Ci-Rong Li, Yanyu Yang, Chen-Ju Lin and Ying Xu
This research adopts a dynamic self-regulation framework to test whether there is a curvilinear relationship between creative self-efficacy and individual creative performance at…
Abstract
Purpose
This research adopts a dynamic self-regulation framework to test whether there is a curvilinear relationship between creative self-efficacy and individual creative performance at the within-person level. Furthermore, to establish a boundary condition of the predicted relationship, the authors build a cross-level model and examine how approach motivation and avoidance motivation moderate the complex relationship between creative self-efficacy and individual creative performance.
Design/methodology/approach
To obtain results from a within-person analysis, the authors collect multi-source data from 125 technicians who provided monthly reports over an 8-month period.
Findings
The authors find evidence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between creative self-efficacy and individual creative performance at the within-person level and differential moderating effects of approach/avoidance motivations.
Originality/value
This study is one of the first to challenge the assumption that creative self-efficacy always has a positive linear relationship with creativity. It provides a more complete view of the complex pattern between creative self-efficacy and creativity at the within-person level.
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Guangkuan Deng, Jianyu Zhang, Ying Xu and Lijuan He
The integration of e-commerce platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) into the marketing channel ecosystem is challenging the explanatory capacity of traditional channel power…
Abstract
Purpose
The integration of e-commerce platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) into the marketing channel ecosystem is challenging the explanatory capacity of traditional channel power theories, indicating a significant yet unaddressed research gap concerning the impact of these digital entities and AI on channel power exercise dynamics. This study adopts a contingency perspective to critically revisit how e-commerce platforms exercise channel power and the ensuing effects on channel conflicts. The purpose of this study is to extend the boundaries of traditional channel power theories, enhancing their relevance in today’s digital marketplace.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on channel power theories, the authors developed a framework tested with survey data collected from 262 sellers. This framework incorporates three key contingent variables: inter-platform competition, AI capabilities and platform value co-creation. Regression analysis was used to perform the analyses.
Findings
This study finds that intense inter-platform competition mitigates the (positive) negative relationship between platform channel power and the exercise of (non-) coercive power. Moreover, a platform’s AI capabilities and value co-creation activities diminish the potential for channel conflicts induced by the exercise of coercive power. AI capabilities can also strengthen the negative relationship between the exercise of non-coercive power and channel conflicts.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the advancement of traditional channel power theories by integrating contemporary digital elements like AI and platform dynamics. This study provides theoretical and practical insights on navigating channel power in modern marketing environments, offering strategic guidelines for optimizing channel relationships.
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Richard Canevez, Carleen Maitland, Ying Xu, Sydney Andrea Hannah and Raphael Rodriguez
Helping others use information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as mobile phones, can be beneficial for individuals and communities. In urban refugee communities…
Abstract
Purpose
Helping others use information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as mobile phones, can be beneficial for individuals and communities. In urban refugee communities, displaced and living far from home, collective behaviors with mobile phones can generate a sense of belonging. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential for these offline behaviors to generate a sense of community among urban refugees.
Design/methodology/approach
Using quantitative evidence, the authors examined the relationship between collective behaviors, such as sharing or helping with a mobile phone, and sense of community. The authors analyzed survey data collected from urban refugees in Rwanda via multiple regression to test hypotheses related to the impact of collective behaviors on sense of community, as well as the mediating role of ICT self-efficacy and gender.
Findings
The findings suggest that collective behaviors with mobile phones have a positive relationship with sense of community, driven primarily by providing assistance as compared to sharing. ICT self-efficacy was positively related to sense of community. However, collective behaviors' impacts differed by gender, suggesting that social dynamics influence this relationship.
Originality/value
While the extant literature highlights the various roles of mobile phones in refugees' lives, less is known about the social aspects of use and its potential to help overcome isolation by fostering a sense of community. The authors extend this literature to a novel context (urban refugees in the Global South), testing a model that incorporates other factors that may play a role (e.g. self-efficacy and gender). These findings are valuable to urban refugees, due to difficulties in re-building a sense of community and increased ICT access.
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This study aims to explore the impact of athlete brand image on fans’ social media engagement, purchase intentions, and also examines the mediating role of emotional attachment on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the impact of athlete brand image on fans’ social media engagement, purchase intentions, and also examines the mediating role of emotional attachment on these relationships, as well as the moderating role of perceived price value between emotional attachment and purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
The data are based on an online survey conducted in China (N = 572). The PLS-SEM (partial least squares structural equation model) and regression-based estimation method (PROCESS) are employed to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicate a positive relationship between athletes’ athletic performance and fans’ social media engagement as well as purchase intentions. The impact of athletes’ attractive appearance and marketable lifestyle on fans’ purchase intentions is sequentially mediated by emotional attachment and social media engagement. Moreover, the mediation effect of athletes’ off-field image and purchase intentions is contingent upon fans’ perceived price value.
Research limitations/implications
Athletes and marketers could integrate and leverage both the on-field and off-field attributes to cultivate emotional connections with fans. Sports organizations and managers need to pay attention to fans’ social media engagement and provide content that increases engagement and converts into transactional behavioural intentions.
Originality/value
The study provides empirical evidence of the mediating role of emotional attachment between athlete brand image and fans’ purchase intentions. The explanatory mechanisms involving emotional attachment and social media engagement (non-transactional behavioural intentions) are anticipated to be a noteworthy addition to the traditional fan transactional behavioural intentions framework. Moreover, the research introduces and confirms perceived price value as a crucial moderating factor influencing the relationship between emotional attachment and purchase intentions.
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Ying Xu, Fu Jia, Lujie Chen and Yonggui Wang
Scholars and practitioners have long debated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction via setting double-carbon goals of peak emissions and carbon neutrality in China. Our study…
Abstract
Purpose
Scholars and practitioners have long debated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction via setting double-carbon goals of peak emissions and carbon neutrality in China. Our study, based on dynamic capability and resource dependence theory (RDT), explores whether digital transformation (DT) affects carbon emissions reduction (CER), and the role of operations and supply chain management (OSCM) factors in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The samples are constructed with 454 A-shared listed manufacturing firms with complete financial data from 2010–2021. Regression models with fixed effects are applied to estimate the potential parameters.
Findings
We find that DT promotes CER. The performance output of CER is strengthened when supplier concentration and customer concentration are high. In contrast, the performance output of CER is weaker when environmental uncertainty is high.
Originality/value
The findings of our study enrich the literature on CER in Chinese manufacturing firms and highlight DT and OSCM factors as important drivers influencing CER practices.
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Wei Jiang, Ray C. Chang, Ning Yang and Ying Xu
The purpose of this paper is to present a comparative study of flight circumstances, dynamic stability characteristics and controllability for two transport aircraft in severe…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a comparative study of flight circumstances, dynamic stability characteristics and controllability for two transport aircraft in severe atmospheric turbulence at transonic cruise flight for the purpose to obtain the prevention concepts of injuries to passengers and crew members for pilot training in International Air Transport Association (IATA) – Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I) program.
Design/methodology/approach
A twin-jet and a four-jet transport aircraft encountering severe atmospheric turbulence are the study cases for this paper. The nonlinear unsteady aerodynamic models are established through flight data mining and the fuzzy-logic modeling technique based on the flight data of flight data recorder. This method can be adopted to examine the influence of horizontal wind shear and crosswind on loss of control, dynamic stability characteristics and controllability for transport aircraft in different weights and different sizes in tracking aviation safety of existing different types of aircraft.
Findings
The horizontal wind shear or crosswind before the turbulence encounter will easily induce rolling motion and then initiate the sudden plunging motion during the turbulence encounter. The roll rate will increase the oscillatory rolling motion during plunging motion, if the rolling damping is insufficient. The drop-off altitude will be enlarged by the oscillatory rolling motion during the sudden plunging motion.
Research limitations/implications
A lack of the measurement data of vertical wind speed sensor on board to verify the estimated values of damping term is one of the research limitations for this study. The fact or condition of being severe in sudden plunging motion can be judged through the analysis of oscillatory derivatives with both dynamic stability and damping terms.
Practical implications
The roll rate will increase the oscillatory rolling motion during plunging motion, if the rolling damping is insufficient. The drop-off altitude will be enlarged by the oscillatory rolling motion during the sudden plunging motion. The horizontal wind shear or crosswind before the turbulence encounter will easily induce rolling motion and then initiated the sudden plunging motion during the turbulence encounter. If the drift angle is large, to turn off the autopilot of yaw control first and stabilize the rudder by the pedal. When passing through the atmosphere turbulence area, the pilots do not need to amend the heading angle urgently.
Social implications
The flight safety prevention in avoidance of injuries for passengers and cabin crews is essential for the airlines. The horizontal wind shear or crosswind before the turbulence encounter will easily induce rolling motion and then initiated the sudden plunging motion during the turbulence encounter.
Originality/value
The flight safety prevention in avoidance of injuries for passengers and cabin crews is essential. The present assessment method is an innovation to examine the loss of control problems of aviation safety and promote the understanding of aerodynamic responses of the jet transport aircraft. It is expected to provide a valuable lecture for the international training courses for IATA – LOC-I program after this paper is being published.
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Guangkuan Deng, Jianyu Zhang and Ying Xu
Considering the emergence of e-commerce platforms and their integration into marketing channels, this paper aims to investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) resources – both…
Abstract
Purpose
Considering the emergence of e-commerce platforms and their integration into marketing channels, this paper aims to investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) resources – both technological and human – possessed by e-commerce platforms can enhance their channel power by acquiring market-based assets (relational and intellectual).
Design/methodology/approach
Based on resource-based theory and resource orchestration theory, the authors developed a framework tested using survey data gathered from the sellers, which incorporated six key variables: the e-commerce platform’s AI technology resources and human resources, rational and intellectual market-based assets, intraplatform competition and channel power. The analyses are performed using the regression analysis technique.
Findings
The empirical findings indicate that both technological and human AI resources are crucial in building channel power. In addition, market-based assets serve as a mediator in this relationship, while intraplatform competition moderates the effect of intellectual market-based assets on channel power negatively.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the existing literature by exploring how e-commerce platforms’ AI resources affect their channel power. The results offer valuable guidance to managers and researchers on optimizing AI resources to improve channel power.
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Fu Jia, Ying Xu, Lujie Chen and Kiran Fernandes
Despite the increasing interest in the role of supply chain concentration (SCC) in improving performance, its influence on firms' sustainability performance remains unexplored, as…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the increasing interest in the role of supply chain concentration (SCC) in improving performance, its influence on firms' sustainability performance remains unexplored, as do the underlying mechanisms of this relationship. Drawing on resource dependence theory, the authors investigate the relationship between SCC and manufacturing firms' sustainability performance and the moderating roles of operational slack and information transparency.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use secondary data from 3,581 manufacturing firms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share stock markets from 2006 to 2020 to conduct an empirical analysis using panel data regression models.
Findings
Manufacturing firms' SCC is negatively related to sustainability performance until it reaches a certain point, where SCC positively affects sustainability performance, presenting a U-shaped relationship. In addition, operational slack represented by a quick ratio moderates the relationship between SCC and sustainability performance by flattening the curve. Operational slack represented by receivable turnover ratio moderates the relationship between SCC and sustainability performance by steepening the curve and shifting the turning point left. Information transparency strengthens the effect of SCC on the sustainability performance by steepening the curve.
Originality/value
This investigation provides a comprehensive view of the SCC– sustainability performance relationship.
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Guangkuan Deng, Jianyu Zhang, Lijuan He and Ying Xu
Drawing on the wisdom of ancient Chinese philosopher Xunzi, this paper aims to present a novel mechanism for governing opportunism, referred to as “cultivational governance.” By…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the wisdom of ancient Chinese philosopher Xunzi, this paper aims to present a novel mechanism for governing opportunism, referred to as “cultivational governance.” By examining the role of artificial intelligence (AI) resources possessed by e-commerce platforms, the authors explore how these resources contribute to mitigating seller opportunism. The central hypothesis of this study posits that two distinct types of AI resources, namely, AI technology resources and AI human resources, serve as crucial factors in curbing seller opportunism. Furthermore, the authors propose that platform digital empowerment and value cocreation act as mediating variables linking AI resources to opportunism.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the resource-based view and resource orchestration theory, the authors developed a framework and tested it using survey data from sellers. This framework encompasses five key variables: e-commerce platform’s AI technology resources, AI human resources, platform digital empowerment, value cocreation and seller opportunism. Regression analysis was used for data analysis.
Findings
The empirical results validate the effectiveness of cultivational governance mechanisms, as both AI resources effectively suppress seller opportunism through digital empowerment and value cocreation. Specifically, e-commerce platforms’ AI technology resources significantly promote value cocreation and platform digital empowerment, while AI human resources primarily contribute to platform digital empowerment. Although platform digital empowerment encourages value cocreation, its direct impact on reducing seller opportunism was not supported. Notably, value cocreation negatively affects seller opportunism.
Originality/value
The present research mainly contributes to the marketing channel governance literature by introducing a new approach to inhibit opportunism, namely, the cultivational governance mechanism.
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Ying Xu, Jianyu Zhang, Rui Chi and Guangkuan Deng
Chatbots are increasingly used in online retail settings and are becoming a powerful tool for brands to engage customers. However, consumers’ satisfaction with these chatbots is…
Abstract
Purpose
Chatbots are increasingly used in online retail settings and are becoming a powerful tool for brands to engage customers. However, consumers’ satisfaction with these chatbots is mixed. Thus, this paper aims to investigate how using a social- versus task-oriented anthropomorphic communication style can improve customer satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors explore the link between the anthropomorphic communication style use and customer perceptions/customer satisfaction in online customer service interactions. Two experiment scenarios were developed to test these links.
Findings
Overall, using a social-oriented communication style boosts customer satisfaction. Warmth perception of the chatbot mediates this effect, while chatbot’s anthropomorphised role (servant versus partner) moderates this effect.
Originality/value
This paper enriches the bilateral communication literature by extending the investigation on communication style effects to chatbot service interactions and revealing the psychological process driving the impacts. It also adds to the existing literature on chatbots as a customer service and contributes to the prominent topic examining how consumers react to artificial intelligence that is used to establish and maintain a relationship with them. Additionally, the authors also make contribution to the warmth and competence literature by demonstrating that customers can interpret social cues in chatbot service interactions mainly based on the warmth dimension. Thus, the authors further add to the growing chatbot humanness perception literature and respond to the calls for investigating more anthropomorphic design cues to enhance chatbot humanness. Finally, the authors also provide a way to help reconcile seemingly conflicting prior findings.