Multi-group Analysis Method Research Articles

Effects of Social Media Marketing Activities on Perceived Values, Online Brand Engagement, and Brand Loyalty

This study aims to validate the model on the effects of social media marketing activities on the perceived values of social media marketing activities and the effects of these perceived values on online brand engagement and, consequently, on brand loyalty. The data used in this study were collected through an online self-administered survey of 501 young social media users in Vietnam. Partial Least Squares Algorithm, Bootstrapping, PLSpredict/CVPAT, and Multi-Group Analysis methods embedded in Smart-PLS software were used to validate the measurement model and test the research hypotheses. The findings confirm that the positive effects of social media marketing activities on brand loyalty are transmitted through the perceived values of these activities and online brand engagement. These effects are more substantial for luxury brands compared to non-luxury brands. Importantly, our study offers a new approach to explaining the impact of social media marketing activities on brand loyalty by focusing on the perceived values of these activities and their effects on online brand engagement. To enhance brand loyalty, businesses should prioritize creating hedonic and utilitarian values through their social media marketing activities and use these values and online brand engagement as key performance indicators for planning and controlling their strategies. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-05-017 Full Text: PDF

The Influence of Financial Literacy and Risk Perception on Investment Decisions Based on Gender using Multi-Group Analysis Methods

The Influence of Financial Literacy and Risk Perception on Investment Decisions Based on Gender using Multi-Group Analysis Methods

Motivation and guidance of college students' low-carbon behavior: evidence from Chinese colleges and universities.

In the context of the global implementation of the emission peak and carbon-neutral strategic goal, guiding residents' low-carbon behavior is of great significance for the realization of the dual carbon goal. However, existing studies have paid less attention to the low-carbon behavior of college students. Based on the theory of planned behavior, this paper constructs a theoretical model of influencing factors of college students' low-carbon behavior. Combined with 612 questionnaires from Chinese colleges and universities, this study uses a structural equation model and multi-group analysis method to explore the motivation of college students' low-carbon behavior and guiding education strategies. The results show that low-carbon attitude, subjective norms, low-carbon values, and perceived behavior control have significant positive effects on low low-carbon behavior intention of college students, and influence their low-carbon behavior through low-carbon behavior intention. Further research found that gender and growth environment (urban vs. rural) presented heterogeneity in different influence paths, and the perceived cost had a significant negative moderating effect during the transition from low-carbon intention to low-carbon behavior. These research findings provide a theoretical basis and policy inspiration for explaining and guiding the low-carbon behavior of college students.

대학생의 학습자 중심 교육, 교수-학생 상호작용, 전공수업 몰입, 대학 및 전공 만족도 간의 구조적 관계 탐색

Objectives The purpose of the study is to explore the structural relationship between learner-centered education based on experience, collaboration, and enquiry based learning, faculty-student interaction, immersion in major classes, and university and major satisfaction.
 Methods Based on previous studies, three competitive models were set, the optimal model was searched for, and differences by grade were analyzed. Relevant variables were measured through a survey targeting 679 first and second year students at I University located at Kyoungsangnam-do.
 Results Among the competitive models, the model in which learner-centered education based on experience, collaboration, and enquiry affects university and major satisfaction through faculty-student interaction and im-mersion in major classes was found to be the optimal model. As a result of exploring the difference in path by grade in the optimal model using the multi-group analysis method, it was confirmed that there was no difference by grade in the model path for collaboration and enquiry based learning, but there was a difference in experiential learning.
 Conclusions The role of faculty-student interaction and immersion in major classes between learner-centered education and satisfaction with colleges and majors, and the importance of active interaction with professors in experiential learning were discussed.

Examining the marketing performance of the firms from an international dynamic marketing capability perspective: moderating role of marketing leadership team

PurposeThis study examines the marketing performance of firms from an international dynamic marketing capability perspective. It also investigates the moderating role of marketing leadership teams to improve organizations' international marketing performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used dynamic capability view and other related literature to develop a theoretical model, which was validated with the structural equation modelling technique, considering a sample of 455 respondents from Indian firms. The authors also used the multigroup analysis method to examine the moderating impacts of a firm's marketing leadership team on their international marketing performance.FindingsThere is a positive relationship between a firm's dynamic ability factors and its international dynamic-marketing capabilities. The study also finds that a firm's marketing leadership team has a significant positive moderating impact on improving its international marketing performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe unique theory-based model clearly explains how a firm's dynamic abilities impact international dynamic marketing capability, which then impacts its international marketing performance. This model can help practitioners, researchers and academicians to understand the significance of a firm's international dynamic capability on international marketing performance. The study also helps firms to understand the moderating influence of marketing leadership teams to improve international marketing performance.Originality/valueThis study adds value to the body of literature on international dynamic marketing, international marketing performance and international marketing knowledge management, on which, until now, few other studies have focused. Thus, this research is unique. The proposed model of international dynamic marketing is also unique with high explanative power.

ETİK İKLİMİN SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİRLİK UYGULAMALARINA ETKİSİNDE KURUM İTİBARININ ROLÜNÜN YÖNETİCİ VE KURUM ÖZELLİKLERİ BAKIMINDAN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

Etik iklim, bir işletmedeki tutumların, davranışların, kuralların ve etik kodların oluşturduğu paydaşlarca algılanan kurumsal ortamdır. Bu ortam, kurumların kendi kadar paydaşlarını, bugün kadar gelecek nesilleri de düşünmesini ifade eden “sürdürülebilirlik” anlayışını ve kurumun faaliyetlerinin insanlar üzerindeki izlenimi olan “kurumsal itibarı” etkilemektedir. Kurumun sahip olduğu etik iklim, sürdürülebilirlik yaklaşımı ve itibar, kurumları benzerlerinden farklı kılan, özgün temel kaynaklarındandır. Bu farklılığı ortaya koyan öncelikli olarak yöneticiler ve kurumlardır. Konulara kurumların bakış açısı ve yöneticilerin yaklaşımı kurumsal başarı için son derece önemlidir. Konular hakkında ortaya konan bu önemin ve yaklaşımın yönetici ve kurumların özellikleri ile etkileşimde olup olmadığı sorusuna cevap arandığı ve alan yazında benzer çalışmalar bulunmadığı için bu araştırma gerçekleştirilmiştir.Çalışma, kurumlar açısından büyük öneme sahip bu üç yaklaşımın arasındaki etkileşimi yönetici ve kurum özellikleri açısından analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma, başarısı Türkiye’nin bağımsız araştırma firmalarınca tescil edilmiş kurumlarındaki 448 yöneticiyle, anket yöntemi kullanılarak yapılmıştır. Yaklaşımlar arası etkileşimler, demografik ve kurumsal özelliklerle ilgili verilerle, Yapısal Eşitlik Modelinde yer alan çoklu grup analizi (Multi Group Analysis) yöntemiyle test edilmiştir. Yöneticilerin görüşlerine göre yapılandırılan araştırma sonucunda, yönetici ve kurum özelliklerinin, üç değişkenin birbirleri ile etkileşiminde anlamlı ve pozitif bir etkisi olduğu belirlenmiştir. Söz konusu özelliklere göre sonuçların farklılık göstermediği de tespit edilmiştir. Bu da tüm kurumlar tarafından, yönetici ve kurum özelliklerinden bağımsız bir şekilde, bu konulara önem verilmesi ve uygulanması gerektiğini göstermektedir.

Ảnh hưởng nhận thức của thế hệ Z đối với thương hiệu theo chủ nghĩa hành động đến lòng trung thành thương hiệu: So sánh sự khác biệt giữa các thành phố

The study aims to analyze the influence of perception among generation Z towards brand activism and to test the influence of the control variables, which are the metropolitan areas on brand loyalty. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and multi-group analysis methods are conducted to test the hypotheses with the survey data of 1133 individuals of generation Z. Research results have shown that (1) Perceived argument quality, (2) Perceived authenticity, (3) Perceived altruistic motives, and (4) Perceived self-interest motives have different levels of impact on brand loyalty among generation Z individuals living in Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City. The study reveals significant suggestions for brand managers in implementing brand activism marketing campaigns.

Identify and bridge the intention-behavior gap in new energy vehicles consumption: Based on a new measurement method

Replacing fuel vehicles with new energy vehicles is crucial for air pollution control and low-carbon transformation. Like other typical environmentally friendly ethical products, a significant intention-behavior gap might exist during the decision-making process. However, limited studies identified and investigated how to bridge the intention-behavior gap with an obstacle that consumers' purchasing behavior cannot be directly and reasonably quantified. We apply a new alternative quantitative method from the decision-making perspective to overcome that, and then we test whether there is a significant gap between consumers' purchasing intention and actual purchasing behavior. Based on that, the article verifies five new relationships between related policies, the energy-saving and emission-reduction effects perceived by consumers, and purchase behavior. Then we analyze the heterogeneities of different path relationships through a multi-group analysis method to explore how to narrow the gap between purchasing intention and actual behavior, by using 2565 household samples. According to the results of ANOVA (analysis of variance), the quantitative measurement method we proposed is effective, and the inconsistency between purchasing new energy vehicle intention and behavior is more obvious than in other ethical contexts. Consumers' perceived reduction in policy effectiveness and perceived behavior control can increase and decrease the intention behavior gap respectively. Finally, the target groups of people are found to bridge the gap effectively and some useful policy recommendations are proposed to narrow the gap between intention and behavior.

The Influence of Quality of Physical Environment, Food and Service on Customer Trust, Customer Satisfaction, and Loyalty and Moderating Effect of Gender: an Empirical Study on Foreigners in South Korean Restaurant

To explore the impact of restaurant service quality for foreigners in South Korea on customer satisfaction, customer trust, and loyalty from three dimensions: quality of physical environment, food quality, and service quality and the influence of perceived price on satisfaction and loyalty, a survey was conducted by collecting 202 valid questionnaires and Amos 23 was used to examine the relationships between variables. The results show that the quality of physical environment, food quality, and service quality have significant positive effects on customer trust, but only food quality has a significant effect on customer loyalty and all three have no significant effects on customer satisfaction. In addition, customer trust has a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, but the effect of customer satisfaction on loyalty has not been verified in this study. At the same time, perceived price has a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction, but no significant effect on customer loyalty. Then the study examined the moderating effect of gender by using the SEM multi-group analysis method, founding that there are no significant differences between male and female on the impact of the three dimensions of restaurant service quality on customer satisfaction, and no significant differences between male and female on the impact of perceived price on customer satisfaction and customer satisfaction on loyalty, meaning that gender’s moderating effects are not valid. These conclusions of this study are useful for restaurant operators to improve the quality of the physical environment, food quality and service quality, effectively improve customer trust, and thus customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Public environmental facilities: Hygiene factors for tourists' environmental behaviour

The environmental behaviour of tourists in tourism activities is the result of the interaction of "human" and "environment". Previous research on tourists' environmental behaviour has given more attention to tourists' "human" factors, including their individual psychological factors. However, the "environment" factors have not received much attention in the research, especially the influence of the situational factors of tourist destinations on tourists' environmental behaviour. Public environmental facilities (PEF) is an important part of tourist destinations and the main situational factor. Furthermore, previous studies on tourists' environmental behaviours have focused more on environmentally responsible behaviours (ERB), which often has a positive impact on the environment. However, environmentally disturbing behaviours (EDB), which often has a negative impact on the environment, has not been fully examined in previous studies. Based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this research conducted a questionnaire survey to 534 tourists to explore the impact of PEF on tourists' EDB using the structural equation model and multi-group analysis method. The first finding was that tourists' attitudes (ATT) and subjective norms (SN) have significant negative effects on their environmentally disturbing behavioural intentions (EDBI). Perceived behavioural control (PBC) has a significant negative impact on EDBI and EDB. Additionally, there is a significant positive impact of EDBI on EDB. Second, PEF in the tourist destination plays a negative role in moderating the relationship between tourists' EDBI and EDB, that is, PEF are hygiene factors for tourists' environmental behaviour. Study results suggest management policies for public environmental facilities in tourist destinations and highlight the importance of tourists' psychological factors on long-term sustainability of tourist destinations.

Residents’ Green Purchasing Intentions in a Developing-Country Context: Integrating PLS-SEM and MGA Methods

This paper aims to examine the determinants of green purchasing intentions among different resident groups in a developing-country context. We first expand the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and build a theoretical model based on green purchasing intention, including attitude, perceived behavioural control, subjective norms, environmental concern, habit, and socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, residential area, and educational level). Following this, we collect 552 questionnaires from residents in Tianjin Municipality, China. We use partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the green purchasing intention of the population sample and then employ a multi-group analysis (MGA) to explore the group differences in residents’ green purchasing intention. The results show that green purchasing intention is significantly and positively influenced by attitude, perceived behavioural control, subjective norms, and environmental concern but not by habit. The relationship chain of environmental concern→subjective norms→purchasing intention is the strongest. The results of the MGA show that for residential-area groups, the relationships between attitudes, perceived behavioural control, and habits and purchasing intention differ significantly between the downtown group and the outside-the-city group. For the educational-level groups, the relationship between environmental concern and subjective norms differs significantly between the high-education group and the low-education group. Finally, these findings contribute to the literature on the TPB model on green purchasing intention and provide some suggestions for the local government and green marketers.

The impact of behavioral reference on tourists' responsible environmental behaviors

Human behavior is affected not only by individuals' own psychological factors but also by the surrounding environment and the behaviors of others. Existing studies on tourists' responsible environmental behaviors tend to focus only on tourists' own psychological and environmental factors while ignoring the referential role of other people's behavior. The behavioral reference of others in tourist destinations is an important situational factor that affects tourists' responsible environmental behaviors and has important research value. Based on the theory of planned behavior and taking the Zhongshan Mausoleum Scenic Area as an example, this paper explores the influence of other people's behavioral reference on tourists' responsible environmental behaviors by using the multi-group analysis method of structural equation modelling. The results show the following: (1) Tourists' attitudes toward environmental behavior and subjective norms have a significant positive impact on their responsible environmental behavioral intention, perceived behavioral control has a significant positive impact on their responsible environmental behavioral intention and their responsible environmental behaviors, and responsible environmental behavioral intention has a significant positive impact on responsible environmental behaviors. (2) Tourist destination behavioral reference plays a positive regulatory role in the relationship between tourists' responsible environmental behavioral intention and responsible environmental behaviors. Accordingly, this paper proposes relevant countermeasures and suggestions for the high-quality management and development of tourist destinations.

Brand loyalty and the moderating role of involvement: a strategic alliance perspective in indonesia airline industry

This research topic is about the membership of Garuda Indonesia (the biggest airline in Indonesia) into SkyTeam airlines alliance. This study aims to examine the influence of strategic airline alliance on the brand loyalty of Garuda Indonesia’s passengers in Indonesia. This research will examinethe relationship between strategic airline alliance, brand equity, brand preference and brand loyalty with a moderation effect of involvement on the relationship between strategic airline alliance and brand equity, and the relationship between brand preferences and brand loyalty. In particular, for both low and high involvement passengers, the effect of global airline alliances on brand equity, and brand preference on brand loyalty will be also examined by using structural equation model and multi-group method analysis. Data for this research were collected from Garuda Indonesia consumers, specifically those who have flown with Garuda Indonesia. They were then analyzed using Structural Equation Modelingand multi-group analysis method. The result on total sample of this research showed that all independent variables have significant effect to all dependent variables. However, in multi-group analysis, for both low and high-involved passengers, brand equity did not affect brand loyalty. Meanwhile, in other multi group analyses, all groups showed an effect on the relationship.

The Effects of Individual-Level Culture and Demographic Characteristics on e-Learning Acceptance in Lebanon and England: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

Due to the rapid growth of internet technology, universities and higher educational institutions around the world are investing heavily in web-based learning systems to support their traditional teaching and to improve their students’ learning experience and performance. However, the success of an e-learning system depends on the understanding of certain antecedent factors that influence the students’ acceptance and usage of such e-learning systems. Previous research indicates that technology acceptance models and theories may not be applicable to all cultures as most of them have been developed in the context of developed countries and particularly in the U.S. So far little research has investigated the important role that social, cultural, organizational and individual factors may play in the use and adoption of the e-learning systems in the context of developing countries and more specifically there is almost absence of this type of research in Lebanon.This study aims to fill this gap by developing and testing an amalgamated conceptual framework based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and other models from social psychology, such as theory of reasoned action and TAM2 that captures the salient factors influencing the user adoption and acceptance of web-based learning systems. This framework has been applied to the study of higher educational institutions in the context of developing as well as developed countries (e.g. Lebanon and UK). Additionally, the framework investigates the moderating effect of Hofstede’s four cultural dimensions at the individual level and a set of individual differences (age, gender, experience and educational level) on the key determinants that affect the behavioural intention to use e-learning. A total of 1197 questionnaires were received from students who were using web-based learning systems at higher educational institutions in Lebanon and the UK with opposite scores on cultural dimensions. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to perform reliability and validity checks, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in conjunction with multi-group analysis method was used to test the hypothesized conceptual model.As hypothesized, the findings of this study revealed that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), social norms (SN), perceived quality of work Life (QWL), self-efficacy (SE) and facilitating conditions (FC) to be significant determinants of behavioural intentions and usage of e-learning system for the Lebanese and British students. QWL; the newly added variable; was found the most important factor in explaining the causal process in the model for both samples. A t-test analysis proved that there are differences between Lebanese and British students in terms of PEOU, SE, SN, QWL, FC and AU; however no differences were detected in terms of PU and BI. The results of the MGA show that cultural dimensions as well as demographic factors had a partially moderated effect on user acceptance of e-learning. Overall, the proposed model achieves acceptable fit and explains for 68% of the British sample and 57% of the Lebanese sample of its variance which is higher than that of the original TAM.Our findings suggest that individual, social, cultural and organisational factors are important to consider in explaining students’ behavioural intention and usage of e-learning environments. The findings of this research contribute to the literature by validating and supporting the applicability of our extended TAM in the Lebanese and British contexts and provide several prominent implications to both theory and practice on the individual, organizational and societal levels.

Gender and Acceptance of E-Learning: A Multi-Group Analysis Based on a Structural Equation Model among College Students in Chile and Spain.

The scope of this study was to evaluate whether the adoption of e-learning in two universities, and in particular, the relationship between the perception of external control and perceived ease of use, is different because of gender differences. The study was carried out with participating students in two different universities, one in Chile and one in Spain. The Technology Acceptance Model was used as a theoretical framework for the study. A multi-group analysis method in partial least squares was employed to relate differences between groups. The four main conclusions of the study are: (1) a version of the Technology Acceptance Model has been successfully used to explain the process of adoption of e-learning at an undergraduate level of study; (2) the finding of a strong and significant relationship between perception of external control and perception of ease of use of the e-learning platform; (3) a significant relationship between perceived enjoyment and perceived ease of use and between results demonstrability and perceived usefulness is found; (4) the study indicates a few statistically significant differences between males and females when adopting an e-learning platform, according to the tested model.

235U isotopic characterization of natural and enriched uranium materials by using multigroup analysis (MGA) method at a defined geometry using different absorbers and collimators

Abstract Characterization of nuclear materials is an important topic within the context of nuclear safeguards, homeland security and nuclear forensics. This paper deals with the performance of multigroup gamma-ray analysis (MGA) method using the X- and γ-rays in the 80-130 keV region and enrichment meter principle (EMP) based on the analysis of 185.7 keV peak for a certain geometry using different absorbers and collimators. The results from MGA and those of EMP are compared. In particular, the effect of aluminum/lead absorbers and lead collimator on the enrichment determination of 235U in natural and low enriched samples is investigated in a given source-detector geometry. The optimum diameter/height ratio for the Pb-collimator is found to be Dc/Hc = 1.4-1.6 in the chosen geometry. In order to simulate the container walls, ten different thicknesses of Al-absorbers of 141 to 840 mg·cm-2 and six different thicknesses of Pb-absorbers of 1120-7367 mg·cm-2 are interposed between sample and detector. The calibration coefficients (% enrichment/cps) are calculated for each geometry. The comparison of the MGA and EMP methods shows that the enrichment meter principle provides more accurate and precise results for 235U abundance than those of MGA method at the chosen geometrical conditions. The present results suggest that a two-step procedure should be used in analyses of uranium enrichment. Firstly MGA method can be applied in situ and then EMP method can be used at a defined geometry in laboratory.

The applicability of MGA method for depleted and natural uranium isotopic analysis in the presence of actinides ( 232Th, 237Np, 233Pa and 241Am)

The multi-group analysis (MGA) method for the determination of uranium isotopic abundances in depleted uranium (DU) and natural uranium (NU) samples is applied in this study. A set of non-destructive γ-ray measurements of DU and NU samples were performed using a planar Ge detector. The relative abundances of 235U and 238U isotopes were compared with the declared values of the standards. The relative abundance for 235U obtained by MGA for a “clean” DU or NU sample with a content of uranium >1 wt% is determined with an accuracy of about ±5%. However, when several actinides such as 232Th, 237Np, 233Pa and 241Am are present along with uranium isotopes simulating “dirty” DU or NU, it has been observed that MGA method gives erroneous results. The 235U abundance results for the samples were 6–25 times higher than the declared values in the presence of above-mentioned actinides, since MGA is utilized the X-ray and γ-ray peaks in the 80–130 keV energy region, covering XK α and XK β regions. After the least-squares fitting of the spectra, it is found that the increases in the intensities of the X-ray and γ-ray peaks of uranium are remarkably larger in the complex 80–130 keV region. On the other hand, it is observed that the interferences of the actinide peaks are relatively less dominant in the higher γ-ray region of 130–300 keV. The results imply the need for dirty DU and NU samples that the MGA method should utilize the higher energy γ-rays (up to 1001 keV of 234mPa) combined with lower energies of the spectra, which may be collected in a two detector mode (a planar Ge and a high efficient coaxial Ge).