Tangible Products Research Articles

Modelling organization for performance in the post covid-19 era: emerging frameworks and analytics

Business owners, strategic partners, and organization leaders typically conduct performance evaluation given that all organization operates under a constant changing milieu. One of the dramatic changes/challenges individuals and organizations all over the world had encountered is the COVID-19 pandemic. The disease spread rapidly and dramatically across the globe posing significant health, economic, and social challenges. This paper focuses on modelling the organization to navigate the challenges predisposed by COVID-19. It is based on a scooping review of related and current literature on COVID-19 imperatives, innovative and strategic initiatives. Literature review outcome shows that creative and innovative modelling of structures/frameworks influence the performance of a business organization because structures are necessary response tools to manage organizational changes/challenges. Creativity involves novel and useful ideas to solve a problem, innovation involves implementing and refining those ideas to create a tangible product, process, service, or technology that an end user can adopt. Similarly, business analytics was found to improve the performance of organizations. It helps them to identify significant trends across the supply chain and brings out valuable insights that enables the organization to make decisions in a timely and cost-effective manner. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were made. It is believed, that this paper would provide a compass/response mechanism for managers/decision-makers, researchers and other stakeholders in their quest to navigate through post COVID-19 challenges.

Gourmet Burgers and Classifications of Highbrow–Lowbrow Hybrids: Middle-Class Consumers’ Perspectives on McDonald’s Burgers Designed by Michelin Chefs

Boundaries between highbrow and lowbrow products and practices of consumption are blurring, notably in food consumption. In this article, we want to understand how consumers experience and make sense of products that are seen as uniting highbrow and lowbrow by authoritative voices in the field. We focus on gourmet burgers and more specifically the case of McDonald’s collaboration with Michelin chefs in Denmark and the attitudes of middle-class consumers towards this collaboration and its products. Empirically, we demonstrate that consumers, in theory, are very favourable towards food products that transgress the highbrow–lowbrow distinction. At the same time, understandings and evaluations vary. The majority of consumers are favourable, while a minority are strongly negative. These perceptions are strongly shaped by consumers’ initial perception of the collaboration. The favourable informants see it as a fun experiment while those who are critical see it as a fake branding strategy. Via a comparison to another gourmet burger, the NOMA cheeseburger, served at one of the world’s best restaurants, we further suggest distinguishing between highbrow and lowbrow transgression of the highbrow–lowbrow divide. We argue that while both seem legitimate for consumers, it seems that highbrow transgressions confer more status to the consumer. However, in both cases, there is a risk that consumers are disappointed and experience a mismatch between expectations and the tangible product. Finally, we posit that consuming lowbrow–highbrow hybrids differs from what has been labelled ironic consumption, for example, lowbrow products consumed by highbrow consumers in an ironic manner, because highbrow–lowbrow hybrids connect objects and actors from antithetical spheres in the object of consumption. We argue that the focus on highbrow–lowbrow hybrids offers a new lens to study fields of cultural consumption and how consumers subjectively make sense of fields and their dynamics and position themselves via sense-making narratives and taste judgements.

How NFTs contribute to consumers’ purchase intention towards luxury fashion physical products

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of non-fungible tokens (NFTs’) characteristics on Chinese consumers’ purchase intention towards luxury fashion physical products. It also investigates the mediating role of perceived hedonic value and moderating role of perceived NFT–physical product fit during the buying process.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model combining Stimuli–Organism–Response Model and Theory of Consumption Value was established. A purposive sampling method was adopted to collect data from luxury fashion consumers aged 21–41 who lived in four Tier 1 cities in China. Structural equation modelling and SmartPLS 4.0 were utilized to analyse the 304 valid questionnaires collected.FindingsThe study’s findings indicate that luxury fashion NFTs with four characteristics (NFT scarcity, NFT exclusivity, NFT design aesthetic and NFT novelty) affect Chinese consumers’ purchase intention towards luxury fashion physical products positively, with perceived hedonic value mediating these relationships. Further, perceived NFT–physical product fit moderates the relationship between perceived hedonic value and purchase intention.Originality/valueThis study bridges a gap in investigating the interplay between NFTs as intangible collectibles and tangible products, by stressing the significant role played by NFTs in influencing the purchase intention of luxury fashion products. This paper contributes to an understanding of consumers’ psychological responses and behaviours towards NFTs, providing a new perspective in the study of luxury fashion NFTs in the context of marketing strategy and consumption.

MEDIATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED USEFULNESS OF WEBROOMING IN THE IMPACT OF PERCEIVED EASE OF SEARCHING ONLINE ON ATTITUDE TOWARD WEBROOMING

“Webrooming” refers to the practice where consumers search products online before purchasing them in a physical store. Webrooming is a complex behavior driven by the need for detailed research, the desire for a tangible product experience, convenience, trust, and social considerations. The main purpose of this study is to examine the effect of Internet users’ perceived ease of searching online (PESO) on their attitudes toward Webrooming (ATW) while analyzing the possible mediating role of perceived usefulness of webrooming (PUW) in this effect. Besides, difference analyses are adopted to understand whether PESO, ATW and PUW values change according to gender, age, education, marital status and income level. 322 surveys collected online by convenience sampling method were analyzed. The results show that perceived ease of search in the online environment affects the attitude toward webrooming. In addition, the perceived usefulness of webrooming is a full mediator in the effect of perceived ease of searching online on attitude toward webrooming. This finding suggests the convenience and effectiveness of online research translate into a perceived benefit, enhancing the overall attractiveness of webrooming.

A143: Integrating Stakeholder Theory and SWOT Analysis to Examine COVID-19 Outbreak Impact on Fitness Programs

Background/Purpose: The fitness industry has been an important segment in the sports-related global market (SFIA, 2020). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupations Projection (2016-2026) indicated there would be an 18.70% annual occupational employment percentage increase in the need for athletic trainers (CareerOneStop, 2019). The U.S. 71394 Gym, Health & Fitness Clubs Report revealed a 1%–6% revenue increase each year since 2012. This projection indicated that the fitness market uptrend would continue in the next decade. However, the COVID-19 outbreak had a significant impact on the fitness market, and it was projected to have a 10% revenue decline in 2020 (IBISWorld, 2020). This study examined the challenges that fitness programs faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Marketing strategies and fitness program redesigns were proposed. Methods: This case study’s subjects were the fitness programs. Stakeholder Theory was employed as it concerns participants serving as its primary stakeholders. Supplementing with SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, strengths and weaknesses identified internal factors that directly and indirectly affect fitness programs’ operation during the COVID-19 pandemic, while opportunities and threats examined the external factors. Results: Based on SWOT analysis, internal strengths that impact fitness programs’ operations were: 1) Fitness training could still be operated via an online format and keep participants safely and actively engaged during the crisis; 2) Online training can be globally distributed with no charge via its application platform; 3) Recorded and standardized daily training can be done at any time without limits. Weaknesses were: 1) Limited exercises available and no trainers’ in-person interaction to demonstrate and correct participants’ exercises; 2) Technology application and internet requirements may opt out participants who may not favor technology or have access to the internet. External opportunities were: 1) During a crisis like COVID-19, health-oriented outcomes were of great need; 2) The service-oriented business model would win out over the tangible products model due to the major economic and social impact. Threats were: 1) Online application consumption has not been a major trend like studio membership purchases; 2) COVID-19 lockdown led to significant financial impact and emotional disorders for fitness participants; 3) More interruptions from family routines would affect people’s fitness participation. Conclusions: To survive in a global pandemic such as COVID-19, fitness programs need to consider shifting traditional studio membership sales to technology-assisted services purchases in order to boost their revenues. Collaboration with local community health care providers to facilitate real-time interaction and post-family training activities would further strengthen fitness programs’ involvement and the primary stakeholders’ attachment.

Impact of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) on purchasing decisions: an empirical study

PurposeIn today’s fast-paced and interconnected market, companies must adapt to the evolving demands of their customers. Therefore, it is essential to examine the impact of online reviews on potential customers' intent to purchase. This study seeks to identify the characteristics of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) that influence a buyer’s intention to purchase goods and services.Design/methodology/approachWe used the snowball sampling method to collect data using a pre-tested survey instrument with a five-point Likert scale. We received 696 usable responses. We conducted assumption tests to ensure that we could use covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) for data analysis. The collected data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to compute the latent variables. We then tested our research hypotheses using CB-SEM.FindingsEight latent constructs – perceived persuasion, perceived information, image aesthetics, ease_of_experience, eWOM_credibility, eWOM_usefulness and eWOM_adoption – have been identified, which determine the influence of eWOM on purchase intent (PI) for both tangible and experiential products. Though the structural model emerged relatively similar, the constructs had differential impacts on PI for commodities and services. The perceived information quality and source trustworthiness had a greater impact on eWOM credibility in the case of services than in the case of commodities, while image aesthetics played a more crucial role in determining the eWOM credibility for commodities than services. In both cases, credible eWOM was found useful, but a persuasive eWOM influenced its perceived usefulness more in the case of commodities. The likelihood of adopting a useful eWOM and converting it to positive PI is present in the case of both services and commodities, but the impact is much higher in the case of services.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has examined the interplay of three theoretical consumer behaviour models: elaboration likelihood model (ELM), stimulus-organism-response model (SOR), and information adoption model (IAM). Thus, it adds to the existing literature on the characteristics of eWOM that influence the PI of online buyers.Practical implicationsThis study’s findings demonstrate how eWOM influences consumers' perceptions of the utility of goods and services, impacting their intention to purchase. It also provides valuable insights into marketing and consumer behaviour in the Indian market. Thus, this study assists marketers in adjusting their digital marketing strategies to ensure the effective use of eWOM characteristics to positively influence the PI of the target audience in the Indian market.Originality/valueThis research study examines the relationship between eWOM characteristics and PI for both goods and services sectors. Most existing literature is skewed towards specific service sectors, such as hospitality and health care. A generalised comparative study is what makes this research work unique.

Satisfaction With the Use of a Mobile Application: Adopsi Teknologi pada Aplikasi Mobile PLN

The development of information technology has an impact on business growth in Indonesia. One example is PT PLN developing the PLN mobile application to facilitate customers in accessing the services provided. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of Barriers (Resistance to change and Technological Complexity) and Facilitators (Technical Support, Compatibility, Performance Expectancy, and Easy of use) on Satisfaction with the use of a mobile application in the Mobile PLN app. The research method used in this study is a quantitative method by distributing questionnaires to users of the PLN mobile app. The results of the study indicate that resistance to change positively affects user satisfaction with the mobile PLN application, as users feel more satisfied when the application does not disrupt their routines. Conversely, technological complexity negatively affects user satisfaction; the higher the complexity, the lower the satisfaction. A stable and easy-to-use application increases satisfaction. Effective and responsive technical support also enhances user satisfaction. The application's compatibility with users' lifestyles has a significant impact; an application integrated with users' routines increases satisfaction. Fulfilled performance expectations, such as tangible benefits, efficiency, and productivity, also positively affect user satisfaction. Easy of use has a significant influence; an intuitive and user-friendly application increases overall user satisfaction.

Towards the development and enhancement of Open and Distance Learning policies in Africa: A step by step guide to the game

Purpose: This study sought to explain and understand possible steps for developing and enhancing open and distance learning (ODL) policies in Malawi. Methodology: It thus deployed descriptive and interpretive phenomenological research as advanced by Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger to deeply understand policies, practices and perceptions within higher education institutions (HEIs) in Malawi. It was assumed that human experiences can best be understood through ones immersion into documents, conversations and lived-experiences of the research subjects. Accordingly, we used document analyses, observations and systematic conversations followed by practical activities to enhance the available draft-ODL policies at the selected HEIs. Findings: The study established that many academics had inadequate knowledge on policy formulation using paradigmatic and marginalized philosophical theories. It was also established when policy-makers combine different theories to inform their policies, they gain more advantages than they would have otherwise done. Since education is usually confronted by complex issues, such theoretical amalgamation has paid dividends. While this study inherently took an eccentric approach to research by reconciling Husserl and Heidegger’s contradictions, it also infused some elements of empiricism and conceptual ideals ushering in a mixed methodology that culminated into a transformative paradigm. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Since research is about discovering new knowledge, this study garnered its uniqueness and credibility through such methodical surprises; the approaches that transcended mere theoretical analyses to yielding a tangible ODL policy product. We acknowledge our methodological limitations although such limitations cannot lender our findings invalid. We therefore recommend researchers to try this approach, and share with us their findings.

Servitization as a strategy for diffusing radical technologies: An analysis of U.S. top corporate R&D investors

The diffusion of radical technologies poses a significant challenge for firms. While existing studies have mainly concentrated on organizing for radical innovation, less attention has been given to strategies that enable firms to bring these technologies to the product market. In this paper, we argue that servitization – the addition of product-related services to tangible product offerings – can serve as a potential solution, largely due to its ability to reduce customer uncertainty about the nature and utilization of radical technologies and offset adoption costs. However, there are limits to deploying this strategy: developing and implementing service-generating capabilities, together with maintaining and advancing the capability to generate radical technologies, can be costly and risky. Our analysis of 505 top corporate R&D investors from the U.S. manufacturing industry confirms a significant relationship between technological radicalness and servitization, but it is nuanced and depends on the level of financial resources available to firms, known as financial resource slack. More specifically, firms with higher slack have a greater extent of servitization activities when their technologies are more radical. In turn, firms with lower slack have a greater extent of servitization activities when their technologies fall within the middle range of the radicalness spectrum. We use these findings to draw implications for practice and policy.

When “Immersive” Learning Goes Remote: Interdisciplinary Lessons Learned in a Pandemic

Abstract: Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, health professional training programs made substantial changes to shift previously in-person student training opportunities to remote settings. Objectives: We present lessons learned from changes made to one community-engaged internship program, Bridging the Gaps (BTG)-Pittsburgh, that should prove helpful in future times of crisis. Methods: BTG-Pittsburgh places inter-disciplinary graduate pairs of students in community-based organizations that serve marginalized populations, to work directly with program participants and develop tangible products aimed to build organizational capacity. Students get additional training on poverty awareness, health literacy, community violence, food justice, trauma-informed self-care, cultural and academic humility, oral health and advocacy. Upon pandemic onset, given increased community need and community partner feedback, BTG-Pittsburgh pivoted quickly, shifting to remote engagement and making critical adjustments to ensure responsiveness to student and community partner needs. Adjustments included: 1) adopting a trauma-informed approach, 2) developing remote mentoring guidance, and 3) doubling site visits to ensure that students and site mentors felt sufficiently supported. Conclusions: Several program and partnership attributes contributed to our overall program success, including a model of reciprocal benefits, providing supports, flexibility, and long-standing relationships. The university’s quick adoption of remote technology and each participating school’s commitment to supporting the program model, further enabled effective student-organization-program collaboration. These lessons can inform community-partnered experiential learning programs that may need to incorporate remote components moving forward.

Prospect of Social Marketing in Enhancing the Acquisition and Utilization of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) for the Prevention of Malaria in a Rural Area of Imo State, South-Eastern Nigeria

Background Proper utilization of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) has been shown to be very effective in preventing malaria and in reducing the incidence of the disease. Getting people to buy and utilize ITNs has proven very difficult especially in low-income settings of sub-Saharan Africa where the disease is endemic. This research work, therefore assesses the effectiveness of the application of social marketing strategies in encouraging the acquisition and utilization of ITNs. Focus of the Article The marketing mix concept which is usually referred to as the 4Ps of social marketing-price, place, product and promotion-were put to test to identify how the respondents will respond to variation in any of them. The research aims to assess the people’s response to a favorable change in the price of ITNs, product quality, product location and target advertisement. Research Question The research questions that this study aimed to answer is; will the introduction of the traditional marketing mix of social marketing help drive the acquisition and utilization of ITNs by the people in rural communities of Imo State, Nigeria? Program Design/Approach The research report contained in this manuscript is targeted at health products (tangible and intangible) marketing researchers in resource-limited settings. These researchers who may not be able to afford the acquisition of large quantity health products like the ITNs to conduct their study can adopt the method employed in this study. Here the “prospect” of using social marketing strategies like the traditional marketing mix, to determine a possible increase in the acquisition and utilization of ITNs by the people. Importance to the Social Marketing Field This study describes how researchers in low-and-middle income countries could conduct a social marketing research on tangible products such as the ITN without really selling ITNs. The people’s intent to buy and use ITNs were assessed. More than 10 previous studies from as far back as 1999 were assessed, none of them employed the current methodology. Methodology This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study where a multi-stage sampling technique was employed to recruit the study participants. Results It was found that 55.1% had ITNs, good utilization rate of 80.6% was recorded among those who possessed ITNs. Using the social marketing principle to assess respondents’ intent to own and use ITNs, an increase of 27.2%, 38.1%, 31.3%, and 35.9% will be achieved if the cost of acquiring ITNs becomes affordable, when ITNs become accessible, when practical guidance on use was provided, and when quality was improved. The study also revealed that, the vigorous pursue of social marketing techniques can enhance the sales of ITNs and its usage among the people. Recommendation for Research or Practice This study has justified the usefulness of social marketing in engendering positive behavioural change where people can be motivated to adopt a health innovation. It is therefore recommended that health innovations and products must be sold to the people using social marketing strategies as this has been proven not only to encourage adoption/acquisition, but also utilization.

Measuring the Company’s Capabilities and Assessing their Impact on Its Economic Results: Analytic Tools

With the increasing uncertainty of the external environment, the capabilities of companies become the driving force behind their operations and development, making the management of these capabilities an important task for management. The aim of the research is to develop a toolkit for measuring a company’s capabilities, assessing their condition, and evaluating their impact on productivity. The author’s concept is presented, according to which the final results of the company’s activity are formed through the mechanism of interaction of the company’s organizational capability with acquired resources, the formation of resource capabilities (production, financial, labor, and market) and their transformation into tangible and intangible products. Based on this model, methodological guidelines have been developed for measuring the capabilities of organizations and assessing their impact on the final results, a value-functional approach to selecting appropriate indicators, and analytical tools. The following methods have been substantiated: modeling, the indicator method, data convolution, scaling, and statistical methods. To measure capabilities, it is proposed to use indicators aggregated into composite indices through a developed algorithm. The use of sales growth rate, market capitalization, profit before taxes, and net cash flow as the final results of the company (productivity indicators) has been justified. To solve analytical tasks at different levels of management, combinations of methods, tools and indicators called “research formats” (detailed, diagnostic, express diagnostic analysis) were developed. The results of the empirical testing of the author’s research are presented: through detailed analysis, the validity of the proposed approach and tools has been established, and through diagnostic analysis, the stability of the selected indicators and constructed mathematical models beyond the observation period was identified. The result is a toolkit for researching crucial company’s capabilities, enabling management to analyze and monitor these capabilities, assess their productivity, make forecasts of productivity indicators, and develop a system for managing the organization’s capabilities.

Systematic Review of Kansei Engineering Method Developments in the Design Field

Kansei engineering is a critical method for designing products that meet functionality, usability, and pleasurability, essential elements for business success. Despite its significance, there is limited understanding of how this method has evolved in recent years. This study aims to analyze the development of Kansei Engineering research from 2018 to 2022 using the Scopus database. The research methodology involved stages of identification, screening, filtering, and inclusion, resulting in 41 articles for detailed analysis out of an initial 215. The results indicate that 85% of Kansei Engineering research focuses on tangible products, with 83% categorized as type 1 studies, and 56% not integrating other methods. Additionally, 88% of the studies use only Kansei words, and 41% visualize design results as 3D images, with 95% not considering unique aspects. is dominance of tangible product design and the lack of integration with other methods suggest a need for diversification in research approaches. Furthermore, the high reliance on Kansei words and 3D visualizations points to a potential area for innovation and expansion in research techniques. This review highlights a significant research gap in Kansei Engineering studies, emphasizing the need for more diversified approaches. By identifying these gaps, the study provides a clear direction for future research, recommending that Kansei Engineering should explore beyond the predominant trends and consider integrating with other methods and unique aspects. This can enhance the method's application in industrial engineering and lead to more comprehensive and innovative product designs. Future research should aim to fill these gaps, ensuring that Kansei Engineering continues to evolve and contribute effectively to the field of product design and development.

Tangible, intangible assets and labour productivity growth

PurposeThe aim of this study is to investigate the contribution of tangible and intangible investments in driving labour productivity growth in the European Union over the period 2000–2017 and their role in the short and medium run. Additionally, heterogeneity across countries is accounted for by performing estimates separately for Eastern and Western European countries.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology used to conduct the analysis of the determinants of productivity is the two-way fixed-effect and the system generalised method of moments. We also include country-specific dummies in place of our variable on national innovative capacity as a means to further reduce the number of instruments.FindingsThe results reveal a long-term relationship of investment in intangible assets with labour productivity growth, more specifically of investment in R&D. This relationship holds both when considering the whole set of European countries and for Western European countries, demonstrating that R&D is key to enhancing labour productivity growth. On the contrary, the effect for Eastern countries is negative, probably due to the lack of capacity to turn this investment into an efficient and effective way to foster productivity.Originality/valueBesides confirming the well-known role of tangible and intangible assets in productivity, the heterogeneity shown in our analysis highlights the need for improving capabilities in Eastern countries. Diversifying the decisions on the investments in European countries, depending on the specific needs and their heterogeneity, could help bridge the productivity gap and enhance specific capabilities of the country systems.

Factual Analysis of Factors Influencing Consumer Cognitive Thinking and Automobile Designing using Fuzzy-AHP

Consumer cognitive and emotional responses significantly impact consumers’ affinity for both tangible and intangible products. Recent research underscores the heightened influence of consumer emotional and cognitive perceptions in product design, surpassing reliance on designers’ instincts or experiences. This case study delved into the analysis of automobiles, using cars as focal product. While visual elements like curve lines, grill design, and color predominantly shape consumer perspectives, non-visual factors such as reliability, quality, and ergonomics play a pivotal role in purchasing decisions. Our investigation, involving six industrial experts and over 130 participants, explored non-visual factors affecting consumers’ cognitive perceptions during car purchasing. Through a two-phase experimental approach, we developed a framework to understand the disparities in ranking assigned by consumers and designers to these non-visual factors, revealing perception gaps. Utilizing the rank value methodology, the Pareto principle, and Fuzzy-AHP analysis, we identified mileage/fuel efficiency, safety features, and reliability as dominant factors influencing consumer perceptions. Designers, on the other hand, prioritize safety features, reliability, and quality/warranty. Our findings emphasize the strategic significance for automobile companies to enhance their success rates by prioritizing these key factors, ultimately elevating brand value, profile, and overall financial prosperity.

Monitoring and enhancing spontaneous sustainability—a framework

The paper presents and addresses the concept of “spontaneous sustainability”, the informal and unplanned sustainable development of communities, as the basis and framework to support the notion, drives, and agendas of “formal sustainability”. It follows the interdependence between the “spontaneous sustainability” of “distinct” communities and their “cultural” characteristics, including history, spatial continuity, values and behaviors, the associated physical settings, and tangible and intangible products, which enabled them to continue, survive, and develop. The research aims at formulating and validating a “framework” for monitoring and enhancing the “spontaneous sustainability” of “distinct” communities to enable, support and link it, to the broader frameworks of “sustainable development”. The proposed “framework” combines “sustainability” dimensions: environmental, economic, and socio-cultural; and the levels of community contexts, and spatial impact. The “framework” is formulated by integrating selected “urban sustainability” approaches, and systems, with later research that developed the key aspects, criteria, and indicators of those systems, together with research addressing “social and cultural sustainability”, and assessment aspects, criteria, and indicators. The “framework” is developed and validated through a limited questionnaire, involving local experts and specialists, academics, and practitioners, to point out limitations and potential, and to suggest the relative importance of its components, key aspects, and criteria. The validation supported the research propositions, the formulation, and development of the proposed “spontaneous sustainability framework” and emphasized its flexibility to include other approaches and agendas, and potential for further development and application in distinct local communities.

An integrated framework for improving green agricultural production sustainability in human-natural systems

Water scarcity, land pollution, and global warming are serious challenges and crises facing the development of sustainable or green agriculture and need to be addressed using efficient and environmentally friendly management strategies. This paper proposed an integrated framework appropriate for agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) assessment coupled with microscopic and mesoscopic perspectives under water-energy-food (WEF) nexus, which generated scientific and reasonable strategies for green and low-carbon agriculture from internal core factors and peripheral environmental impacts to improve green agricultural production sustainability. Taking the Lianshui irrigation district (LID) with three sub-areas as the object, internal core factors were explored by partial least squares regression (PLSR) and the external impact path through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results indicated that AGTFP in LID was the smallest (0.818) compared to the three sub-areas and was in a fluctuating state. Meanwhile, AGTFP which was calculated considering undesirable outputs, was closer to tangible productivity. Resource endowments and technical facilities will promote agricultural production, desirable outputs will stimulate green production, and undesirable outputs can inhibit green production. The external influence pathway was shown to be primary environment - > secondary environment - > economic aspects - > social aspects - > AGTFP. The innovative perspectives presented in this study can facilitate preferable decisions and avoid unintended consequences for human-natural systems.

DG-ViTh: A decision guidance system for repositories of virtual things

ABSTRACT Entrepreneurs encounter significant challenges in translating their ideas into tangible or digital products. Conventional idea-to-market processes often prove inflexible, siloed, and linear, leading to missed optimisation opportunities and substantial material, energy and labour waste. To address these challenges, this paper proposes DG-ViTh, a Decision Guidance System for search, optimisation and trade-off analysis of Virtual Things, which are parameterised specifications of products, services or anything of value. Virtual things are associated with analytic performance models that express customer-facing characteristics of a ‘thing’ in terms of virtual thing’s parameters. DG-ViTh allows virtual things’ parameters be optimally instantiated and then ordered by consumers from capability providers on demand. To develop DG-ViTh, this paper provides the design and formal mathematical semantics of a repository for general virtual things, core DG-ViTh functions, and a prototype implementation demonstrating optimisation capabilities for arbitrary pluggable virtual thing specifications. DG-ViTh versatility is demonstrated using the example virtual bike, illustrating its potential for a broad range of applications.

Constructing a sensory model of Chinese luxury hotel experiences from mental imagery perspective

ABSTRACT Luxury consumption studies have largely focused on tangible products with less attention paid to experiential services. However, consumers are becoming increasingly interested in the luxury services. Taking a mental imagery perspective, this study delineates the role of sensory integration in luxury hotel experiences among Chinese with Zaltman metaphor elicitation technique (ZMET). We engaged Chinese informants in a multi-sensory exploration of their experiences, soliciting abundant verbal and non-verbal data, and analyzed how experiences emerge from their multisensory processing of hotel offerings. Findings conceptualize experiential luxury consumption from a multisensory perspective and recommend how luxury hotels should better leverage their market potential.

Research on Hotel Service Quality Improvement Based on Text Analysis

This paper takes Shanghai Kempinski Hotel as the research object and focuses on its service quality. This paper obtains 760 effective review data from Ctrip website, and uses text analysis method to statistically analyze and process the content of the reviews. Combining the online review data with the existing literature, the service quality of Shanghai Kempinski Hotel is evaluated and analyzed from the aspects of tangible product quality and intangible product quality. The results of the comment analysis show that the main problems of tangible product quality lie in the hygienic environment, equipment and facilities that are not professional enough, and the main problems of intangible product quality lie in the low service efficiency, poor service attitude, and so on. Finally, combined with the problems of the hotel service, respectively, from strengthening training to improve the quality of staff service, do a good job of hygiene inspection, strengthen the construction of equipment and facilities, etc. put forward the corresponding countermeasures recommendations.