Conceptual Research Model Research Articles

Empirical evidence of tourist satisfaction and loyalty in the case of Bucharest—A partial least squares structural equation modelling approach

AbstractTourist satisfaction (TS), tourist loyalty (TL), the decision to revisit a destination and the choice to recommend it to acquaintances can have a decisive influence on inbound tourist flows. These influencing factors are closely related to tourist behaviour. The main objective of this study was to investigate TS and loyalty of both foreign and Romanian tourists in Bucharest, by testing under‐examined and new variables. The hypotheses and conceptual research model were based on the following antecedents and consequences of TS: tourists' expectations and travel motivations (TEM), destination authenticity and infrastructure quality, destination safety (DS), tourists' emotions (TE) and TL. The analysis was unique in testing the effect of novelty‐seeking tourists' desire to extend their stay on their expectations and motivations. The mediating effect of TE on the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty was also tested for the first time. Data were collected using a 24‐item online questionnaire. The data were modelled with partial least squares structural equation modelling. Based on 122 valid responses processed with SmartPLS software, the results confirm most of the research hypotheses. The findings reveal that tourists' desire to extend the length of stay on their expectations and motivations has the highest statistical contribution to TEM. Furthermore, a statistically insignificant relationship between DS and TS was identified. The findings are useful for all stakeholders of tourism development in Bucharest.

Exploring the Causal Effects of Outdoor Play on School Readiness of Preschoolers in the Klang Valley, Malaysia

According to research, preschool physical environments (PPE) that promote outdoor play have a positive impact on children’s overall wellbeing, as well as their total developmental competence and academic learning, which then directly affects their school readiness prior to entering primary school. This study analyses the causative impacts of outdoor play on preschoolers’ school readiness for primary school in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Additionally, we attempted to extend a prior research conceptual model on outdoor play in studying the link between PPE and preschoolers’ school readiness. From June to August 2022, 84 private preschool operators from the Klang Valley took part in the survey to offer their viewpoints; however, only 72 completed questionnaires could be used for PLS-SEM analysis using SmartPLS 4. It has been discovered that outdoor play does, in fact, have a favorable, considerable impact on academic learning and school readiness. Other findings offer more proof of the causal links between outdoor play and children’s development. Important stakeholders, such as preschool providers, preschool designers, preschool educators, as well as parents, should make sure that appropriate outdoor play yards are provided in preschools for children’s full development and academic learning, as well as for preschoolers’ readiness for school.

Evaluation methodology in HR-management

The article provides a theoretical understanding of the methodological approach to evaluating the work of HR-services, on the basis of which a conceptual model of research in HR-management was built. According to the defined model, the evaluation methodology in HR-management consists of a set of elements: the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of human resources management; evaluation principles, methods and tools, as well as the evaluation procedure itself, which are described in the article. Attention is focused on the primary goals of HR-management and the criteria for their determination and achievement. Among the main principles of evaluation of human resources management the principles of optimality, reachability, transparency, periodicity, comprehensiveness and systematicity were singled out. It is noted that standard scientific methods are used in the assessment of HR-management, such as the systematic approach, logical, factor analysis, statistical, graphic, interview, questionnaires, testing, point method, and a number of the latest methods implemented in Ukrainian practice were also highlighted: management by objectives, circular assessment, assessment by competences or skills, knowledge, skills, experience and suitability for the position, assessment center, independent judges, KPI, integral indicator, etc. When describing the evaluation tools, metrics were selected in the direction of evaluating the effectiveness of HR-services and evaluating the enterprise’s personnel. In addition to directions, all metrics were grouped by business processes in HR-management to ensure the possibility of evaluating a specific process of recruiting, training, involvement, motivation, etc. A number of comparative characteristics of metrics and KPI are presented. By describing the evaluation procedure, possible evaluation objects and evaluation subjects, the order and place of the evaluation are determined. Possible digital tools for ensuring effective communications in HR management are outlined. The proposed methodological approach contributes to highlighting the general conceptual model of evaluation in HR-management and avoiding problems related to setting key goals, choosing methods and objects of research, and organizing the HR process evaluation procedure itself.

Investigating the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Improving Organizational Productivity

The development of artificial intelligence has gained momentum in recent years in many fields, most of which have been trying to improve organizational functions. However, there are gaps in how organizations should use artificial intelligence to improve organizational productivity. Regarding the application of artificial intelligence and the conditions of internal organizations, this research is a conceptual research model that identifies the effects that artificial intelligence (AI) can have in improving organizational productivity. This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the impact of artificial intelligence in improving organizational productivity in 1402. The statistical population of the research included all the selected employees of the affiliated companies of the Ministry of Energy in Tehran, whose total number was 330, out of which 175 people were considered as the sample size using the Morgan table and simple random sampling method. The method of data collection was based on the standard questionnaires of artificial intelligence of Micallef et al. (2023) and the productivity of Achio (1994). After the distribution and collection of questionnaires, information review and hypothesis testing was done using the structural equation modeling method and with the help of Smart PLS 2 software in two parts of the measurement model and the structural part. In the first part, the technical characteristics of the questionnaire including reliability, convergent validity and divergent validity specific to PLS were investigated. In the second part, the significant coefficients of the software were used to check the research hypotheses. Finally, the findings of the research confirmed the impact of artificial intelligence and its functions, including infrastructure, the ability to expand work and preventive positions in the studied society.

The Effect of Social Capital on Outcomes of Global Citizenship among Taiwanese Young Adults: The Mediating Role of Political Self-efficacy

The purpose of this article is to examine the level of social capital and global citizenship in Taiwan. In this study, we argue that high social capital and political self-efficacy promote the outcomes of global citizenship. We review the development of global citizenship education policy and its association with social capital and political self-efficacy. Based on the nationwide survey dataset collected from Taiwanese universitiy students, we carefully examine the relations between social capital, political self-efficacy, and global citizenship. We adopt a multiple mediation analysis with a bootstrapped method to validate our conceptual research model. The results show that there are significant positive relationships between the nine observed variables (i.e., social trust, social proactivity, political self-efficacy and six global citizenship outcomes). In addition, our findings of mediation analysis reveal that social capital, indicated by social trust and social proactivity, indirectly affects the five outcomes of global citizenship through political self-efficacy, except for the outcome of global environmental sustainability. In light of the empirical results, this article also discusses the implications of global citizenship education policy and the formation of sustainable global citizenship.

МОДЕЛИ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ И ВОСПРОИЗВОДСТВА ИНТЕЛЛЕКТУАЛЬНОГО КАПИТАЛА

The article considers the key theoretical and methodological concepts and applied approaches to the conceptual essence of intellectual capital, the conditions of its formation and reproduction. It is noted that at present the concepts of formation and reproduction of intellectual capital are actively being formed, which is due to the trends of innovative development and the factors of the knowledge economy formation. In scientific practice, a single universal approach to the nature of such a phenomenon, its structure and forms of its functioning has not yet been developed. The author highlights that despite the variety of structural designs and approaches to the definition of the concept of “intellectual capital” and the variability of models of its formation and reproduction, there are common trends, factors and processes in forming and using the intellectual capital. It allowed to detail and clarify the features and content of those processes, to reveal their algorithms and essential characteristics. The main models of intellectual capital are considered, as well as the conceptual model of intellectual capital research, which includes goal-oriented and market approaches, is substantiated.

Environmental social science and urban environment management: A review of pathways link- ing policies and planning to citizens living by the river

Urban environment management (UEM) and environmental social science (ESS) are two interconnected approaches that show significant potential for creating more sustainable and liveable cities. Their research has, however, been mainly disjointed, which may be because planning and policy have placed more emphasis on UEM than ESS at the same time. This research examined ESS in terms of the quality of life (QOL) criteria and sense of place (SOP) of citizens living by the river with the UEM intervention in the form of policies and programmes. The effects of fieldwork in the form of specialised and spatial interviews are presented in this research, which is usually ignored in the literature review of this type of analysis. The study aims to fill the current gap in this field in three European capitals by providing a reflective methodological account of fieldwork and the ‘elite interviewing’ approach. This paper produces a distinct form of the localisation of the research and sampling techniques and is as new, interactive and developing as possible. The results of the present study are underpinned by the conceptual model of research, which supports the main aim of this analysis and tries to examine the components of research in a new perspective. The findings high- lighted that maintaining and strengthening ESS for citizens living next to rivers require innovative UEM, which uses urban creativity in the field of goals, urban settlements, strategies and management solutions to provide the base for increasing the liveability of the city and improving the quality of urban life.

Students' Acceptance of Online Learning during Covid-19

Objective - Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) has implemented online learning methods during Covid-19. Students from the Faculty of Science, UTAR, face enormous challenges during this period as they need to attend all classes through a synchronous or asynchronous environment which is significantly different from their experiences within-person classes. Therefore, this aims to explore the level of acceptance of online learning among students from the Faculty of Science during the period that the movement control order was in place. Secondly, the study aims to determine the influence of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude toward online learning the students during the pandemic. Methodology/Technique - A quantitative study approach is employed in this paper. Hence, the targeted population comprises final-year to-year students from the Faculty of Science, UTAR, with data collected through a convenient sampling approach with a minimum size of 150. The survey was distributed through MS Teams. The conceptual research model is developed based on a technology acceptance model (TAM). The model is analysed by Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. Finding - The findings of this study have a significant impact on the level of acceptance of online learning among the Faculty of Science students. The study concludes that online learning systems and platforms are easy to use and indirectly benefit students' learning performance. In conclusion, learning attitude towards online learning, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness have a positive influence on the level of acceptance of online learning practices. Novelty - This study addresses the concern of stakeholders for how online learning affects student satisfaction during the period that the movement control order was in place, with a particular focus on science-based subjects that required in-person practical tutorials in the lab. Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Online Learning; Covid-19 Pandemic; Level of Student Acceptance; Partial Least Squares; Technology Acceptance Model JEL Classification: I21, I23 Reference to this paper should be referred to as follows: Lin, B.W; Hoe, K.Y. (2022). Students' Acceptance of Online Learning during Covid-19, GATR-Global J. Bus. Soc. Sci. Review, 10(4), 229–236. https://doi.org/10.35609/gjbssr.2022.10.4(2)

The impact of organizational culture and total quality management on the relationship between green practices and sustainability performance

PurposeThis study aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of organizational culture (OC) and total quality management practices (TQMPs) on the relationship between green practices (GPs) and sustainability performance (SP) by using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposed a conceptual research model of the relationships and formulated six hypotheses. This study used a structured questionnaire based on previous studies to collect relationship data to test these hypotheses, and 441 full-time managers from various US businesses responded. The complete and valid survey responses were then tested against the hypotheses using IBM SPSS Statistics and SEM-AMOS.FindingsResults supported the relationships proposed in the research model. They indicated that a strong supporting OC and TQMPs might improve positive SP and GPs. Additionally, the more managers are aware of their companies' GPs, the more likely they will feel positive about the organization's SP.Research limitations/implicationsA larger sample size to ensure statistically minimum representation in several major industries would better validate the findings and help identify significant differences in industry-specific OCs, TQMPs, GPs and SPs. Similarly, ensuring a varied geographical representation (both within the USA and internationally) would help determine if the findings vary according to the respondent's location. Furthermore, collecting the data during Year 1 of the COVID-19 pandemic may have skewed the results. Thus, once the working environment has been normalized, the survey should be repeated to determine if the findings are valid post-pandemic.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide important strategic guidance for managers who work to balance the implementation of corporate GPs and the triple bottom line dimensions of SP. For practitioners, the results showed that companies could accomplish both profitability and sustainability if they are willing to continuously pay attention to environmental issues and strategically invest in cost-efficient and eco-friendly initiatives.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is one of the first to explore how OC and TQMPs, directly and indirectly, affect the relationship between GPs and the triple bottom line dimensions of SP. These results imply that OC and TQMPs have a significant indirect impact on the relationship between GPs and the SP dimensions.

Digital Transformation Characteristics of the Semiconductor Industry Ecosystem

This study investigates the characteristics of competitive strategies, digital competencies, and management performance as digital drivers in the semiconductor industry. We constructed a conceptual research model and proposed five research hypotheses based on previous studies and analyzed the fit of the research model using IBM SPSS AMOS software. In total, 131 companies specializing in semiconductor materials, components, equipment, and fabless design comprised the sample for analysis. To improve the fit of the research model, several unnecessary paths and measurement items were removed, the final research model was selected, and the five hypotheses were tested. The results indicate that digital drivers positively affect digital competencies, which, in turn, positively affect efficiency-centered and novelty-centered business models. Regarding the relationship between these business models and management performance, only the novelty-centered business model positively affects non-financial performance. These findings could help formulate digital transformation strategies related to products/services, processes, and business models at the firm level, as well as establish policies such as regulation and support programs at the government level.

THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS OF AN INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNITY RESEARCH PROJECT: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract Food for a Long Life (FFLL) was a five-year USDA Children, Youth and Families at Risk intergenerational community research project that sought to increase healthy food consumption, knowledge, and access among preschoolers and older adults living in food insecure communities of Ohio and Virginia. Using the community-based participatory action research approach, community stakeholders jointly participated in all stages of the project to co-create context-specific programming to address needs within their communities with the goal of promoting program sustainability beyond the grant funding period. This presentation will provide a narrative review to explore the implementation process of FFLL by comparing initial project expectations to reality using the community-based participatory research conceptual model (Wallerstein et al., 2008; Wallerstein et al., 2018). By exploring project barriers such as COVID-19, facilitators such as flexible partner relationships, and strategies including promoting early buy-in, we provide an in-depth discussion of project successes and lessons learned.

Scaling Agile Company-Wide: The Organizational Challenge of Combining Agile-Scaling Frameworks and Enterprise Architecture in Service Companies

Many organizations have embraced agile methods. Studies show a trend of large-scale application of agile frameworks company-wide. Emergent architecture design as part of an agile approach is effective at the project level but causes issues when services need to interact seamlessly at the enterprise level. Enterprise architecture (EA) can provide such coherence. Combining the scaling agile methods with EA is challenging. However, such a combination could benefit from the flexibility that agile approaches offer and provide the consistency and long-term focus that EA pursues. This article uses the longitudinal case study research to explore how organizations can effectively govern Agile and EA in large-scale agile transformations. Our case analysis shows that methods for scaling Agile do not provide sufficient guidance to properly handle the transformation from existing EA practices to an Agile EA combination company-wide. We propose how EA can be applied effectively in large-scale agile transformations despite the two seemingly conflicting approaches of Agile and EA. Based on our findings, we propose a conceptual model for future research that incorporates factors that take EA into account in the governance of agile-scaling frameworks. Our findings extend current literature on coordination mechanisms between architects and agile teams in large-scale agile transformations, thereby balancing emergent and intentional architectures.

Empirical Research on Realizing, Evaluating, and Validating a Conceptual Breast Cancer e-portal Model with Arabic Content

This paper presents an empirical research that realizes a previous research of a conceptual breast-cancer e-portal model with Arabic content. The paper starts with briefing the previous research, after that, it highlights the gaps need to be bridged and the problems need to be solved. A real development of an e-portal prototype is done for achieving the research goal. This e-portal prototype has applied the conceptual model of the previous research.

A bibliometric examination of the literature on emerging market MNEs as the basis for future research

A bibliometric examination of the literature on emerging market MNEs as the basis for future research

Social Media Use and Business Performance in SMEs: The Mediating Roles of Relational Social Commerce Capability and Competitive Advantage

Social media (SM) enables micro, small, and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve brand awareness and to engage their audience, which can lead to referrals, repeat business, and increased sales. However, the existing literature offers limited insights into how the ability to leverage SM for commercial activities that are beyond transactions (relational social commerce capability) can affect performance outcomes for SMEs. Drawing on the existing literature and insights from in-depth interviews with six SME managers/owners, we developed a conceptual research model and examined it empirically by using a dataset collected from Slovenian SMEs. This study identifies relational social commerce capability and competitive advantage as important mediators when exploring the impact of SM use on business performance. More specifically, the findings reveal the mediating role of relational social commerce capability between SM use and competitive advantage, while SM use was not found to have a direct impact on competitive advantage. Furthermore, the findings illustrate business performance as a result of the competitive advantage derived from relational s-commerce capability.

IMPACT OF THE EURO CRISIS ON EUROPEAN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of the euro crisis on European economic integration processes and to review the measures that are being taken in order for the single currency area to come out of the crisis, to remove its causes and to establish deeper economic integration between member states EU. In addition, the paper presents an overview of theoretical positions on the euro crisis, as well as the problem of crisis interpretation. On the basis of theoretical scientific findings, a conceptual research model was identified in the paper, which determined the connection between the euro crisis and the dimensions of European economic integration. European economic integration are observed through four dimensions: Single market, 2) Level of economic homogeneity between EU member states, 3) Symmetry of policies of EU member states and the degree of correlated business cycles within the EU and 4) Compliance of member states with common institutional achievements and EU legal acquis. The euro crisis is observed through three dimensions: 1) banking crisis, 2) debt crisis and 3) growth and competitiveness crisis.

Assessment of the Factors Affecting the Intention to Invest in a P2P Lending Platform

The digitalisation of the financial system and the rapid growth of new financial technologies arecontributing not only to the change of the financial system, but also to the change of the way people makefinancial decisions. The development of financial technologies has led to the emergence of new financialservices and products, such as P2P lending. With the growth P2P lending market, the scientific literaturepays more and more attention to the analysis of investment intentions through P2P lending platforms and theassessment of the factors affecting the intention to invest (Dja’akum, 2019; Fiorentino et al., 2020; Khan etal., 2021Yang ir Lee, 2016; Poeteri, et al., 2021). It should be noted that, although the interest of researchersin this field is growing, the research in the European context is not sufficient, which reveals the relevance ofthis study. Thus, the aim of the present study is to assess the factors that affect the intention to invest throughP2P lending platforms in Lithuania.A theoretical review of the scientific literature revealed that previous empirical studies have categorised thefactors of the intention to invest through peer-to-peer lending platforms into individual and platform factors.Individual factors are understood as risk appetite, perceived risk, financial literacy, while platform factors areunderstood as perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, trust. Attitude toward behaviour can be seen asboth an individual and a platform factor. Other factors, such as relative advantage, compatibility, complexity,perceived behaviour control are also distinguished in the scientific literature, but are not considered in theanalysis of the intention to invest through peer-to-peer lending platforms.Research data was collected through an online survey. The survey questionnaire was distributed onlinebetween February and April 2022. The survey sample consisted of 211 respondents. The conceptual researchmodel was developed using a Modified Technological Acceptance (TAM) model, which was performed usingthe Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) method.The SEM analysis revealed that the intention to invest through P2P lending platforms was indirectly influenced by the trust of the P2P lending platform, perceived risk and risk appetite factors. The indirect impactwas through attitude toward P2P lending platforms factor, which had a strong and significant positive impacton the intention to invest through P2P lending platforms. The effect of perceived usefulness and perceivedease of use on Lithuanian investors‘ attitudes towards P2P lending platforms was not statistically significant,and therefore no statistically significant effect of these factors on the intention to invest through P2P lendingplatforms was found.

Evaluation of the impact of occupational anchoring and organizational commitment to improving efficiency

"Background and Aim: One of the most effective ways to improve efficiency in organizations is human resources management. Job Anchors and Organizational Commitment are constructs having important implications for human resources management practices, especially in efficiency. The purpose of this perusal was to study a structural equation model (SEM) of the impact of job anchors and organizational commitment on efficiency in a military hospital. Methods: The statistical population of this study was the personnel of a military hospital, which gathered accomplishing simple random sampling method. As a result, the research used two hundred and thirty questionnaires so to analyse, accomplishing as survey was developmental-applied, that was, requirement data with questionnaires. To measure efficiency, organizational commitment and job anchors variables respectively the Persian version of Hersey & Goldsmith, Meyer & Allen, and Schein questionnaires standard were used. In order to test the research conceptual model, structural equations modelling based on partial least squares method was used, and the model was analysed using AMOS statistical software. Results: The results of data analysis demonstrated that hidden variables such as organizational commitment, job anchors, and efficiency had acceptable convergent validity, and the fitness of the conceptual model was confirmed. Based on the research model analysis, organizational commitment did not have impact on efficiency, and job anchors had a positive and significant impact on efficiency. Eventually, the modified model showed that organizational commitment variable moderates the connection between job anchors and efficiency. Conclusion: In light of the findings of this research, managers of military organizations should develop programs to create and improve organizational commitment in personnel. Furthermore, they should pay attention to employees' characteristics and the proportion of their occupation with job anchors in cases of changing and promoting employees. Implementing aforementioned items will have a positive impact on improving the efficiency of military organizations. "

The Effect of Trust and Relationship Commitment on Supply Chain Performance through Integration and Collaboration

Purpose: This study analyzed the effects of supply chain management trust and relationship commitment on financial and non-financial performance, focusing on the mediating effect of supply chain management integration and collaboration.
 Design/methodology/approach: This study was designed as a conceptual research model to verify the mediating effect of integration and collaboration in the relationship trust and relationship commitment and supply chain performance. In order to design a conceptual research model, a total 30 items were investigated and the SEM method was verified using six observations variables.
 Findings: According to this study, it was found that financial and non-financial performance of companies adopting Korea's supply chain management increased when trust and relationship commitment were strengthened with partner companies. In particular, in the relationship between trust of supply chain management and supply chain management performance, integration with partner companies contributed to increase financial performance, but did not make a positive contribution to non-financial performance. On the other hand, in the relationship between supply chain management's relationship commitment and supply chain management, collaboration made a positive contribution to increasing financial and non-financial performance. What this study means is that higher trust and relationship commitment with partner companies in supply chain management contributed to a direct influence on financial and non-financial performance.
 Research limitations/implications: This study used the citation count to measure the effect of trust and relationship on supply chain performance. While this serves the purpose of this study, citation counts may not perfectly represent the value and impact of a study. The findings of this study provide a guide post for future studies.
 Originality/value: This study provides an updated, comprehensive literature review of the overall development, contributions and limitations of forecasting studies in the supply chain management fields. The researchers can see the subjects and types of research that already conducted and which topics remain unexamined.

Destination Social Responsibility and Residents’ Environmentally Responsible Behavior: Assessing the Mediating Role of Community Attachment and Involvement

This study revisited the relationship between destination social responsibility (DSR) and residents’ environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) in conjunction with the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) framework to assess the mediating effect of community attachment and involvement. The proposed conceptual research model was empirically examined with 375 residents from the largest tourist destinations in Ghana. A cross-sectional research design was used, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to test the mediating role of community attachment and involvement. The findings of this study confirmed that DSR has a significant and positive relationship with residents’ community attachment, involvement, and ERB. In addition, the findings of this study revealed a positive relationship between community attachment and residents’ ERB. The findings of this study also confirmed the indirect effect of DSR on residents’ ERB through community attachment. Contrary to expectations, the results of this study did not support the direct and indirect effects of community involvement on residents’ ERB. This study responded to the call from previous research to investigate the relationship between residents’ DSR and socio-psychological constructs, such as community attachment and involvement, which in turn enhance and improve their ERB in different cultures and tourism destinations.