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Propagation of electromagnetic waves through InP‐based integrated optics structures is directly simulated by solving the full vectorial wave equation in parabolic approximation for the transversal components Hx and Hy of the magnetic intensity vector H. A novel scheme based on the alternating‐directions split‐step finite‐difference technique in combination with the Crank Nicolson scheme is introduced providing exact treatment of the field quantities at the dielectric interfaces between waveguide core and cladding. The method described is applied to the solution of the fundamental mode in a buried rectangular dielectric waveguide and to the numerical optimization of a tapered matching structure.

Evidence from previous literature indicates that adopting a new innovative technology has a positive impact on a company’s business performance. Much less work has been carried out into examining whether a technology adoption has impact on corporate reputation. This paper aims to examine the latter topic in a context where social media is the channel used to share news about the introduction of a new technology. The empirical setting of the study consists of five retail companies located in the USA that decided to include Bitcoin as a payment platform.

Twitter data were used to measure how sharing news about the adoption of new technology could affect the reputation of the companies selected, keeping a clear distinction between the volume of data relating to social media responses and the sentiment expressed in the tweets. A panel vector autoregression model was used to incorporate series of data relating to news items, volume and sentiment.

The results show that the news about the adoption of a new technology has a positive impact on both the volume of tech-related tweets and the sentiment expressed in the tweets themselves, although the patterns of these two effects are different. The resulting impact decreases after a few days, both in volume and in sentiment.

The analysis has limitations that future research could address by extending and diversifying the examined companies and the social media used as data sources. The research suggests that managers in medium-sized companies can leverage on the introduction of new technologies that have a direct impact on their customers and gain reputational benefits in terms of immediate visibility.

The research introduces an additional dimension of analysis to the current stream of corporate reputation. Although the literature has already covered the dynamics of response to events on Twitter, by focusing on the adoption of the new Bitcoin technology, the paper provides novel insights.

This study investigated business-to-business (B2B) repeated purchase intent and its relationships with customer value and customer satisfaction. Additionally, it explored the link between willingness to purchase again, switching costs and product returns management. Modern customers are more likely to switch suppliers; however, previous research suggests that this behaviour can be attenuated by a robust returns management experience. The purpose of this study was to provide a revised model of B2B repeated purchase intent that integrates the concept of product returns management and switching costs with existing B2B customer repurchase intent models.

First, a qualitative inquiry based on semi-structured interviews was conducted to test and develop a quantitative survey. Then a survey was then sent to business owners operating in the audiology industry. Finally, there were 317 responses.

The authors reveal the complex relationship between returns management and repeated purchase intent. Specifically, the authors’ results indicate that the effect of product returns on repurchase intent is opposite to the effect of customer value, depending on the value of customer value. The authors’ findings indicate that even when switching costs are low, firms can positively impact the intent to purchase again in the future if they increase the level of customer satisfaction. In addition, the authors’ findings indicate that in the context of B2B a high/low level of customer satisfaction does not trigger a positive effect of managing product returns on repurchase intent.

This study was the first to introduce the concept of product returns management to research on B2B repurchase intent.

The purpose of this paper is to find a sustainable facility location solution for a closed-loop distribution network in the uncertain environment created by of high levels of product returns from online retailing coupled with growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions.

A case study approach attempts to optimize the distribution centre (DC) location decision for single and double hub scenarios. A hybrid approach combining centre of gravity and mixed integer programming is established for the un-capacitated multiple allocation facility location problem. Empirical data from a major national UK retail distributor network is used to validate the model.

The paper develops a contemporary model that can take into account multiple factors (e.g. operational and transportation costs and supply chain (SC) risks) while improving performance on environmental sustainability.

Based on varying product return rates, SC managers can decide whether to choose a single or a double hub solution to meet their needs. The study recommends a two hub facility location approach to mitigate emergent SC risks and disruptions.

A two-stage hybrid approach outlines a unique technique to generate candidate locations under twenty-first century conditions for new DCs.

This study verifies the influence of the dimensions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and consumer involvement on the identification of the individual with the company and the corporate reputation, moderated by the product category.

A covariance-based structural equation modelling is used to test the model, using a sample of 568 Argentine consumers. A multigroup analysis is employed to assess the moderating effect of the product category.

CSR practices have heterogeneous influence based on their dimension, and this influence is moderated by the product category. Accordingly, environmental practices promote consumer identification with the company, whereas those economically oriented have a direct influence on reputation. In contrast, social practices contribute to reputation if they are connected to the business model.

The study is focussed on Argentina, analysing two product categories (laptops and financial services for final consumers) and using a large, but not strictly random, sample. In order to mainstream the results, it would be relevant to replicate the proposed model in other countries and with other product categories.

It provides information about the perception of consumers regarding the CSR practices from a multi-dimensional perspective, since they have an uneven effect on identification of consumer with the company and corporate reputation due to the moderating effect of the product category. The findings of this study may be relevant for managers of technology and banking service companies.

El presente estudio comprueba la influencia de las dimensiones de las prácticas de responsabilidad social empresarial y de la implicación del consumidor sobre la identificación del individuo con la empresa y sobre la reputación empresarial, moderadas por la categoría de producto.

Se aplican ecuaciones estructurales basadas en covarianzas para contrastar el modelo, empleando una muestra de 568 consumidores argentinos. Se efectúa un análisis multigrupo para analizar el efecto moderador de la categoría de producto.

Las prácticas de RSE tienen influencia heterogénea según su dimensión, moderada la influencia por la categoría de producto. Así, las prácticas ambientales promueven la identificación del consumidor con la empresa mientras que aquéllas con orientación económica influyen directamente sobre la reputación. Por el contrario, las prácticas sociales contribuyen a la reputación si están vinculadas al modelo de negocio.

El estudio se ha focalizado en Argentina, analizando dos categorías de producto (computadoras portátiles y servicios financieros para consumidor final) y usando una muestra elevada pero no estrictamente aleatoria. Para generalizar los resultados sería relevante replicar el modelo planteado en otros países y otras categorías de producto.

Proporciona información sobre la percepción de los consumidores respecto de las prácticas de RSE desde una perspectiva multidimensional, pues éstas tienen efecto dispar sobre la identificación del consumidor con la empresa y la reputación empresarial dado el efecto moderador de la categoría de producto. Los hallazgos de este estudio pueden ser relevantes para gerentes de empresas de tecnología y de servicios bancarios.

Service providers leverage their corporate reputation management efforts to increase revenues by shaping customer attitudes and behaviours, yet the effects on customer innovation adoption and customer value remain unclear. In an extended conceptualisation of customer-based corporate reputation (CBR), the purpose of this paper is to propose that customer perceived risk, perceived value, and service separation are contingencies of the relationship between CBR and two key customer outcomes: customer new product adoption proneness (CPA) and recency-frequency-monetary (RFM) value.

Using a predictive survey approach, 1,001 service customers assess the online or offline operations of six multichannel retailers. The hypothesised model is tested using structural equation modelling and multigroup analysis.

The analysis reveals significant linkages of CBR with perceived risk and perceived value, as well as between perceived risk and perceived value and from perceived value to CPA and RFM value. These linkages vary in strength across unseparated (offline) and separated (online) services.

This study uses cross-sectional data to contribute to literature that relates CBR to relevant customer outcomes by considering CPA and RFM value and investigating contingent factors. It provides conceptual and empirical evidence that price appropriateness represents a new CBR dimension.

The results reveal that CBR reduces customers’ perceived risk and positively affects their perceived value, which drives CPA and RFM value. Multichannel retailers can create rewarding customer relationships by building and nurturing good reputations.

This study is the first to link CBR with customer product adoption proneness and value, two important customer measures. It proposes and tests an extended conceptualisation of CBR.

This study aims to develop a measurement model to help hotels manage their reputation within the context of online reviews and ratings platforms and evaluate the impact of this reputation management on the benefits derived by the hotels, as perceived by their managers.

Partial least squares was used to assess the model and make a causal predictive analysis, using data from a survey of a random sample of 335 Spanish hotel managers and personnel involved in reputation management.

This study shows the operationalization of hotel reputation management as a superordinate second-order construct affecting six individual first-order dimensions, strongly impacting on three key benefits as perceived by hotel managers (i.e. financial benefits, customer relationship benefits and customer-based brand benefits), within the context of online review platforms.

Based on the results of this study, hotel managers can improve the effectiveness of their management of ratings and reviews. They can also learn which aspects they should focus on when managing ratings and reviews.

Based on the opinions of hotel managers, a causal model for managing online reviews was developed and validated. This study shows how reputation management affects the benefits derived by hotels as perceived by their managers.

This study aims to reexamine the discriminant validity of the customer-based corporate reputation (CBR) scale in both its original and short forms.

The authors used data from end-use customers in two countries and two service industries. Results obtained in partial least squares structural equation modeling for the heterotrait–monotrait (HTMT)-based inference test and the Fornell and Larcker criterion were compared to make judgements about the empirical distinctiveness of the CBR scale’s five dimensions.

This study’s findings demonstrate that the CBR scale in both its original and short forms lacks discriminant validity when using the HTMT-based inference test. Conversely, the discriminant validity of the five corporate reputation dimensions is generally supported when using the more liberal Fornell and Larcker criterion.

Future studies using the CBR scale in either the original or its short form should rely on the more stringent HTMT criterion to ensure the discriminant validity of the scale’s five dimensions.

By addressing recent findings regarding the HTMT criterion’s superiority in uncovering discriminant validity issues compared to that of the Fornell and Larcker criterion, this study is the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to reexamine the discriminant validity of the well-known CBR scale.

While remanufactured products represent an increasingly researched phenomenon in the literature, not much is known about consumers' understanding and acceptance of such products. This study explores this issue in the context of the theory of perceived risk (TPR), investigating return policy leniency and distribution channel choice as potential factors to foster remanufactured products' sales.

This research utilizes an experimental design composed of a pre-test and a scenario-based main experiment to explore how return policy leniency might mitigate consumers' perceived risk and how their related purchase intention differs across two types of retail distribution channel structures (i.e. brick-and-mortar vs. online).

The investigation into the efficacy of return policy leniency within two retail distribution channel settings (i.e. brick-and-mortar vs. online) illustrates that providing a lenient return policy is an effective “cue” in increasing consumer purchase intention for remanufactured products. While prior literature has established that consumers value return policy leniency for new products, the authors provide empirical evidence that this preference also applies to remanufactured products. Notably, that return policy preference holds true in both channel settings (i.e. brick-and-mortar vs. online) under consideration. Additionally, and contrary to the authors’ predictions, consumers perceived remanufactured products sold via both channel settings as equally risky, thus highlighting that both are appropriate distribution channels for remanufactured products. Finally, while research on new products provides some initial guidance on consumer perceptions of quality and risk, the study provides empirical evidence into the difference of perceived risk with regard to new versus remanufactured products.

By employing the TPR, this research explored the role played by two supply chain management related factors (returns policy and channel structure) in reducing consumer's perceived risk and increasing purchase intention. In doing so, this study answers the call for more consumer-based supply chain management research in a controlled experimental research setting.

This study conducts a systematic literature review of e-tail product returns research. E-tail product returns are essentially acquisition of products that have been sold through purely online or brick-and-click channels and then returned by consumer to business.

Using a systematic literature review protocol, we identified 75 peer-reviewed articles on e-tail product returns, conducted bibliometric analysis and content analysis of the articles and summarised our findings.

The findings reveal that the subject of e-tail returns is a new research area; academics have started to investigate several aspects of e-tail returns through different research methodologies and theoretical foundations. Further research is required in leading e-commerce countries and on key areas such as omni-channel returns management, customer satisfaction and service, the impact of resources such as people skills, the benefits of technology and IT systems in managing e-tail returns.

The study offers a summative account of current e-tail knowledge areas, which can serve as a reference guide for e-tailers to develop strategies for more efficient and competitive product returns.

This study contributes theoretically by developing clusters of key themes or knowledge areas about e-tail returns. It also provides a conceptual framework for e-tail returns management, which can be used as a springboard for further empirical research.