Xueyan Yang, Xiaoni Zhang, Samuel Goh and Chad Anderson
The purpose of this paper is to understand e-loyalty in the travel industry. Specifically, this paper aims to examine the curvilinear relationship between predictors and e-loyalty.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand e-loyalty in the travel industry. Specifically, this paper aims to examine the curvilinear relationship between predictors and e-loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical study was conducted using an online survey with one of the largest travel companies in China. Structural equation modeling was used to test the models, and pair-wise nested F-tests were used to compare the models.
Findings
Results show that the curvilinear model has greater explanatory power of loyalty than traditional linear models. The results of pair-wise nested F-tests show that the loyalty model exhibits statistically significant R2 improvement compared to the linear model. However, the R2 improvement in the integrated model is not statistically different from that in the linear model. Confirmation and satisfaction are found to be salient factors influencing loyalty.
Research limitations/implications
This study makes important contributions to the online community literature by understanding the drivers of loyalty in the travel industry. However, there are limitations. First, this study addressed member loyalty of an online travel community with data collected from one company. Thus, generalizability is limited. Online communities and firms may have different characteristics, resulting in different factors influencing consumer loyalty. The authors plan in the future to collect data from other online travel companies and examine their model with different samples so as to check the generalizability of the current findings. Second, the authors collected a snapshot view on loyalty. Both researchers and managers note that small changes in loyalty and retention can yield disproportionately large changes in profitability (Reichheld et al., 2000). Consumer loyalty may change over time, so to maintain and increase profits, it is important to monitor such change. In the future, the authors plan to conduct a longitudinal study of community members to evaluate their loyalty over time.
Practical implications
As China seeks to gain additional market share in the global tourism market, travel companies should make use of websites as a marketing tool to attract and retain customers. These actions enable a travel company to enhance its competitiveness. More and more people use the internet for tour deals, bookings and finding tour-related information. Effective use of websites can affect the competitiveness of ecommerce companies. E-vendors could assess and adopt the dimensions recommended in this paper to help better understand areas for improvement. It is common today for consumers to buy travel products online instead of going through a travel agent. Considering the importance of reciprocity in formulating consumer satisfaction and loyalty in the virtual environment, companies should monitor reciprocal behavior on the virtual community. With advancement in technologies, consumer behaviors have changed and more consumers prefer social interactions in the virtual world. Companies can analyze posts in the virtual environment to assess reciprocity and may design a mechanism to foster reciprocal behaviors. By leveraging reciprocity, firms can better connect satisfaction with loyalty. More than 70 per cent of executives surveyed by McKinsey (2012) said that they regularly generate value through their Web communities. In addition, to pay attention to consumer to consumer reciprocity in the virtual world, companies should listen to what customers say in their online community, as this attention is an indication of reciprocity between consumers and companies. The ideas and opinions expressed in the online community tell the company customers’ perception of the value of its products and customers’ needs. Such attention to the voices in the online community will help companies to better tailor products/services to meet customers’ needs. Furthermore, the voices expressed in the virtual community are also effective in developing and maintaining new internet marketing opportunities such as email marketing, giveaways, search engine optimization, pay per click and shopping comparison marketing. Companies interested in retaining and attracting customers should leverage their established virtual communities and pay close attention to online posts and evaluate members’ satisfaction. Such effort will provide tangible benefits. As shown in Ye et al.’s study, traveler reviews produce a significant impact on online sales (Ye et al., 2011), with a 10 per cent increase in traveler review ratings, boosting online bookings by more than 5 per cent. This finding suggests that businesses should link online user-generated reviews to business performance in tourism. Finding incentives for users to share might be one way to improve interactivity and further create stickiness on the part of the website.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the first studies to address the need to move beyond linear models of e-loyalty and to additionally examine potential curvilinear and interactive effects. This study also identifies key variables such as reciprocity and satisfaction as determinants of e-loyalty in the Chinese online travel and tourism industry.
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Xueyan Yang, Changxi Ma, Changfeng Zhu, Bo Qi, Fuquan Pan and Chengming Zhu
For the purpose of reducing the incidence of hazardous materials transport accident, eliminating the potential threats and ensuring their safety, aiming at the shortcomings in the…
Abstract
Purpose
For the purpose of reducing the incidence of hazardous materials transport accident, eliminating the potential threats and ensuring their safety, aiming at the shortcomings in the process of current hazardous materials transportation management, this paper aims to construct the framework of hazardous materials transportation safety management system under the vehicle-infrastructure connected environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The system takes the intelligent connected vehicle as the main supporter, integrating GIS, GPS, eye location, GSM, networks and database technology.
Findings
By analyzing the transportation characteristics of hazardous materials, this system consists of five subsystems, which are vehicle and driver management subsystem, dangerous sources and hazardous materials management subsystem, route analysis and optimization subsystem, early warning and emergency rescue management subsystem, and basic information query subsystem.
Originality/value
Hazardous materials transportation safety management system includes omnibearing real-time monitoring, timely updating of system database, real-time generation and optimization of emergency rescue route. The system can reduce the transportation cost and improve the ability of accident prevention and emergency rescue of hazardous materials.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of consumers' perceived product promotion and atmosphere promotion strategies on their participation intention, and the possible…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of consumers' perceived product promotion and atmosphere promotion strategies on their participation intention, and the possible interaction between product promotion and atmosphere promotion strategies on their participation intention in online shopping festivals.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper conceptualized consumer perception of product promotion strategies of online shopping festivals as Perceived Temptation of Price Promotion, Perceived Categories Richness of Promotion and Perceived Fun of Promotion Activities and atmosphere promotion strategies as Perceived Contagiousness of Mass Participation. Based on the Stimulus-Response Theory, this study constructed an influencing model of promotion strategies on consumer participation intention in online shopping festivals. Structural equation modeling with partial least squares was used for analyzing the data from a sample of 495 consumers to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The results showed that Perceived Temptation of Price Promotion, Perceived Categories Richness of Promotion, Perceived Fun of Promotion Activities and Perceived Contagiousness of Mass Participation significantly and positively affect consumer Participation Intention; Perceived Contagiousness of Mass Participation plays a moderating role in the effect of Perceived Temptation of Price Promotion on Participation Intention.
Originality/value
This study is the first empirical attempt to examine the moderating role of atmosphere promotion between product promotion and consumer participation intention in online shopping festivals. The findings provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for e-commerce platforms and merchants for improving their online shopping festival promotion strategies.
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Singles’ Day Online Shopping Festival was originated in China and is characterized by gathering promotions to create consumer shopping atmosphere. Its rapid rise has affected Asia…
Abstract
Purpose
Singles’ Day Online Shopping Festival was originated in China and is characterized by gathering promotions to create consumer shopping atmosphere. Its rapid rise has affected Asia and the world, becoming the world’s largest shopping festival beyond Black Friday. The success of Singles’ Day Online Shopping Festival demonstrates Chinese experience of online shopping festive atmosphere marketing. The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of Singles’ Day Online Shopping Festival atmosphere and Chinese cultural background, especially Confucian values, on Chinese consumers’ purchase intention in Singles’ Day Online Shopping Festival.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper conceptualized consumers’ most perceptive atmosphere characteristics as the three dimensions of perceived economic temptation, perceived festival entertainment and perceived mass participation. Taking Confucian values as moderators, based on the stimulus-response theory, this study constructed an influencing factor model of consumer purchase intention in online shopping festival, collected data of 398 Chinese consumers by questionnaire, and used structural equation modeling for hypotheses testing.
Findings
The results showed that online shopping festival atmosphere and Confucian values affect purchase intention; the two factors of “keeping face” and “listening to others” of Confucian values play moderating roles in the effect of online shopping festival atmosphere on purchase intention.
Research limitations/implications
The sample of this study was biased toward the young and well-educated consumers; besides, this study focused on young consumers’ purchase intention of online shopping festival, rather than their actual consumption behaviors.
Practical implications
Confucian values have deeply influenced China and other Asian countries, especially East and Southeast Asian countries. Meanwhile they are the fastest growing regions of e-commerce in the world, the paper provides theoretical basis and reference for the e-commerce enterprises in the Confucian cultural societies to improve the atmosphere marketing of online shopping festivals, and attracts consumers to shop online, having particular significance in shedding light on the Asian “e-commerce Miracle.”
Social implications
This study found that Singles’ Day purchase intention is dependent on online shopping festival atmosphere stimuli, Confucian values and their interaction. Marketing researchers should consider both online shopping festival atmosphere as a marketing tool and the influence of consumer cultural values, so as to help e-commerce platforms and e-commerce merchants establish shopping festival marketing strategies that suit consumers’ cultural values.
Originality/value
This paper addressed an interesting practical issue related to the effects of online shopping festival atmosphere stimuli and cultural values on consumer online purchase intention.
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Consumer adoption of shared products is a prerequisite for successful commercialization. The purpose of this paper is to explore what innovative characteristics of entity shared…
Abstract
Purpose
Consumer adoption of shared products is a prerequisite for successful commercialization. The purpose of this paper is to explore what innovative characteristics of entity shared products can accommodate consumers' concerns and are likely to motivate adoption of consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper used a conceptual model that combined the innovation diffusion theory and technology acceptance model to explore shared products adoption. It identified the direct and indirect effects of perceived app ease of use/online, perceived convenience of access/offline, perceived utility advantages and personal innovativeness on shared products adoption intention. Structural equation modeling was used for analyzing the questionnaire data from a sample of 479 users who used entity shared products such as shared cars, shared bicycles and shared power banks for mobile phones.
Findings
The empirical tests indicate that perceived utility advantages based on market innovation, perceived accessibility of usage rights based on technology innovation (including perceived app ease of use/online and perceived convenience of access/offline) and consumer personal innovativeness are the key factors affecting consumer adoption.
Originality/value
This paper constructs an innovation-adoption coupling model of entity shared products to understand shared products usage. The findings provide useful practical guidance for the design and development of shared products and “usage rights economy” business applications.
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Xueyan Dong, Yuxin Tian, Mingming He and Tienan Wang
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption on knowledge workers' innovative work behaviors (IWB), as well as the mediating…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption on knowledge workers' innovative work behaviors (IWB), as well as the mediating role of stress appraisal and the moderating role of individual learning abilities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study analyzed the questionnaire results of 313 knowledge workers, and data analysis was conducted by using SPSS 25.0, SPSS 25.0 macro-PROCESS and AMOS 28.0.
Findings
This study found that AI adoption has a double-edged sword effect on knowledge workers' IWB. Specifically, AI adoption can promote IWB by enhancing knowledge workers' challenging stress appraisal, while inhibiting IWB by fostering their hindering stress appraisal. Moreover, individual learning ability significantly moderated the relationship between AI adoption and stress appraisal, which further influenced IWB.
Originality/value
This study integrates the conflicting findings of previous studies and proposes a comprehensive theoretical model based on the theory of cognitive appraisal of stress. This study enriches the research on AI in the field of knowledge management, especially extending the understanding of the relationship between AI adoption and knowledge workers’ IWB by unraveling the psychological mechanisms and behavior outcomes of users' technology usage. Additionally, we provide new insights and suggestions for organizations to seek the cooperation and support of employees in introducing new technologies or driving intelligent transformation.
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Xueyan Zhang, Xiaohu Zhou, Qiao Wang, Zhouyue Wu and Yue Sui
Based on social influence theory, this paper aims to explore the influence of academic entrepreneurs on team innovation activities. The innovation behavior of academic team…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on social influence theory, this paper aims to explore the influence of academic entrepreneurs on team innovation activities. The innovation behavior of academic team members is the key behavior in academic entrepreneurial activities. As a special entrepreneurial group, academic entrepreneurs' political skills play an important role in stimulating team innovative behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts a multi-level study design and takes as samples the paired data of 91 academic entrepreneurial teams (n = 475). Based on team cognition, it constructs a model of the influence mechanism of academic entrepreneurs' political skills on team innovation behavior and explores the mechanism of transactive memory system in this influence effect. The authors use HLM and PROCESS macro to test our multilevel model.
Findings
The results show that academic entrepreneurs' political skills positively impact team innovation behavior, and a transactive memory system plays a mediating role between them. Team psychological safety significantly enhances the positive relationship of both academic entrepreneurs' political skills and a transactive memory system with team innovation behavior. Moreover, with enhanced perceptions of team psychological safety, academic entrepreneurs' political skills are more likely to improve team innovation behavior through the transactive memory system.
Originality/value
The study explores the influence of transactive memory system on the relationship between academic entrepreneurs' political skills and team innovation behavior, with the team cognitive perspective derived from social influence theory. This provides authors with new insights on the complex dynamics at place in the team innovation process and offers implications for how we can fruitfully manage this process.
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Zhenbin Chen, Jiapeng Long, Lei Kang, Xueyan Du, Duolong Di and Jingbo Liu
The purpose of this paper is to prepare a higher chloromethylation degree (CD) modified macroporous adsorption resin (MAR, LX1180-Cl) and further study their adsorption…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to prepare a higher chloromethylation degree (CD) modified macroporous adsorption resin (MAR, LX1180-Cl) and further study their adsorption performance.
Design/methodology/approach
CD and crosslinking degree were evaluated using stationary potential step and rotating-disk method, the adsorption performance of LX1180-Cl and LX1180 for flavonoids were studied using the UV-VIS spectrophotometry.
Findings
This research realized high CD (9.6 mass %) on high crosslinking MAR, LX1180. In tandem, the adsorption performance of them to flavonoids finds that the matching degree of polarity (presented with CD) and size were the critical factor to adsorption. It was also found that the reaction time had reduced to 24 h with the addition of iron particles into the zinc chloride (ZnCl2) catalyst.
Research limitations/implications
The study on reaction mechanism and the function principle of hybrid catalyst were speculated, but not the rigid experimental result.
Practical implications
This contribution can provide a rule for the separation and purification of natural products with the aim to improve food additive removal or isolation and purification of flavonoids used for healthcare applications.
Originality/value
This contribution provided a novel way to obtain high degree of CD with high crosslinking MAR, CD of commercially available MAR was improved by 2.5 times to 9.6 percent under crosslinking degree at 58.2 percent, compared with reported CD value (ca. 4.2 percent under crosslinking degree at 20.0 percent), which will be useful in the following further systematically research about the adsorption and separation selectivity of MAR. Besides, the primitive chosen principle of MAR according to the substrate was also presented. Moreover, the chloromethylation mechanism, although speculative, was briefly presented, which will stimulate the related study.
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Ting Huo, Zhenbin Chen, Jiapeng Long, Lei Kang, Duolong Di and Xueyan Du
This work focused on the sulphonation modification research of highly crosslinking non-polarity macroporous adsorption resin (MAR) LX1180; the adsorption behaviour of LX1180 and…
Abstract
Purpose
This work focused on the sulphonation modification research of highly crosslinking non-polarity macroporous adsorption resin (MAR) LX1180; the adsorption behaviour of LX1180 and its chloromethylation- and sulphonation-modified products (LX1180-Cl and LX1180-SO3−); and the influence of the structure parameters matching degree of MAR and flavonoids on the adsorption feature and adsorption kinetics.
Design/methodology/approach
LX1180-SO3− was obtained by the processes of chloromethylation first and then sulphonation. LX1180-Cl and LX1180-SO3− were prepared through the principle of substitution reaction from LX1180 and LX1180-Cl, respectively. First, Monochloromethyl ether (ME), pre-treated ZnCl2, NaCl and iron powder were added into the swollen LX1180 to obtain the chloromethylated LX1180. Thereafter, NaCl, NaOH and SAA were added into the swollen LX1180-Cl to obtain the sulphonation modification LX1180. The conditions were investigated and optimised; the structures of LX1180-Cl and LX1180-SO3− were characterised by Fourier transform infrared chromatography (FTIR) and a specific surface area instrument. Finally, the adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm were used to evaluate the adsorption capacity of LX1180-Cl and LX1180-SO3− for flavonoids, and the adsorptions and desorptions of LX1180-SO3− with different sulphonation degree on different flavonoids were investigated systemically.
Findings
Results showed that LX1180-Cl and LX1180-SO3− had been prepared successfully, and that after the sulphonation, the adsorption capacity tended to increase with the increase of adsorption time, and the equilibrium adsorption capacity of LX1180-SO3− was also higher than that of LX1180.
Research limitations/implications
The research only investigated the adsorption and desorption properties for only one kind of functional group, and other functional groups should also be studied in future work.
Practical implications
This contribution can provide a further base for the research of separation and purification of natural products with the aim to improve food additive removal or isolation and purification of flavonoids used for healthcare applications.
Originality/value
The adsorptions and desorptions of LX1180-SO3− with different sulphonation degree on different flavonoids were investigated. The relationship between sulphonation degree and the adsorption and desorption capacities of flavonoids were also explored, and the results showed that with the increase of sulphonation degree, the adsorption of LX1180-SO3− to rutin and cyanidin was maximum, while the desorption ratio was minimum at the same sulphonation degree; this phenomenon could be ascribed to the variation in the polarity matching degree.