. In addition, the order of damping accumulation and the coefficient of time-power term can be determined by the moth flame optimization (MFO) algorithm.
Findings
The empirical cases show that the proposed model has a better prediction performance when compared with other benchmark models, including six seasonal grey models, one statistical model and one artificial intelligent model. Based on forecasts, the proposed model can be considered a promising tool for monthly natural gas consumption (NGC) in US.
Originality/value
By combining the damping accumulation and the time-polynomial term, a new discrete seasonal grey model for improving the prediction performance of the existing grey model is proposed. The properties of the proposed model are given, and the newly-designed model is initially applied to predict monthly NGC in US.
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Abstract
Purpose
Promoting clean heating in rural areas is crucial for achieving a low-carbon transition of energy consumption and China's dual-carbon target. The study aims to consider the energy stacking behavior in heating energy use, reveals the determinants that affect household cleaner heating choices under the winter clean heating plan (WCHP), and proposes policy recommendations for the sustainable promotion of clean heating.
Design/methodology/approach
With unique rural household survey data covering the clean heating pilot regions in northern China in 2020, this study estimates the relationship between driving factors and heating energy choices through binary and multivariate probit models.
Findings
The regression estimates show that the main drivers of heating energy choices include household income per capita, education level of household head, knowledge of the WCHP, access to heating subsidies and perception of indoor air pollution. There is energy stacking behavior in rural household heating energy use. Household decisions to adopt electricity or clean coal heating are correlated with firewood or soft coal use.
Originality/value
This study is one of the few to investigate the heating energy use of rural households by allowing for the adoption of multiple energy types. Combined with a unique microsurvey dataset, it could provide rich information for formulating proper energy transition planning. The findings also shed light on the importance of heating subsidies, households' knowledge of WCHP and awareness of environmental health in choosing clean heating energy, which has not been fully valued in related research.
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Fang Wang, Shiting Lin, Xiaoyu Liu, Chunyan Jiang and Jianing Li
The former residences of historical figures are typical landscape elements of historic districts, which are characterised by the styles of these residences and spiritual…
Abstract
Purpose
The former residences of historical figures are typical landscape elements of historic districts, which are characterised by the styles of these residences and spiritual historical figures cultures. The purpose of this paper is to determine how the former residences respond once the historical figures living there have passed.
Design/methodology/approach
The history of human culture and progression of urban construction – which are submerged in societal transformation – is recorded for old Beijing city. Narrative space theory is used and methods such as a content analysis, map overlay and the Geographic Information System are employed to analyse the selected 300 former residences of historical figures in old Beijing city.
Findings
The results are as follows: the political setting played a key role in the evolution process, three political narrative areas in the inner city and one cultural narrative area in the outer city form the narrative spatial structure of the former residences of historical figures, “government construction” and “resident construction” are the main reasons for the loss and destruction of narrative spaces and ordinary life is an important channel for showcasing the history of former residences. The narrative spaces of these residences carry double histories, namely, the development of human history and of city construction.
Originality/value
Different from former studies that focus on the preservation of the single historical building, this study explores the integral logic of historic buildings in the whole city through narrative space theory to get a combination of culture and space.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore how consumers’ trust is enhanced by e-commerce-based agribusiness companies. It also aims to shed light on the role of social commerce in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how consumers’ trust is enhanced by e-commerce-based agribusiness companies. It also aims to shed light on the role of social commerce in improving consumers’ trust.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the research purpose, an in-depth multiple case study is performed. In this study, three cases in short food supply chain (SFSC) in China are selected, and they are all e-commerce agribusiness companies. They adopted common ways to build up, maintain and reinforce consumers’ trust.
Findings
It is revealed that the companies innovatively adopted social commerce, both online and offline, to overcome the trust problems usually faced by e-commerce companies. It is also shown that offline contact with potential consumers is an important first step for agribusiness e-commerce entrepreneurs to build up trust with consumers.
Research limitations/implications
By adopting a multiple case study method, the research has limited generalizability to other types of SFSCs. Since the findings are from Chinese agribusiness e-commerce companies, the generalization to other sectors must be done with caution.
Practical implications
Some managerial implications are given as follows: first, offline contact with consumers could be realized through different channels. Taking advantage of existing social network or trying to find consumers in urban communities might be effective ways. Second, trust building with consumers is not an easy task, managers need to emphasize trust building, trust maintaining, as well as trust reinforcing with consumers. In agri-food sector, managers might need to specifically address the importance of food safety and quality so as to not lose consumer trust in one night.
Originality/value
The study has mainly two contributions: first, it has managerial implications for agribusiness e-commerce entrepreneurs, addressing the important role of social presence in building up consumer trust. Second, it contributes to social presence and social relations literature by providing new empirical evidence from e-commerce in agri-food sector and in developing countries.
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Xiaotong Liu, Tong Wen and Cen Qin
This paper aims to explore how typical personal, interpersonal and environmental factors influence entrepreneurs' growth aspirations by investigating the impact mechanism of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore how typical personal, interpersonal and environmental factors influence entrepreneurs' growth aspirations by investigating the impact mechanism of entrepreneurial competency and guanxi on the growth aspirations of small tourism entrepreneurs in a dynamic environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Applying social cognitive theory (SCT) and business growth theory (BGT), this research uses confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) based on the questionnaire survey data of 371 small tourism business owners/owner-managers to test the relationship between entrepreneurial competency, guanxi and growth aspirations, with self-efficacy as a mediator and environment dynamism as a moderator.
Findings
The findings indicate that entrepreneurial competency is a more direct and significant factor than guanxi in facilitating the entrepreneurial growth aspirations in small tourism enterprises (STEs). Entrepreneurial competency and guanxi can both enhance entrepreneurs' self-efficacy, which then affects their aspirations to grow their business. Self-efficacy is a critical predictor of entrepreneurs' growth aspirations in STEs, although its effect is weakened by environmental dynamism.
Originality/value
This study expands the integrated application of SCT and BGT in tourism context, providing a more comprehensive and nuanced interpretation of the growth aspirations of entrepreneurs in STEs. It sheds more light on the effect of different entrepreneurial capital on growth aspirations and provides managerial implications accordingly.
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Mengkai Liu and Meng Luo
The poor capacity of prefabricated construction cost estimation is the essential reason for the low profitability of the general contractor. Therefore, this study aims to focus on…
Abstract
Purpose
The poor capacity of prefabricated construction cost estimation is the essential reason for the low profitability of the general contractor. Therefore, this study aims to focus on the cost estimation of prefabricated construction as the research object. This research aims to enhance the accuracy of total project cost estimation for general contractors, ultimately leading to improved profitability.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used Vensim PLE software to establish a system dynamics model. In the modeling process, a systematic research review was used to identify cost-influencing factors; ABC classification and the analytic hierarchy process were used to score and determine the weights of influencing factors.
Findings
The total cost error obtained by the model is less than 2% compared with the actual value. It can be used to cost estimation and analysis. The analysis results indicate that there are 7 key factors, among which the prefabrication rate has the most significant impact. Furthermore, the model can provide the extreme range cost; the minimum cost can reduce by 13% from the value in the case. The factor's value can compose a cost control strategy for general contractors.
Practical implications
The cost of prefabricated buildings can be estimated well, and deciding the prefabrication rate is crucial. The cost can be declined by correct cost control strategies when bidding and subcontracting are in process. The strategies can follow the direction of the model.
Originality/value
A systemic, quantitative and qualitative analysis of cost estimation of prefabricated buildings for general contractors has been conducted. A mathematical model has been developed and validated to facilitate more effective cost-control measures.
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Chunhua Ren, Xiaoming Hu, Poyun Qin, Leilei Li and Tong He
Measurement-while-drilling (MWD) system has been used to provide trajectory and inclination parameters of the oil and gas well. Fluxgate magnetometer is a traditional choice for…
Abstract
Purpose
Measurement-while-drilling (MWD) system has been used to provide trajectory and inclination parameters of the oil and gas well. Fluxgate magnetometer is a traditional choice for one MWD system; however, it cannot obtain effective trajectory parameters in nonmagnetic environments. Fiber-optic-gyroscope (FOG) inclinometer system is a favorable substitute of fluxgate magnetometer, which can avoid the flaws associated with magnetic monitoring devices. However, there are some limitations and increasing surveying errors in this system under high impact conditions. This paper aims to overcome these imperfections of the FOG inclinometer system.
Design/methodology/approach
To overcome the imperfections, filtering algorithms are used to improve the precision of the equipment. The authors compare the low-pass filtering algorithm with the wavelet de-noising algorithm applied to real experimental data. Quantitative comparison of the error between the true and processed signal revealed that the wavelet de-noising method outperformed the low-pass filtering method. To achieve optimal positioning effects, the wavelet de-noising algorithm is finally used to inhibit the interference caused by the impact.
Findings
The experimental results show that the method proposed can ensure the azimuth accuracy lower than ±2 degrees and the inclination accuracy lower than ± 0.15 degrees under the condition of interval impact. The method proposed can overcome the interference generated by the impact in the well, which makes the instrument suitable for the measurement of small-diameter casing well.
Originality/value
After conducting the wavelet threshold filtering on the raw data of accelerometers, the noise generated by the impact is successfully suppressed, which is expected to meet the special requirement of the down-hole survey environment.