Muhammad Awais Azam, Jonathan Loo, Usman Naeem and Muhammad Adeel
Recognizing daily life activities and human behaviour from contextual information is a challenging task. The purpose of the research work in this paper is to develop a system that…
Abstract
Purpose
Recognizing daily life activities and human behaviour from contextual information is a challenging task. The purpose of the research work in this paper is to develop a system that can detect indoor and outdoor daily life activities of low entropy mobile people such as elderly people and patients with regular routines using non-intrusive sensor and contextual information.
Design/methodology/approach
A framework is proposed that utilises a hierarchical approach in which high-level activities are divided into sub-activities and tasks and recognises the high-level outdoor and indoor activities of daily life. Tasks are recognised at lower level from sensor data and then used by the “activity recogniser” at higher level to recognise the high-level activities. For outdoor activities recognition, wireless proximity data are used, whereas for indoor activities, object usage data obtained through radio frequency identification sensors are used.
Findings
For outdoor tasks, results have shown 100 per cent recognition for experiment 1 and a decrease in recognition from 100 to 82.7 per cent, respectively, for experiment 2-9 due to increase in the entropy of individual tasks. Outdoor activity recognition ranges from 84.1 to 100 per cent. For indoor tasks, generating alternative tasks sequences approach effectively recognised the single tasks that were conducted with objects without any order. Average indoor activity recognition rate remains above 90 per cent. The reason why this approach is able to detect the activities without their distinct features is the planning capability of the Asbru that is used in the modelling of high-level activities.
Originality/value
The novelty of this research work is a framework that utilises different types of sensor data and recognises both indoor and outdoor daily life activities of individuals.
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Usman Naeem, Rabih Bashroush, Richard Anthony, Muhammad Awais Azam, Abdel Rahman Tawil, Sin Wee Lee and M.L. Dennis Wong
This paper aims to focus on applying a range of traditional classification- and semantic reasoning-based techniques to recognise activities of daily life (ADLs). ADL recognition…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on applying a range of traditional classification- and semantic reasoning-based techniques to recognise activities of daily life (ADLs). ADL recognition plays an important role in tracking functional decline among elderly people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Accurate recognition enables smart environments to support and assist the elderly to lead an independent life for as long as possible. However, the ability to represent the complex structure of an ADL in a flexible manner remains a challenge.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents an ADL recognition approach, which uses a hierarchical structure for the representation and modelling of the activities, its associated tasks and their relationships. This study describes an approach in constructing ADLs based on a task-specific and intention-oriented plan representation language called Asbru. The proposed method is particularly flexible and adaptable for caregivers to be able to model daily schedules for Alzheimer’s patients.
Findings
A proof of concept prototype evaluation has been conducted for the validation of the proposed ADL recognition engine, which has comparable recognition results with existing ADL recognition approaches.
Originality/value
The work presented in this paper is novel, as the developed ADL recognition approach takes into account all relationships and dependencies within the modelled ADLs. This is very useful when conducting activity recognition with very limited features.
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This study explored the antecedents and mediators of word-of-mouth (WOM) behavior in the life insurance industry and investigated how to increase policyholders' positive WOM…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explored the antecedents and mediators of word-of-mouth (WOM) behavior in the life insurance industry and investigated how to increase policyholders' positive WOM communication.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of life insurance policyholders in Taiwan is surveyed. These respondents were chosen using purposive sampling. The author sent out 650 questionnaires to customers of the top six life insurance firms in Taiwan in proportion to each firm's market share as follows: Cathay (200), Fubon (150), Nan Shan (120), Shin Kong (80), China (60), and Taiwan (40). A total of 338 usable questionnaires were returned. Structural equation modeling was performed to estimate the influence of the identified antecedents of WOM communication.
Findings
The results support the proposed model and hypotheses, indicating that customers' positive evaluations of functional quality and technical quality help drive positive WOM communication. Corporate image and trust also play partial mediating roles.
Practical implications
Decision-makers should note that functional quality, technical quality, corporate image, and trust are antecedents of WOM communication. Functional quality and technical quality are the main factors influencing policyholders' perceptions. Therefore, life insurance firms must understand policyholders' quality expectations. Managers should also pay increased attention to promoting favorable WOM communication through strengthening corporate image and trust.
Originality/value
This was the first study to examine WOM communication in Taiwan's life insurance industry. Few studies have investigated the mediating effects of corporate image and trust in the relationships of functional and technical quality with WOM. The findings reveal the importance of WOM to the marketing of life insurance, providing new information for life insurance practice and theory.
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Naeem Akhtar, Umar Iqbal Siddiqi, Muhammad Nadeem Akhtar, Muhammad Usman and Wasim Ahmad
This study aims to offer a conceptual framework that elaborates on how tourists’ perception of contradictory features in reviews’ factuality and comprehension – within a single…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to offer a conceptual framework that elaborates on how tourists’ perception of contradictory features in reviews’ factuality and comprehension – within a single hotel review and across multiple hotel reviews – trigger attitude ambivalence and psychological discomfort, which determine their behaviors – choice deferral and hotel booking intentions. It also investigates the moderating role of anticipated conflicting reactions (ACRs) through contradictory features on consumers’ attitude ambivalence.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a Chinese setting, researchers collected data from 524 inbound tourists who were the consumers of hotels in Beijing. The study used IBM Amos 23.0 to test measurement and structural models for the proposed relationships. It also used PROCESS macro 3.4 for the moderation analysis.
Findings
The findings reveal a positive association between contradictory features in reviews and the resulting ambivalence that affects consumers’ discomfort and leads to the decision to defer the choice of hotel. Conversely, consumers’ discomfort has a positive impact on the hotel booking intentions. ACRs have positive moderating effects on the associations between contradictory features and consumers’ attitude ambivalence.
Originality/value
By investigating the contradictory features in hotel reviews, this study extends the body of research on dual information processing (i.e. the heuristic–systematic model) and the literature on service management, psychological behaviors, travel intermediaries and hotel firms. Future research directions are recommended for tourism and hospitality researchers.
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Naeem Akhtar, Umar Iqbal Siddiqi, Wasim Ahmad, Muhammad Usman, Xianglan Chen and Tahir Islam
The present study unveils the service encounter barriers – interactional and instructional – faced by foreign consumers at food and beverage restaurants in China. It builds a…
Abstract
Purpose
The present study unveils the service encounter barriers – interactional and instructional – faced by foreign consumers at food and beverage restaurants in China. It builds a conceptual framework and examines (1) how service encounter barriers create situational abnormality, (2) how situational abnormality engenders foreign consumers' felt discomfort that influences their revisit intentions and (3) how expectations disconfirmation moderates situational abnormality.
Design/methodology/approach
Convenience sampling using the survey method was employed to collect data from 517 foreign consumers – who stay in Beijing (China) – at food and beverage restaurants. The study used IBM SPSS 25.0 and Amos Graphics 24.0 to analyze the data and interpret results.
Findings
Findings reveal that interactional and instructional barriers positively create situational abnormality, which ultimately leads to foreign consumers' felt discomfort and their negative revisit intentions. Expectations disconfirmation significantly aggravates situational abnormality as a moderator.
Research limitations/implications
This study investigates foreign consumers' behavior at food and beverage restaurants in China and cautions its generalizability. It suggests corroborating the foreign consumers' behavioral intentions in the context of other countries to generalize the findings and unleash other factors additive to comprehend their behavior in the wake of restaurant industry.
Originality/value
The extant literature has not examined the service encounter barriers faced by foreign consumers at food and beverage restaurants in China. The present study, responding to the previous calls, incorporated the service encounter barriers and their downstream effects on foreign consumers' behavioral responses. By doing so, it adds value to the domestic food and beverage restaurants and service firms in China, in particular, and paves the way to understand the interactional and instructional barriers in the global context, in general, by engaging the foreign consumers.
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Zia Ul Islam, Qingxiong (Derek) Weng, Ahmed Ali, Usman Ghani and Rana Muhammad Naeem
The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of job seekers' perceived incivility during job search on their job search intensity via job search-specific self-esteem, and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of job seekers' perceived incivility during job search on their job search intensity via job search-specific self-esteem, and to explore how the job seekers' level of dispositional mindfulness buffers these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
Using self-report measures, time-lagged data were obtained from 242 graduating students of a Chinese university.
Findings
Results showed that perceived incivility during job search was negatively related to job search-specific self-esteem, and that job search-specific self-esteem was positively related to job search intensity. Further, dispositional mindfulness mitigated the direct link between perceived incivility and job search-specific self-esteem and the indirect link between job seekers' perception of incivility and job search intensity through job search-specific self-esteem.
Originality/value
By integrating the recruitment and job search literature, we investigated how negative experiences (perceived incivility during recruitment) stemming from the context of job search influence the motivation of job seekers to continue their job search via the mediating role of job search-specific self-esteem. Further, for the first time, we explored the moderating role of dispositional mindfulness in the job search literature by utilizing the framework of positive psychology.
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Zia Ul Islam, Qingxiong (Derek) Weng, Zulqurnain Ali, Usman Ghani, Ataullah Kiani and Rana Muhammad Naeem
This study examines the associations among specific personality traits, job search strategies (JSSs) and job search outcomes.
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the associations among specific personality traits, job search strategies (JSSs) and job search outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
Time-lagged data (three-waves) were collected from 528 Chinese graduating students. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The results revealed a positive association between conscientiousness and both a focused job search strategy (FJSS) and an exploratory job search strategy (EJSS). Neuroticism was positively related to a haphazard job search strategy (HJSS), but negatively associated with both a FJSS and an EJSS. Moreover, FJSS and EJSS were positively related to both the number of job offers (NJOs) and the number of satisfied job offers (NSJOs). However, compared with FJSS, EJSS explained more variance in NJOs but less in NSJOs. Additional analysis showed a significant positive association between conscientiousness and job search intensity (JSI), but no significant relationship between neuroticism and JSI. JSI had significant associations with both NJOs and NSJOs. Further, FJSS and EJSS mediated the association between focal personality traits and both NJOs and NSJOs. Additionally, JSI also mediated the association between conscientiousness and both NJOs and NSJOs.
Originality/value
Previous research has confirmed that JSSs (Stevens and Turban, 2001) are consequential for important job search outcomes. However, whether fresh job seekers are predisposed to the use of JSSs is yet to be explored. This study adds to the job search literature by filling this void.
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Inam Ul Haq, Usman Raja, Muhammad Umer Azeem and Naeem Bajwa
Extending the efforts of previous scholars, this study examines how abusive supervision undermines employees’ ability to meet performance expectations and propensity to engage in…
Abstract
Purpose
Extending the efforts of previous scholars, this study examines how abusive supervision undermines employees’ ability to meet performance expectations and propensity to engage in helping behavior. Specifically, we investigate a hitherto unexplored mediating role of quality of work life (QWL) in this relationship. We further suggest that employees’ psychological resources, namely willpower and waypower, act as protective shields against this harmful process.
Design/methodology/approach
We tested the proposed hypotheses using multisource (self- and supervisor-rated) three-wave time-lagged data (N = 185) collected from employees and their supervisors in eight organizations that operate in the service sector of Pakistan.
Findings
The findings corroborate our predicted hypotheses. The results indicate that employees' exposure to abusive supervision deteriorates their quality of work life (QWL), hindering their ability to deliver expected performance and tendency to help other colleagues. However, this negative process is less pronounced for employees who possess sufficient psychological resources of willpower and waypower.
Practical implications
This study provides valuable insights to organizations by explicating the process that undermines employees’ ability to channel their energies into performance-enhancing activities when faced with humiliation from their supervisors.
Originality/value
This study details three previously unexplored factors that explain how and when abusive behavior steers service sector employees away from meeting performance expectations and assisting colleagues, via thwarting their quality of work life.
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Usman Muhammad, Sana Saleem, Anwar ul Haq Muhammad and Faiq Mahmood
This study aims to examine the impact of stock mispricing on corporate investment decisions by taking the sample of non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the impact of stock mispricing on corporate investment decisions by taking the sample of non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange during the period of 2008-2014.
Design/methodology/approach
To measure the mispricing, this study decomposes the market-to-book ratio into mispricing and growth components and measures corporate investment by capital expenditures. Fixed and random effect panel regression models are used to estimate the results.
Findings
Results of the study show that firms issue overvalued equity to finance the capital expenditures. Consistent with other studies, the relationship between stock mispricing and investment is more prominent in the financially constrained firms. In addition, cash flow investment sensitivity is higher in financially unconstrained firms.
Practical implications
Nonetheless, the results give important implications to the Pakistan Stock Market on how the mispricing enhances the welfare by relaxing the financial constraints and allowing the managers to make investment in profitable projects that otherwise go non-funded. These findings have interesting implications for further research in the literature of finance and also help in economic policy-making.
Originality/value
This study finds the impact of stock mispricing on corporate investment decisions by considering the role of market timing in the context of Pakistan.