Weidong Rong, Mark J. Arnold and Brad D. Carlson
Guanxi is the foundation of business success in Chinese and other Eastern cultures, but little is known about the extent to which guanxi influences brand outcomes in channel…
Abstract
Purpose
Guanxi is the foundation of business success in Chinese and other Eastern cultures, but little is known about the extent to which guanxi influences brand outcomes in channel relationships. The purpose of this study is to propose a novel theoretical framework of interpersonal and interorganizational guanxi relationships in a sales channel context and how these relationships influence brand outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conceptualize, develop and validate new scales measuring interpersonal and interorganizational guanxi and test the proposed model with a field study to validate the effects of guanxi on brand loyalty. The causal relationships between interpersonal guanxi and brand attitudes and affect are confirmed in a separate field experiment.
Findings
Findings show that interpersonal guanxi is antecedent to interorganizational guanxi, and these two constructs have significant and differential direct and indirect effects on brand attitudes, brand affect and brand loyalty.
Originality/value
New multidimensional scales measuring both interpersonal and interorganizational guanxi were developed. Both interpersonal and interorganizational guanxi are conceptualized as second-order reflective constructs measured by the reflective first-order guanxi elements of personal and firm trust, personal and firm long-term orientation, xinyong (integrity), reciprocity, interaction and face.
Details
Keywords
Wu He, Xin Tian, Ran Tao, Weidong Zhang, Gongjun Yan and Vasudeva Akula
Online customer reviews could shed light into their experience, opinions, feelings, and concerns. To gain valuable knowledge about customers, it becomes increasingly important for…
Abstract
Purpose
Online customer reviews could shed light into their experience, opinions, feelings, and concerns. To gain valuable knowledge about customers, it becomes increasingly important for businesses to collect, monitor, analyze, summarize, and visualize online customer reviews posted on social media platforms such as online forums. However, analyzing social media data is challenging due to the vast increase of social media data. The purpose of this paper is to present an approach of using natural language preprocessing, text mining and sentiment analysis techniques to analyze online customer reviews related to various hotels through a case study.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a tested approach of using natural language preprocessing, text mining, and sentiment analysis techniques to analyze online textual content. The value of the proposed approach was demonstrated through a case study using online hotel reviews.
Findings
The study found that the overall review star rating correlates pretty well with the sentiment scores for both the title and the full content of the online customer review. The case study also revealed that both extremely satisfied and extremely dissatisfied hotel customers share a common interest in the five categories: food, location, rooms, service, and staff.
Originality/value
This study analyzed the online reviews from English-speaking hotel customers in China to understand their preferred hotel attributes, main concerns or demands. This study also provides a feasible approach and a case study as an example to help enterprises more effectively apply social media analytics in practice.
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Zhi Guo, Zhongde Shan, Feng Liu, Dong Du and Mengmeng Zhao
In this paper, the effects of the adhesive and curing agent contents on the tensile strength, bending strength, gas evolution and gas permeability of three-dimensional printed…
Abstract
Purpose
In this paper, the effects of the adhesive and curing agent contents on the tensile strength, bending strength, gas evolution and gas permeability of three-dimensional printed sand molds are studied. A strength model of the three-dimensional printed sand molds is proposed. The multi-material composite sand mold forming test is carried out. In addition, the mesostructure of the sand mold is studied.
Design/methodology/approach
The performances of three-dimensional printed sand mold such as tensile strength, bending strength, gas evolution and gas permeability are studied using the standard test methods. The mesostructure of the sand mold is studied by digital core technology.
Findings
A sand mold strength model based on the resin adhesive content, curing agent content and sand mold compactness are obtained. Two types of multi-material composite three-dimensional printed sand molds are proposed. An increase in the curing agent content in the sand mold widens the mesoscopic characteristic size distribution of the sand mold, and large-sized mesostructures appear, resulting in a decrease in the sand mold bearing capacity.
Practical implications
Process parameters that affect the performance of three-dimensional printed sand mold are revealed. The sand mold bearing curve provides a reference for the ultimate design of three-dimensional printed sand mold.
Originality/value
The paper deals with experimental work on the performance and mesostructure of multi-material composite three-dimensional printed sand mold with different contents of adhesive and curing agent. That gives a perspective on future designs of sand mold based on these principles.