Edward R. Bruning, Michael Y. Hu and Wei (Andrew) Hao
The aim of this paper is to propose an approach to international market segmentation that identifies meaningful cross‐national consumer segments, which focuses on airline…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to propose an approach to international market segmentation that identifies meaningful cross‐national consumer segments, which focuses on airline passengers in the NAFTA market.
Design/methodology/approach
A conjoint analysis is used to evaluate consumers' preferences for six flight attributes: price, in‐flight service, number of stops before destination, on‐time performance, frequent flyer programme, and country of airline. A cluster analysis based on the relative importance scores of each of the six flights attributes then identifies five segments that prioritize similar product attributes within each country.
Findings
A representative sample of 4,787 airline passengers from the three countries reveal that price is the most important attribute for consumers from the USA and Canada, while on‐time performance is the most important attribute for Mexican consumers. A cluster analysis identifies five segments that prioritize similar product attributes within each country. It is also found that there are five cross‐national consumer segments in the NAFTA market that are homogeneous in terms of consumer preferences but heterogeneous in terms of relative group size and demographic variables.
Research limitations/implications
The study is based on a purposive sample, which limits the ability to generalize to the whole population with any known degree of precision.
Practical implications
The research produces practical operational information on each segment that is translatable into strategy, specifically in terms of positioning, promotion, and targeting of the airline service.
Originality/value
The paper sheds light on the nature of cross‐national segmentation in the NAFTA air passengers market and the resulting cross‐national segmentation will be highly relevant for international marketing management.
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Jun Ma, Sijun Wang and Wei Hao
This research seeks to extend the animosity model of foreign product purchase by examining the direct and moderating effects of cultural similarity in consumers' product judgment…
Abstract
Purpose
This research seeks to extend the animosity model of foreign product purchase by examining the direct and moderating effects of cultural similarity in consumers' product judgment and willingness to buy foreign products.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical data were collected from a sample (n=225) of Taiwanese consumers. The data analysis used bivariate correlations, repeated general linear modeling, and structural equation modeling.
Findings
Cultural similarity between consumers' home country (region) and a foreign product's country of origin has: a positive impact on consumers' product evaluation and willingness to buy foreign products; a weakening effect on the negative impact of war and economic animosity on willingness to buy foreign products; and a weakening effect on the negative impact of consumer ethnocentrism on their willingness to buy foreign products.
Originality/value
This study not only enriches the animosity model of foreign product purchase, but also offers additional insights for international market entry and international marketing strategies.
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A total of 12 chapters in this volume represent some current research on important topics in finance and economics. Bajaj et al. demonstrate through a time series analysis that…
Abstract
A total of 12 chapters in this volume represent some current research on important topics in finance and economics. Bajaj et al. demonstrate through a time series analysis that the IPO underwriting spreads seem to be competitive, in contrast to the findings of Chen and Ritter (2000). Sealey argues that it is necessary for the regulator and deposit insurer to be an integral part to mitigate the moral hazard problem in bank regulation. Lee develops a multi-period pricing model to examine the impact of forbearance and potential moral hazard behavior on the cost of deposit insurance. Hao and Roberts show that lead lenders have significant positive influence on loan yield spreads. Daly et al. show that coincident indicators developed to track a state's gross outputs have significant influence on state-level aggregate bank performance.
This paper attempts to critically question present IPE approaches and analyses that aim at assessing China’s role within the international political economy. Thus, unlike common…
Abstract
This paper attempts to critically question present IPE approaches and analyses that aim at assessing China’s role within the international political economy. Thus, unlike common theorizations that see the country as being integrated within US hegemony (Panitch and Gindin) or those accounts that claim that we are already witnessing the “terminal crisis” of US hegemony accompanied by a hegemonic transition toward China (Arrighi), the paper will argue that China was able to gain “relative geopolitical autonomy” as a result of the revolutionary processes it went through and eventually assert itself as a contender state, now just in the process of challenging US hegemony. Dissatisfied with existent theorizations of hegemony, I will be drawing on the critical edition of Gramsci’s Quaderni and attempt to offer a new perspective regarding the conceptualization thereof. Thus applying the elaborated framework of analysis to the current situation, I argue that unlike the US’s ability to counter the challenge of its traditional imperial rivals Germany and Japan as they developed under the grip of US hegemony, the country is facing difficulties in countering China’s ascent. However, while maintaining that China does indeed represent a challenge to US hegemony, particularly in East Asia, I will argue that the idea of a “crisis of US hegemony” is premature as China remains distant from fully realizing hegemonic relations, even at the regional level.
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Hao Wu, Sang Xiong, Wei Lin and Fanxin Kong
The purpose of this paper is to improve lubrication and anti-corrosion properties of the water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion for rolling of copper strip and sheet to replace the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to improve lubrication and anti-corrosion properties of the water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion for rolling of copper strip and sheet to replace the traditional rolling oil.
Design/methodology/approach
The W/O microemulsion is prepared by using hydrogenated base oil, a deionized aqueous solution of 0.03 mol/L of Na2SO4 and composite emulsifier such as Sp20, Tx-7 or sodium petroleum sulfonate. Tribological behavior of the microemulsions and traditional cold rolling oil was conducted by MR-10A four-ball tester. The lubrication performance of microemulsion for cold rolling of copper strip was performed by cold-rolling experiment. The morphology of worn surface and the rolled copper was characterized. Anti-corrosion properties of microemulsion for rolled copper was investigated, and the corroded surface was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS).
Findings
The results show that the extreme pressure and antiwear properties of the microemulsions have been improved; the average friction coefficient of the improved microemulsion is 0.065, which is 30% lower than the commercial cold rolling oil. For cold rolling of copper strip, the microemulsion has a higher thinning effect than the commercial cold rolling oil, and a smooth surface is obtained and the surface roughness (Sa) is decreased by 6.8%. The XPS analysis indicated microemulsion adsorbed on the copper surface mitigate the corrosion of oils.
Originality/value
This paper used the prepared W/O microemulsion as a new lubricant in the process of rolling for copper strip and sheet in industry, demonstrating the microemulsion has broad application prospects in the future.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-06-2020-0227/
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Wei Zhang, Jiali Weng, Shang Hao, Yuan Xie and Yonggui Li
Fabrics with photothermal conversion functions were developed based on the introduction of shape stable composite phase change materials (CPCMs).
Abstract
Purpose
Fabrics with photothermal conversion functions were developed based on the introduction of shape stable composite phase change materials (CPCMs).
Design/methodology/approach
Acidified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were selected as support material to prepare CPCMs with n-octadecane to improve the thermal conductivity and shape stability. The CPCMs were finished onto the surface of cotton fabric through the coating and screen-printing method. The chemical properties of CPCMs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, XRD and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The shape stability and thermal conductivity were also evaluated. In addition, the photothermal conversion and temperature-regulating performance of the finished fabrics were analyzed.
Findings
When the addition amount of acidified SWCNTs are 14% to the mass of n-octadecane, the best shape stability of CPCMs is obtained. DSC analysis shows that the latent heat energy storage of CPCMs is as high as 183.1 J/g. The thermal conductivity is increased by 84.4% compared with that of n-octadecane. The temperature-regulating fabrics coated with CPCMs have good photothermal conversion properties.
Research limitations/implications
CPCMs with high latent heat properties are applied to the fabric surface through screen printing technology, which not only gives the fabric the photothermal conversion performance but also reflects the design of personalized patterns.
Practical implications
CPCMs and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are mixed to make printing paste and printed cotton fabric with temperature-regulating functional is developed.
Originality/value
SWCNTs and n-octadecane are composited to prepare CPCMs with excellent thermal properties, which can be mixed with PDMS to make printing paste without adding other pastes. The fabric is screen-printed to obtain a personalized pattern and can be given a thermoregulatory function.
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Sifeng Liu, Yingjie Yang, Naiming Xie and Jeffrey Forrest
The purpose of this paper is to summarize the progress in grey system research during 2000-2015, so as to present some important new concepts, models, methods and a new framework…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to summarize the progress in grey system research during 2000-2015, so as to present some important new concepts, models, methods and a new framework of grey system theory.
Design/methodology/approach
The new thinking, new models and new methods of grey system theory and their applications are presented in this paper. It includes algorithm rules of grey numbers based on the “kernel” and the degree of greyness of grey numbers, the concept of general grey numbers, the synthesis axiom of degree of greyness of grey numbers and their operations; the general form of buffer operators of grey sequence operators; the four basic models of grey model GM(1,1), such as even GM, original difference GM, even difference GM, discrete GM and the suitable sequence type of each basic model, and suitable range of most used grey forecasting models; the similarity degree of grey incidences, the closeness degree of grey incidences and the three-dimensional absolute degree of grey incidence of grey incidence analysis models; the grey cluster model based on center-point and end-point mixed triangular whitenization functions; the multi-attribute intelligent grey target decision model, the two stages decision model with grey synthetic measure of grey decision models; grey game models, grey input-output models of grey combined models; and the problems of robust stability for grey stochastic time-delay systems of neutral type, distributed-delay type and neutral distributed-delay type of grey control, etc. And the new framework of grey system theory is given as well.
Findings
The problems which remain for further studying are discussed at the end of each section. The reader could know the general picture of research and developing trend of grey system theory from this paper.
Practical implications
A lot of successful practical applications of the new models to solve various problems have been found in many different areas of natural science, social science and engineering, including spaceflight, civil aviation, information, metallurgy, machinery, petroleum, chemical industry, electrical power, electronics, light industries, energy resources, transportation, medicine, health, agriculture, forestry, geography, hydrology, seismology, meteorology, environment protection, architecture, behavioral science, management science, law, education, military science, etc. These practical applications have brought forward definite and noticeable social and economic benefits. It demonstrates a wide range of applicability of grey system theory, especially in the situation where the available information is incomplete and the collected data are inaccurate.
Originality/value
The reader is given a general picture of grey systems theory as a new model system and a new framework for studying problems where partial information is known; especially for uncertain systems with few data points and poor information. The problems remaining for further studying are identified at the end of each section.
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James W Peltier, Andrew J Dahl, Lauren Drury and Tracy Khan
Conceptual and empirical research over the past 20 years has moved the social media (SM) literature beyond the embryotic stage to a well-developed academic discipline. As the lead…
Abstract
Purpose
Conceptual and empirical research over the past 20 years has moved the social media (SM) literature beyond the embryotic stage to a well-developed academic discipline. As the lead article in the special issue in the Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing on Cutting-Edge Research in Social Media and Interactive Marketing, this review and agenda article has two key goals: (1) to review key SM and interactive marketing research over the past three years and (2) to identify the next wave of high priority challenges and research opportunities.
Design/methodology/approach
Given the “cutting-edge” research focus of the special issue, this review and research agenda paper focused on articles published in 25 key marketing journals between January 2021 and March 2024. Initially, the search request was for articles with “social media, social selling, social commerce” located in the article title, author-selected key words and journal-selected keywords. Later, we conducted searches based on terminology from articles presented in the final review. In total, over 1,000 articles were reviewed across the 25 journals, plus additional ones that were cited in those journals that were not on the initial list.
Findings
Our review uncovered eight key content areas: (1) data sources, methodology and scale development; (2) emergent SM technologies; (3) artificial intelligence; (4) virtual reality; (5) sales and sales management; (6) consumer welfare; (7) influencer marketing; and (8) social commerce. Table I provides a summer of key articles and research findings for each of the content areas.
Originality/value
As a literature review and research agenda article, this paper is one of the most extensive to date on SM marketing, and particularly with regard to emergent research over the past three years. Recommendations for future research are integrated through the paper and summarized in Figure 2.
Social implications
Consumer welfare is one of the eight emergent content areas uncovered in the literature review. Specific focus is on SM privacy, misinformation, mental health and misbehavior.