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This paper aims to develop preliminary damage scenarios for unreinforced masonry buildings located in low to moderate seismic hazard areas in Algeria, taking into account the specific site effects.

Three soil types were considered in this analysis according to the definition of the Algerian seismic code (RPA99/2003). Peak ground acceleration values were assigned to each soil type issued from a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA). To highlight the effect of soil conditions on the seismic vulnerability analysis of masonry buildings, a site vulnerability increment is carried out, and the macroseismic Risk-UE method has been adopted and applied by developing two main seismic scenarios according to both return periods of the PSHA, 100 and 475 years, respectively.

Based on the preliminary results of rock site condition, it can be outlined that the significant damage obtained for different earthquake scenarios discovered a substantial worldwide seismic risk to the building stock of the study area. Once the site effect is integrated into the analysis, more high values of vulnerability indexes and expected damages are obtained. Moreover, it can be concluded that soft soil (S3) is a little bit more influential than stiff soil (S2) on the final vulnerability index compared to (S1). However, the difference between the soil effect S2 and S3 on the vulnerability index can be neglected.

Researchers are encouraged to test the mechanical approaches for more detailed outcomes of a specific building analysis.

This research proves to the Algerian decision-makers that due to the site effects and the vulnerability of the masonry buildings, an urgent intervention program is required even for existing buildings located in low to moderate seismic hazard areas.

Several seismic vulnerability types of research have been conducted in Algeria for the unreinforced masonry buildings in moderate to high seismic areas in which generally the soil effect is neglected. In this context, this research paper proves that due to the site effects and the vulnerability of the masonry buildings, special attention is required even for existing buildings located in low to moderate seismic hazard areas. With this conclusion, the requirement of taking into account the soli effect in the high seismic areas is even more pronounced and should be conducted.

The aim of this study was to address the unmet information needs of Malawian informal carers. We report on a three-year project which we co-created with informal carers, medical doctors and NGOs with the view to disseminate health advisory messages.

This study was developed on the principles of co-production. The impact of our health advisory messaging approach was assessed through observations and questionnaire-based surveys for quality, clarity and usefulness.

The messages were disseminated beyond the local support groups and reached a much wider community via word of mouth. The messages also led to short and medium term benefits for informal carers and their loved ones.

Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the contextual conditions of informal caring and that of co-producing interventions with the people these aim to benefit.

The use of digital technologies in the financial service industry has brought new complexities to the corporate governance in banks. Relying on the agency perspective of the shareholder, debtholder and societal governance in banks, this research examines the impact of financial technology innovation (FinTech) on banks' performance by enlightening the monitoring role of female independent directors.

Relying on a sample of Italian banks observed during the period 2016–2020, the authors hand-collected data on the use of FinTech by considering (1) the in-house provisions of FinTech solutions, (2) the collaboration with external FinTech firms and (3) a combination of both measures. The authors run a panel data regression analysis with fixed effects, measuring bank performance through bank competitiveness and bank riskiness.

The authors find that FinTech increases bank competitiveness in gathering money from depositors and that independent women on board mitigate the negative relationship between FinTech and the riskiness of banks' assets, ameliorating the conflicting interests among shareholders, debtholder and societal governance.

This study emphasizes the complexities of bank governance when dealing with FinTech in the wider perspective of equity governance, debt governance and the societal governance spotlighting the importance of appointing female directors in independent positions to enhance the bright sides of financial innovation. The authors enrich the literature on FinTech with a finer understanding of the drivers and implications of in-house provisions of FinTech solutions versus the collaboration with external FinTech firms.

This study aims to investigate how brand love and brand loyalty for three brands evolved during critical moments of the 2020 pandemic, and how they performed in the long run up to 2022.

An online longitudinal study, including a survey and Twitter data for three brands: Corona Extra, with a direct semantic association with the word coronavirus; Virus Vodka, with an indirect association; Modelo Especial, with no association with the virus name but from the same company as Corona Extra.

Despite external data indicating a harmful association between Corona Extra and coronavirus, this study's findings revealed that the brand maintained its brand love in the long run and increased brand loyalty during the critical moments of the pandemic. This study's data suggest that brand love and brand loyalty may be the underlying reasons for the increase in Corona Extra's brand equity during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a highly stressful situation for consumers and brands. Some brands' names had unfortunate semantic similarities with the virus terminology, which became an additional stressor during that time. This study harnessed the opportunity to investigate brand love and brand loyalty during the pandemic at four points in 2020 and one in 2022. The authors also examined relevant Twitter data during 2020.

This study aims to propose a facilitating methodology for the application of Fuzzy FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis), comparing the traditional approach with fuzzy variations, supported by a case application in the aeronautical sector.

Based on experts' opinions in risk analysis within the aeronautical sector, rules governing the relationship between severity, occurrence, detection and risk factor were defined. This served as input for developing a fuzzyfied FMEA tool using the Matlab Fuzzy Logic Toolbox. The tool was applied to the sealing process in a company within the aeronautical sector, using triangular and trapezoidal membership functions, and the results were compared with the traditional FMEA approach.

The results of the comparative application of traditional FMEA and fuzzyfied FMEA using triangular and trapezoidal functions have yielded valuable insights into risk analysis. The findings indicated that fuzzyfied FMEA maintained coherence with the traditional analysis in identifying higher-risk effects, aligning with the prioritization of critical failure modes. Additionally, fuzzyfied FMEA allowed for a more refined prioritization by accounting for variations in each variable through fuzzy rules, thereby improving the accuracy of risk analysis and providing a more realistic representation of potential hazards. The application of the developed fuzzyfied FMEA approach showed promise in enhancing risk assessment in the aeronautical sector by considering uncertainties and offering a more detailed and context-specific analysis compared to conventional FMEA.

This study emphasizes the potential of fuzzyfied FMEA in enhancing risk assessment by accurately identifying critical failure modes and providing a more realistic representation of potential hazards. The application case reveals that the proposed tool can be integrated with expert knowledge to improve decision-making processes and risk mitigation strategies within the aeronautical industry. Due to its straightforward approach, this facilitating methodology could also prove beneficial in other industrial sectors.

This paper presents the development and application of a facilitating methodology for implementing Fuzzy FMEA, comparing it with the traditional approach and incorporating variations using triangular and trapezoidal functions. This proposed methodology uses the Toolbox Fuzzy Logic of Matlab to create a fuzzyfied FMEA tool, enabling a more nuanced and context-specific risk analysis by considering uncertainties.

Drawing on the self-congruity theory and customer engagement literature, this research accounts for the influence of the three dimensions of customer self-congruity on customer engagement with global brands by uncovering the mediating mechanism of brand psychological ownership and moderating mechanism of global connectedness. The research framework is tested across developed and developing country contexts to highlight any cultural differences in the drivers of customer engagement with global brands.

Data were collected from developed (USA; n = 270) and developing (India; n = 273) countries through two online surveys and tested, employing structural equation modeling, across the two markets to investigate cross-cultural variations.

Social self-congruity has the strongest influence on customer engagement for USA consumers, while all three forms of self-congruity are equally important in India. Psychological ownership consistently works as the mediating mechanism across both contexts. While global connectedness accentuates the relationship between self-congruity and brand psychological ownership for Indian consumers, it attenuates the relationship amongst USA consumers.

While prior literature mainly establishes a direct link between self-congruity and customer engagement, this study provides a deeper understanding of the self-congruity–customer engagement relationship by: a) investigating the mediating role of psychological ownership; b) examining the moderating role of global connectedness and c) studying all three forms of self-congruity (i.e. actual, ideal and social) simultaneously. The study, testing the framework in developing and developed country settings, highlights cultural nuances in forming customer engagement with global brands.