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1 – 10 of over 1000Damianos P. Sakas, Nikolaos T. Giannakopoulos, Marina C. Terzi, Ioannis Dimitrios G. Kamperos and Nikos Kanellos
The paper’s main goal is to examine the relationship between the video marketing of financial technologies (Fintechs) and their vulnerable website customers’ brand engagement in…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper’s main goal is to examine the relationship between the video marketing of financial technologies (Fintechs) and their vulnerable website customers’ brand engagement in the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
To extract the required outcomes, the authors gathered data from the five biggest Fintech websites and YouTube channels, performed multiple linear regression models and developed a hybrid (agent-based and dynamic) model to assess the performance connection between their video marketing analytics and vulnerable website customers’ brand engagement.
Findings
It has been found that video marketing analytics of Fintechs’ YouTube channels are a decisive factor in impacting their vulnerable website customers’ brand engagement and awareness.
Research limitations/implications
By enhancing video marketing analytics of their YouTube channels, Fintechs can achieve greater levels of vulnerable website customers’ engagement and awareness. Higher levels of vulnerable customers’ brand engagement and awareness tend to decrease their vulnerability by enhancing their financial knowledge and confidence.
Practical implications
Fintechs should aim to increase the number of total videos on their YouTube channels and provide videos that promote their customers’ knowledge of their services to increase their brand engagement and awareness, thus reducing their vulnerability. Moreover, Fintechs should be aware not to over-post videos because they will be in an unfavorable position against their competitors.
Originality/value
This research offers valuable insights regarding the importance of video marketing strategies for Fintechs in promoting their vulnerable website customers’ brand awareness during crisis periods.
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Arpita Agnihotri, Carolyn M. Callahan and Saurabh Bhattacharya
Leveraging Emerson’s theory of power and motivated reasoning, this study aims to explore how the net power of an individual and actual, instead of perceived, vulnerability results…
Abstract
Purpose
Leveraging Emerson’s theory of power and motivated reasoning, this study aims to explore how the net power of an individual and actual, instead of perceived, vulnerability results in asymmetric trust and distrust development in a dyadic relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on extant literature and gaps in the literature, this conceptual paper hypothesises and proposes trust formation based on power dynamics and vulnerability.
Findings
This research extends the knowledge base by exploring the role of actual vulnerability over perceived vulnerability in trust formation and distrust formation.
Research limitations/implications
The research propositions imply that the dyadic trust formation process is not rational, and trust itself is not symmetrical but asymmetrical. The net power possessed by one individual over the other drives trust. Net power balance determines the actual vulnerability of the focal individual, and then the individual, through motivated reasoning, trusts or distrusts another individual. Scholars, going forward, could explore how trust formation varies at group and firm levels.
Originality/value
Extant literature has not explored the role of power imbalance in determining actual (versus perceived) vulnerability that influences trust formation between parties. The conceptual paper fills this gap.
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Diego Monferrer Tirado, Lidia Vidal-Meliá, John Cardiff and Keith Quille
This research aims to determine to what extent corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions developed by bank entities in Spain improve the vulnerable customers' emotions and…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to determine to what extent corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions developed by bank entities in Spain improve the vulnerable customers' emotions and quality perception of the banking service. Consequently, this increases the quality of their relationship regarding satisfaction, trust and engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from 734 vulnerable banking customers were analyzed through structural equations modeling (EQS 6.2) to test the relationships of the proposed variables.
Findings
Vulnerable customers' emotional disposition exerts a strong influence on their perceived service quality. The antecedent effect is concentrated primarily on the CSR towards the client, with a residual secondary weight on the CSR towards society. These positive service emotions are determinants of the outcome quality perceived by vulnerable customers, directly in terms of higher satisfaction and trust and indirectly through engagement.
Practical implications
This research contributes to understanding how financial service providers should adapt to the specific characteristics and needs of vulnerable clients by adopting a strategy of approach, personalization and humanization of the service that seems to move away from the actions implemented by the banking industry in recent years.
Originality/value
This study has adopted a theoretical and empirical perspective on the impact of CSR on service emotions and outcome quality of vulnerable banking customers. Moreover, banks can adopt a dual conception of CSR: a macro and external scope toward society and a micro and internal scope toward customers.
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Kaouther Toumi, Nabil Ghalleb and Mikael Akimowicz
This paper aims to explore individuals’ economic empowerment and political empowerment association and the moderation role of entrepreneurship development programs on this…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore individuals’ economic empowerment and political empowerment association and the moderation role of entrepreneurship development programs on this relationship in the context of post-revolution Tunisia, which is a newer developing democracy.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a quantitative approach based on econometric modeling. A questionnaire was designed and administrated to a stratified random sample of 343 participants in the Entrepreneurship for the Participation and Inclusion of Vulnerable Youth in Tunisia program, funded by the United Nations Democracy Fund and implemented in rural northwestern Tunisia between 2017 and 2021. A coarsened exact matching method is also applied for robustness analysis.
Findings
The analysis shows that when individuals have enhanced economic decision-making agency and are involved in economic networks, they are more likely to demonstrate higher political empowerment. It also shows that expanding rural individuals’ economic opportunities by providing entrepreneurial resources, such as entrepreneurial training and microcredit, strengthens individuals’ economic empowerment and political empowerment association.
Practical implications
The study provides practical implications for policymakers in newer developing democracies. Citizens’ political empowerment and inclusion in rural areas could be promoted by developing entrepreneurship development programs, which could help reinforce the citizens-state relationship and establish more stable social contracts. The research also provides practical implications for the international development community, donor agencies and program designers through duplicating similar programs in other countries with weak central government structures (i.e. post-conflict environments, post-revolution).
Originality/value
The research attempts to contribute to the ongoing debates linking entrepreneurship, economic empowerment and political/citizen empowerment. It focuses on a Middle East and North Africa country, Tunisia, characterized by socioeconomic issues and low civic participation.
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Damianos P. Sakas, Nikolaos T. Giannakopoulos and Panagiotis Trivellas
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of affiliate marketing strategies as a tool for increasing customers' engagement and vulnerability over financial services. This…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of affiliate marketing strategies as a tool for increasing customers' engagement and vulnerability over financial services. This is attempted by examining the connection between affiliate marketing factors and customers' brand engagement and vulnerability metrics.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors developed a three-staged methodological context, based on the 7 most known centralized payment network (CPN) firms' website analytical data, which begins with linear regression analysis, followed by hybrid modeling (agent-based and dynamic models), so as to simulate brand engagement and vulnerability factors' variation in a 180-day period. The deployed context ends by applying the cognitive modeling method of producing heatmaps and facial analysis of CPN websites to the selected 47 vulnerable website customers, for gathering more insights into their brand engagement.
Findings
Throughout the simulation results of the study, it becomes clear that a higher number of backlinks and referral domains tend to increase CPN firms' brand-engaged and vulnerable customers.
Research limitations/implications
From the simulation modeling process, the implication for backlinks and referral domains as factors that enhance website customers' brand engagement and vulnerability has been highlighted. A higher number of brand-engaged website customers could mean that vulnerable categories of customers would be impacted by CPNs' affiliate marketing. Improving those customers' knowledge of the financial services utility is of utmost importance.
Practical implications
The outcomes of the research indicate that online banking service providers can increase their customers' engagement with their brands by adopting affiliate marketing techniques. To avoid the increase in customers' vulnerability, marketers should aim to apply affiliate marketing strategies to domains relevant to the provided financial services.
Originality/value
The paper's outcomes provide a new approach to the literature, where the website customer's brand engagement comes out as a valuable metric for estimating online banking sector customers' vulnerability.
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Harry J. Van Buren and Judith Schrempf-Stirling
Stakeholder capitalism has been proposed as an alternative way of thinking about business purpose and value creation. However, stakeholder capitalism can only work as an…
Abstract
Purpose
Stakeholder capitalism has been proposed as an alternative way of thinking about business purpose and value creation. However, stakeholder capitalism can only work as an alternative model of business if all stakeholders and their interests are visible to and taken seriously by managers. The purpose of this paper is to untangle the challenges that invisible, marginalized and powerless stakeholders pose for theorizing about stakeholder capitalism.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is conceptual. The authors first briefly outline the promise of stakeholder capitalism for addressing pressing questions about value creation and stakeholder welfare. The authors then conceptualize stakeholder invisibility as the outcome of a particular stakeholder being both powerless and marginal through the prism of moral intensity theory and one of its elements: proximity. This study discusses the ways in which managers can make invisible stakeholders more visible in their decision-making.
Findings
For managers truly to manage for stakeholders, as anticipated by stakeholder capitalism, all stakeholders and stakeholder interests must be visible to them. This study analyzes why sometimes they are not, how they can be made more visible and why stakeholder visibility matters for stakeholder capitalism. This study proffers three principles for business practice: ethical commitments to reduce stakeholder invisibility, analyses of business strategies to surface the contributions of marginalized and invisible stakeholders and taking rights seriously.
Originality/value
This study provides a new perspective on stakeholder capitalism by linking the challenge in operationalizing it to the problems of stakeholder invisibility and marginality.
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Ane Bast, Marit Engen and Maria Røhnebæk
This paper aims to explore the role of frontline employees (FLEs) as mediators in transformative service processes within services targeting vulnerable users.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the role of frontline employees (FLEs) as mediators in transformative service processes within services targeting vulnerable users.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on a case study of the development and implementation of a dementia village, and the data consist of documents, in-depth interviews and field observations.
Findings
The analysis identifies FLEs as mediators in six different roles. These roles highlight how FLEs perform as mediators, acting in between and for vulnerable users and thus supporting their well-being. Specifically, the roles explicate the mediating role of FLEs in the design and planning of transformative changes and in daily work practices.
Practical implications
The different mediating roles of FLEs presented here should inform care providers and managers of how employees can become assets for supporting vulnerable users’ well-being during the design and planning stages of transformative change and through daily service work.
Originality/value
This paper offers novel insights into the multifaceted roles of FLEs in transformative services. The findings add to the current debate on mediation in transformative services and contribute to the literature by extending and refining the established conceptual and empirical understandings of the role of transformative service mediators in consumers’ well-being.
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Sanjay Saifi and Ramiya M. Anandakumar
In an era overshadowed by the alarming consequences of climate change and the escalating peril of recurring floods for communities worldwide, the significance of proficient…
Abstract
Purpose
In an era overshadowed by the alarming consequences of climate change and the escalating peril of recurring floods for communities worldwide, the significance of proficient disaster risk management has reached unprecedented levels. The successful implementation of disaster risk management necessitates the ability to make informed decisions. To this end, the utilization of three-dimensional (3D) visualization and Web-based rendering offers decision-makers the opportunity to engage with interactive data representations. This study aims to focus on Thiruvananthapuram, India, where the analysis of flooding caused by the Karamana River aims to furnish valuable insights for facilitating well-informed decision-making in the realm of disaster management.
Design/methodology/approach
This work introduces a systematic procedure for evaluating the influence of flooding on 3D building models through the utilization of Web-based visualization and rendering techniques. To ensure precision, aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data is used to generate accurate 3D building models in CityGML format, adhering to the standards set by the Open Geospatial Consortium. By using one-meter digital elevation models derived from LiDAR data, flood simulations are conducted to analyze flow patterns at different discharge levels. The integration of 3D building maps with geographic information system (GIS)-based vector maps and a flood risk map enables the assessment of the extent of inundation. To facilitate visualization and querying tasks, a Web-based graphical user interface (GUI) is developed.
Findings
The efficiency of comprehensive 3D building maps in evaluating flood consequences in Thiruvananthapuram has been established by the research. By merging with GIS-based vector maps and a flood risk map, it becomes possible to scrutinize the extent of inundation and the affected structures. Furthermore, the Web-based GUI facilitates interactive data exploration, visualization and querying, thereby assisting in decision-making.
Originality/value
The study introduces an innovative approach that merges LiDAR data, 3D building mapping, flood simulation and Web-based visualization, which can be advantageous for decision-makers in disaster risk management and may have practical use in various regions and urban areas.
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Céline Dujardin, Vitalii Klymchuk and Viktoriia Gorbunova
The purpose of this paper is to explore the perception of the mental health problems of the homeless population in a high-income country (Luxembourg) by social service providers…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the perception of the mental health problems of the homeless population in a high-income country (Luxembourg) by social service providers and to develop proposals for better inclusion of homeless people into the mental health services and homeless people with mental health issues into society.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was of qualitative design and conducted using a semi-structured interview method (in person). The semi-structured interviews (seven participants) were conducted to analyse the challenges, practice approaches and prospects of stakeholders or decision-makers working in housing exclusion and homelessness. A secondary thematic analysis of this content regarding mental health issues was performed.
Findings
Three main themes in the social providers’ perception were identified related to mental health and homelessness: the general view on the mental health problems of homeless people (accent on substance use disorders [SUDs], overshadowing of other mental health conditions by the SUDs); the positive impact of housing and social services on the mental health of the homeless per se (role of social rhythms, social connectedness and multidisciplinary approach are emphasised); and the need for improvement of mental health services in the country (need for the long-term timely continuing mental health support and recognition of the importance of complex intersectional and multidisciplinary solutions).
Research limitations/implications
Mental health themes were not the primary focus while research was planned and conducted. They were revealed as results of secondary qualitative data analysis. Therefore, additional mental health-focused mixed methods research is needed to verify the conclusions. The paper is written on the results of the research project “Social Housing and Homelessness” (SOHOME), implemented at the University of Luxembourg with the financial support of the Fonds National de la Recherche of Luxembourg (FNR12626464). The sponsor had no involvement in the study design, the collection, analysis and interpretation of data or the preparation of the paper.
Practical implications
The study brings together different perspectives from social workers, stakeholders and decision-makers. The results show that there are cross-field connections between homelessness and mental health that require specialised and coordinated services. The first existing approaches seem to be promising in their continuation but need to be promoted by social policy.
Social implications
To promote social cohesion in the Luxembourgish society and also to include one of the most vulnerable people, the study points to the importance of the link between homelessness and compromised mental health. Appropriate support and service provision as well as social and affordable housing play a central role.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind, revealing several social work stakeholders’ perspective on the mental health of homeless people in Luxembourg.
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Miguel Afonso Sellitto, Maria Soares de Lima, Leandro Tomasin da Silva, Nelson Kadel Jr and Maria Angela Butturi
The purpose of the article is to identify relevant criteria for decision support in the implementation of waste-to-energy (WtE)-based systems.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the article is to identify relevant criteria for decision support in the implementation of waste-to-energy (WtE)-based systems.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology is a simple case study with a qualitative approach. Five experts involved in the project of a thermoelectric power plant qualitatively evaluated, on a Likert scale, a decision model with 15 indicators derived from recent studies. The research object was the first stage of a project to implement a thermoelectric plant employing municipal solid waste (MSW) in southern Brazil.
Findings
The study identified 15 criteria supporting the decision-making process regarding WtE implementation for MSW in a mid-sized city in southern Brazil. The study identified that compliance with MSW legislation, compliance with energy legislation, initial investment and public health impact are the most influential criteria. The study offered two models for decision processes: a simplified one and a complete one, with ten and fifteen indicators, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
The study concerns mid-sized municipalities in southern Brazil.
Practical implications
Municipal public managers have now a methodology based on qualitative evaluation that admits multiple perspectives, such as technical, economic, environmental and social, to support decision-making processes on WtE technologies for MSW.
Social implications
MSW management initiatives can yield jobs and revenues for vulnerable populations and provide a correct destination for MSW, mainly in developing countries.
Originality/value
The main originality is that now municipal public decision-makers have a structured model based on four constructs (technical, economic, environmental and social) deployed in 15 indicators to support decision-making processes involving WtE and MSW management.
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