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The purpose of this study is to describe latent classes explaining the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies. Innovativeness is a driver of competitive performance and vital to the long-term success of any organisation and company.

Using finite mixture structural equation modelling (FMSEM), the authors have classified innovation logic into latent classes. The method analyses and recognises classes for companies that have similar logic in innovation activities based on the collected data.

Through FMSEM analysis, the authors have identified three latent classes that explain the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies – LC1: the internal innovators; LC2: the non-innovation-oriented introverts; and LC3: the innovation-oriented extroverts. These three latent classes clearly capture the perceptions within the industry as well as the different characteristics and variables.

The presented latent classes explain innovation logic but is limited to analysing Finnish companies. Also, the research is quantitative by nature and does not increase the understanding in the same manner as qualitative research might capture on more specific aspects.

This paper presents starting points for construction industry companies to intensify innovation activities. It may also indicate more fundamental changes for the structure of construction industry organisations, especially by enabling innovation friendly culture.

This study describes innovation logic in Finnish construction companies through three models (LC1–LC3) by using quantitative data analysed with the FMSEM method. The fundamental innovation challenges in the Finnish construction companies are clarified via the identified latent classes.

Previous research has focused on the outcomes of telework, investigating the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking for employees. However, these investigations do not examine whether there are differences between teleworkers when evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking. The aim of this study is to identify of distinct classes of teleworkers based on the advantages and disadvantages that teleworking has for them.

This study used secondary survey data collected by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). A sample of 842 people was used for this study. To identify the distinct classes of teleworkers, their perceived advantages and disadvantages of teleworking were analyzed using latent class analysis.

Three different classes of teleworkers were distinguished. Furthermore, sociodemographic covariates were incorporated into the latent class model, revealing that the composition of the classes varied in terms of education level, household income, and the amount of time spent on teleworking per week. This study also examined the influence of these emergent classes on employees’ experience of teleworking.

This study contributes to previous research investigating if telework is advantageous or disadvantageous for teleworkers, acknowledging that teleworkers are not identical and may respond differently to teleworking.

This study explores the differences and similarities of work value profiles in samples of business students from four countries with markedly different cultures and labor markets.

We used multiple-group latent profile analysis (LPA) to explore the differences and similarities in work value profiles across cultures (n = 317 from Switzerland, n = 313 from Spain, n = 326 from the United States and n = 327 from China).

The latent profiles mostly show similarities across countries: the largest profiles are a want it all and a humble profile with overall high and intermediate levels in all work values. An overall low work value levels profile and one stressing high security and pay emerged in all countries except Switzerland. In the Swiss sample, two unique profiles emerged: the no status and freelancers profiles.

This study has implications for employee attraction, relations and career counseling with culturally diverse populations.

Studies on work values across cultures most often make direct comparisons between samples, which can lead to excessive emphasis on sometimes small differences. By first studying within-culture differences before comparing the results across cultures, we find that there may be more similarities than differences in work values across cultures and that cross-cultural differences may have often been overstated.

This study aims to explore and segment consumer preferences for electric and hybrid vehicles in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Turkey, focusing on understanding the various factors that influence consumer decisions in these markets.

Using latent class analysis (LCA) on data collected through online surveys and discrete choice experiments, this research categorizes consumers into distinct segments. The approach allows for a nuanced understanding of how various factors such as income level, fuel cost, age, CO₂ emissions, purchase price, vehicle range, policy policies and environmental concerns interact with shape consumer preferences.

The analysis uncovers significant heterogeneity in consumer preferences for electric and hybrid vehicles across Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Turkey, revealing four key segments: “Eco-Driven Innovators,” “Value-Focused Pragmatists,” “Tech-Savvy Early Adopters” and “Reluctant Traditionalists.” “Eco-Driven Innovators” prioritize environmental benefits and are less sensitive to price, demonstrating a strong inclination toward vehicle CO₂ emissions and policy policies. “Value-Focused Pragmatists” weigh economic factors heavily, showing a sharp interest in fuel costs and purchase prices but are open to considering electric and hybrid vehicles if they present clear long-term savings. Technology-savvy early adopters are attracted by the latest technological advancements in vehicles, regardless of the type, and are motivated by factors beyond just environmental concerns or cost savings. Lastly, “Reluctant Traditionalists” exhibit minimal interest in electric and hybrid vehicles due to concerns over charging infrastructure and upfront costs. This detailed segmentation illustrates the diverse motivations and barriers influencing consumer choices, from governmental policies and environmental concerns to individual financial considerations and technological appeal.

This study stands out for its pioneering application of LCA to dissect the complexity of consumer preferences for electric and hybrid vehicles, a methodological approach not widely used in this research domain. Using LCA, the authors are able to uncover nuanced consumer segments, each with distinct preferences and motivations, providing a depth of insight into market dynamics that traditional analysis methods may overlook. This approach enables a more granular understanding of how diverse factors – ranging from environmental concerns to economic considerations and technological attributes – interact to shape consumer choices in different countries. The findings not only fill a critical gap in the existing literature by mapping the intricate landscape of consumer preferences, but also offer a novel perspective on strategizing market interventions. Therefore, the application of LCA enriches the discourse on sustainable transportation, offering stakeholders, manufacturers, policymakers and researchers – a refined toolkit for navigating the evolving market dynamics and fostering the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles.

This paper reports on a project looking at consumer perceptions of terroir in the UK, using cheese as a stimulus for the data collection.

Data collection was based on a consumer survey using a discrete choice experiment which included a number of cues to, and stories about, terroir. Analysis of preferences produced three latent classes with varying attitudes towards terroir cues for cheese. There was also an open-ended question giving rise to a qualitative analysis of respondents understanding of the work “terroir”.

When faced with the terroir cues most used some positively to make their choices. A PDO label and stories about the production region and method and business structure all generally offered positive utility.

Terroir is a widely used term in the marketing of (especially) wine, particularly in Europe, offering a form of authenticity and has been very important in policies to sustain the economies of otherwise declining rural areas. It has been adopted by producers in the English-speaking world but is less widely recognised, by consumers. The significance of this study is that it is the first large-scale survey of British consumer perceptions around a key tool for rural businesses – terroir – and one of the first around a non-wine product, and it explores the stories which resonate most effectively with consumers.

Local food impacts tourist satisfaction and drives the choice of a tourist destination. However, it is not clear which attributes of local food products drive tourists’ preferences. More specifically, little is known about potential segments in the tourist market. Acknowledging consumers’ divergent inclinations, we explore tourist preferences toward local food attributes through a market segmentation approach.

This study uses the Best-Worst Scaling method to examine the preferences of 311 tourists for attributes of local food products that are known to affect their choices. We employ a Latent Class Analysis to identify market segments with distinct preferences.

Results indicate that tourists prioritize taste, quality, authenticity, healthiness, connection to local culture and tradition and environmental friendliness over price, appearance, enhancement of local economy, availability and packaging. We further identify three segments: Sensory Seekers, Cultural Experiencers, and Price Conscious. The largest segment, Sensory Seekers, is driven by taste and quality attributes, while Cultural Experiencers prioritize connection to local culture and authenticity. The Price Conscious segment places a greater emphasis on price than the other segments. Cultural Experiencers demonstrate the highest willingness to pay for local food products.

The positioning of local products should target Cultural Experiencers. Agri-firms and state agencies promoting a tourist destination internationally can also use the connection to local culture and authenticity in their marketing campaigns.

Our research contributes to food marketing literature by showing which local food attributes drive tourist preferences. Moreover, we uncover unobservable heterogeneous preferences among tourists.

Reducing carbon emissions in agriculture is vital for fostering sustainable agricultural growth and promoting ecological well-being in rural areas. The adoption of Low-Carbon Agriculture (LCA) by farmers holds great potential to accomplish substantial reductions in carbon emissions. The purpose of this study is to explore the farmers' preference and willingness to engage in LCA.

This study employs the Choice Experiment (CE) method to examine farmers' preferences and willingness to adopt LCA, using field survey data of 544 rural farmers in the Weihe River Basin between June and July 2023. We further investigate differences in willingness to pay (WTP) and personal characteristics among different farmer categories.

The empirical results reveal that farmers prioritize government-led initiatives providing pertinent technical training as a key aspect of the LCA program. Farmers' decisions to participate in LCA are influenced by factors including age, gender, education and the proportion of farm income in household income, with their evaluations further shaped by subjective attitudes and habits. Notably, we discovered that nearly half of the farmers exhibit indifference towards LCA attributes.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to investigate farmers' attitudes toward LCA from their own perspectives and to analyze the factors influencing them from both subjective and objective standpoints. This study presents a fresh perspective for advocating LCA, bolstering rural ecology and nurturing sustainable development in developing nations.

The purpose of this study was to explore school principals’ job crafting profiles during the prolonged COVID-19 crisis in 2021, and investigate profile differences regarding principals’ own perceived servant leadership, stress and work meaningfulness.

Using latent profile analysis (LPA), two job crafting profiles were identified: (1) active crafters (55%) and (2) average crafters (45%). By auxiliary measurement-error-weighted-method (BCH), we examined whether and how job crafting profiles differed in terms of servant leadership, stress and work meaningfulness.

Active crafters reported higher than the overall mean level of approach-oriented job crafting (increasing job resources and demands), whereas average crafters reported an overall mean level of approach-oriented job crafting. Avoidance-oriented job crafting by decreasing hindering job demands did not differentiate the two profiles. Active crafters reported significantly higher servant leadership behavior, stress and work meaningfulness than average crafters.

Study findings provide new knowledge and reflect the implications that the unprecedented pandemic had for education. This study contributes to the existing literature within the scholarship of job crafting through empirical research during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. For practitioners, these study findings reflect contextual constraints, organizational processes and culture, and leadership in workplaces.

This article explores the heterogenous social mechanisms that drive responsible environmental behaviours by investigating differences in the mean effect of the psychosocial determinants of the intention to buy organic foods.

Using data for a representative sample of the Spanish population, we estimated the mean effect of the constructs represented in the responsible environmental behaviour (REB) theory that affect sustainable food consumption, and examined the social mechanisms that may explain heterogeneity in the mean effect of those constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis, linear regression, and latent class regression were used in the analysis.

We found that the effect of REB’s psychosocial constructs varied significantly, demonstrating social heterogeneity in the estimated average effect. We identified different social mechanisms that explain variations in organic food purchase intentions: environmental attitudes and social norms shape these intentions among socioeconomically privileged consumers, whereas personal norms shape these intentions among less socially advantaged consumers.

Our research contributes to the literature by highlighting the existence of differing social mechanisms explaining organic food purchase intentions. The uncovering of three social mechanisms explaining differences in the mean effect of factors driving those intentions provides valuable insights with regard to both further developing a holistic framework for responsible environmental behaviours and developing new public policies and marketing strategies aimed at improving sustainable food consumption.

Effective customer journey design (ECJD) is considered a key variable in customer experience management and an essential source of brand meaning and pro-brand behavior. Although previous research has confirmed its importance for driving brand attitudes and loyalty, the role of consumer-brand identification as a social identity-based influence in this relationship has not yet been discussed. Drawing on construal level and social identity theories, this paper aims to investigate whether effective journeys and the resulting overall journey experience are equally powerful in driving brand loyalty among customers with different levels of consumer-brand identification.

The present article develops and tests a research model using data from the European and US service sectors (N = 1,454) to investigate how and when ECJD affects service brand loyalty.

Across two cultural contexts, four service industries and 33 service brands, the results reveal that ECJD is a crucial driver of service brand loyalty for customers with low consumer-brand identification. Moreover, the findings show that different aspects of journey effectiveness positively impact the valence of customers’ experience related to those journeys – a process that is ultimately decisive for their brand loyalty.

This study is unique because it generates theoretical and practical knowledge by combining the literature streams of customer journey design, customer experience and branding. Furthermore, this work demonstrates that consumer-brand identification is a critical boundary condition to be considered in the relationship between ECJD and brand loyalty in services.