Search results

Building on stimulus organism response theory, the current study examines the influence of channel integration quality dimensions (channel service configuration and integrated interactions) on the omnichannel retail store's shoppers' satisfaction, trust and commitment, subsequently leading to customer citizenship behavior (CCB). It examines the relationships proposed against boundary conditions, the number of channels used during the purchase and gender.

The research is descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional investigation. It was conducted using data from 451 Indian omnichannel shoppers using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The proposed conceptual model was tested using PLS-SEM and PLS-MGA.

The results indicate that channel service configuration positively impact the dimensions of relationship quality of the omnichannel shoppers. However, integrated interactions influence trust and commitment directly but affect satisfaction indirectly through trust. Subsequently, relationship quality significantly explains CCB. The model results show r2 = 0.402 for CCB; that is, 40.2% of CCB is explained by channel integration and relationship quality. The moderating effect of the number of purchase channels used and gender on all proposed relationships were tested. PLS-MGA results revealed channel service configuration led to shopper commitment, subsequently impacting CCB. The effect was more among shoppers who used more than 2 channels. The impact of channel service configuration on commitment was seen more among female shoppers. Male and female shoppers exhibited satisfaction-driven and trust-driven citizenship behavior, respectively.

The study is carried out in the Indian population, where omnichannel retailing is still in the nascent stage.

This is the first study to demonstrate channel integration quality may influence customer citizenship behavior through relationship quality dimensions, tested against boundary conditions, the number of channels used during the purchase and gender. The findings from this research would help retail store managers design their omnichannel operations to encourage firm-beneficial value co-creation behaviors among omnichannel shoppers.

This study aims to understand how different levels of streamer channels influence luxury brand sales in live streaming commerce. This study also seeks to understand the conditions under which luxury brands may benefit more from different level streamer channels.

Panel data were collected from 17 international luxury brands on the Douyin live streaming platform in an 18 week period from August to December 2020 and analyzed by using a two-way fixed effects model.

The authors compared different mega-, macro- and micro-streamer channels within live streaming commerce and found that the densities of mega- and macro-streamer channels had significant positive impacts on luxury brand sales in live streaming commerce. Moreover, the effects of the density of streamer channel on luxury brand sales were moderated by such variables as product line breadth, product line depth, product type (star/non-star) and product price (high/low). The authors found that product line breadth and depth could reduce the positive impact of the densities of mega- and macro-streamer channels on luxury brand sales. For star products and high-priced products, the relationship between the density of mega-streamer channel and luxury brand sales was more likely to be observed than for non-star products and low-priced products. The relationship between the density of macro-streamer channel and luxury brand sales was more likely to be observed in low-priced products than in high-priced products.

The findings make important contributions to the literature in that the authors expand the influencer-brand fit theory by proposing a new model of effects of the densities of mega-, macro- and micro-streamer channels on sales performance across different luxury products to improve our understanding of the fit among influencers, brands and products. This helps luxury brands make basic decisions of “who sells” and “sells what” when engaging in live streaming commerce.

Product discounts have been widely applied in digital commerce as a method to attract and retain customers to purchase in China. Given that digital channels differ in their attributes, customers may behave differently when they respond to the same discount across channels. However, little attention has been paid to explore the heterogeneity of customer responses to discounts across channels. This study aims to fill in the gap by exploring how customers’ purchase responses to price discounts differ across digital channels.

This study applies a Poisson regression to an unbalanced data set of purchasing history from Chinese footwear brands with 3,510 customers in a two-year time window across the three digital channels (i.e. personal computer [PC], app and mobile website), with a correction for endogeneity by using the Gaussian copula method.

This paper finds that price discounts have the strongest positive effect on consumers’ purchase volumes on the PC channel, followed by the app channel, while discounts show the weakest impact in the mobile website channel. By so, this paper demonstrates that customers respond differently to online and mobile channels, and they also respond differently within mobile channels when they purchase products with price discounts.

This study is original in analyzing the difference in customers’ discount responses across digital channels, offering valuable contributions to existing research on multichannel marketing as well as mobile marketing and providing helpful insights for multichannel merchants to design digital discount strategies.

Despite the extensive academic interest in electronic word of mouth (eWOM) communication, consumer attitudes toward eWOM communication have been neglected. The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for attitudes toward eWOM communication across digital channels.

Data were collected through a web-based survey on seven major digital communication channels. ANOVA was applied in order to analyze their differences. In addition, structural equation modeling was used to test the eWOM attitude model, using a sample of 864 participants who have had prior experience with the channels under study.

Findings indicate that both attitude toward eWOM and its antecedents significantly differ across channels. Additionally, a path analysis model reveals that the original integrated model applies to eWOM communications. Yet, in the case of eWOM, irritating messages may be positively related to attitude toward the channel, and credibility serves as a mediator of message value.

This paper supports the notion that attitude toward eWOM communication significantly differs across media channels. Future research should examine additional implications of attitude toward eWOM, and explore new and evolving channels.

Practitioners should adjust their eWOM media strategy to their objectives; blogs and social networks are more effective for brand attitude formation, whereas web forums enhance message credibility.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research study that tests attitudinal differences toward eWOM across digital channels. As such, it contributes to the understanding of people’s perception of these platforms.

Porous medium has always been introduced as an environment for increasing heat transfer in cooling systems. However, increase in heat transfer and resolving pressure drop in the fluid flow have been focused on by researchers.The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of creating porous micro-channels inside porous macro-blocks to optimize system performance in channels.

To simulate flow field, a developed numerical code that solves Navier–Stokes equations by finite volume method and semi-implicit method for pressure linked equations (SIMPLE) algorithm will be used together with bi-disperse porous medium (BDPM) method. Working fluid is air with Pr = 0.7 in laminar state. Influence of permeability changes by creation of micro-channels containing porous medium in vertical, horizontal and cross-shape patterns will be investigated.

By creating porous micro-channels inside macro-blocks, not only does the heat transfer increase significantly but the pressure also drops remarkably. Increase in performance evaluation criteria (PEC) is more evident in lower Reynolds numbers that can increase the PEC to 75 per cent by creating cross-shape micro-channels. By changing the permeability of micro-channels, PEC will increase by reducing the pressure drop but it has minor changes in Nu.

The current work is applicable to optimizing system performance by decreasing the pressure drop and increasing the heat transfer.

The developed patterns are useful in increasing the system performance including the increase in heat transfer and decrease in pressure drop in systems such as air coolers required in electrical circuits.

Development and optimization of system performance by new patterns using BDPM in comparison to the previous patterns.

The purpose of this paper is to present the embossing as a replication technique for structuring fuel channels in the anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).

The anode laminate, which was exposed to embossing, consisted of eight layers of isostatic pressed Ni-yttria-stabilized zirconia tapes (Ni-YSZ). Preheating the mould and soaking the laminate in the plasticizer was applied before structuring of the channels to soften the laminate. Compressing tests were carried out to investigate the embossing ability of the Ni-YSZ laminate and to find the optimal processing parameters. Embossing was carried out with a testing machine, and the samples were exposed to embossing forces in the range up 20 kN with a certain speed of compression and a dwell time.

The embossing parameters (force of compression, speed of compression and dwell time) suitable for proper fuel channels formation were established. Shapes, profiles and dimensions of the embossed channels were analysed and compared to the micromachined channels. The model of the SOFC with embossed fuel channels was completed, and its current-voltage characteristic was measured.

Experiments proved that embossing can be the alternative method for patterning fuel microchannels in SOFCs. Embossing simplifies the process of fuel channel formation and reduces the time of SOFC fabrication. It is necessary to improve the geometry and quality of the mould formation to make the fuel channels deeper and of better surface finish.

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media channels and determine whether the embedded social media channels enhance the overall experience of travelers using the hotel Web sites.

A true-experimental, between-group and post-test-only design was used to address the primary research questions. Two privately accessible complete versions of the Web site (one with embedded social media channels and one without them) were designed for the experiment. The uses and gratifications approach was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Data were analyzed using ANOVA.

The results of this study revealed that embedded social media channels on the hotel Web site enhanced travelers’ social gratifications of perceived social interaction. Apart from these benefits for travelers seeking social gratifications, embedded social media channels did not enhance the overall experience (content and process gratifications) of travelers using the Web site.

In the case of embedded social media on hotel Web sites, this study suggests that hotel managers measure return on engagement to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media, instead of return on investment.

The study revealed that the emergence of embedded social media channels and their integration on hotel Web sites will have significant influence on travelers who seek social gratifications.

The findings of this study offer new empirical evidence that embedded social media channels enhance only travelers’ perceived social interaction during their first visit to the hotel Web site.

This paper aims to analyze the role of social networks on the job search choices of the unemployed. If social networks convey useful information in the job search process, individuals with larger networks should experience a higher productivity of informal search channels. This in turn affects the choice of formal search intensity and the reservation wage. The paper seeks to test these search‐theoretic implications of productive social networks empirically.

The authors use the IZA Evaluation Dataset containing detailed information on job search behavior of recently unemployed individuals. Observing a rich array of personality traits and direct measures of the social network, the authors choose an identification approach based on observable characteristics using least squares and binary probit regression analysis.

The findings confirm theoretical expectations. Individuals with larger networks use informal search channels more often and shift from formal to informal search. In addition to that, evidence is found for a positive relationship between network size and reservation wages.

The extent to which networks are used during job search most likely also depends on the quality of the network, which cannot be observed in the data. However, as the network significantly changes the observable formal job search effort of individuals, public job search monitoring policies should take these effects into account.

The paper complements the previous body of literature on the role of social networks in the labor market that predominantly focuses on labor market outcomes. By highlighting the interaction between networks and job search choices the paper improves the understanding of realized labor market outcomes in the presence of networks.

The consumption of news from social media is the new trend, still news channels are the authentic source to transmit relevant news to audiences. Social media has gradually left an impact on the audience but the news channels have upgraded and providing various news services online on social media websites. The present study aims to study the type of news videos uploaded by the top five Hindi TV news channels on their YouTube channels with an aim to see which type of videos spark interest for YouTube viewers.

By applying the techniques of content analysis, sentiment analysis and text mining the study aims to measure the average sentiments, top words and the trend of selected popular terms in the comments on uploaded news videos by the top five Hindi news channels over a period of one year.

Results of the study indicate that the news channels are uploading more news videos about crime and investigation, politics, health and protests while uploading fewer news videos covering travel, science and technology, and religion. While the viewers of the participating news channels are more interested in giving their thoughts or opinions in the form of comments on news videos concerning crime, politics, protests and health or that these videos inspire conversation on YouTube.

The findings might be of interest to content managers of news channels to understand the interest of their audience.

The study's distinctiveness resides in the approach utilised to collect data and analyse the results in order to better understand the online behaviour of news channel audiences.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-01-2022-0007

The selection of marketing channels by vegetable producers directly affects the income of producers and is important for the maintenance of a stable supply of vegetables and food control. The purpose of this paper is threefold: to investigate the cooperative selection of vegetable marketing channels; to identify the factors that influence the selection of marketing channels by professional vegetable cooperatives by comparing emerging and traditional circulation modes; and to solve the problems related to vegetable circulation channels in Beijing.

A total of 187 valid questionnaires were collected from seven main vegetable production districts in Beijing urban areas from September to December 2017, with a response rate of 89 percent. Binary logistic regression was used for analysis in this study.

Results revealed that the cooperatives mainly selected large wholesalers, wholesale markets, supermarkets and electronic commerce as their marketing channels for their vegetables. Estimation results showed that among the 18 influencing factors in the four categories, the educational level of the person in charge and some other factors significantly influence the selection of these four distribution channels by the cooperatives.

Due to the lack of time and energy, this paper does not analyze the factors influencing a cooperative’s choice of different e-commerce platforms. If this problem can be solved, it will definitely promote the development of e-commerce in rural areas.

The results obtained in the present study and their implications could help policy makers establish a science-based and reasonable policy to encourage vegetable producers to participate in the new circulation modes of vegetables in Beijing and ensure their income in the vegetable supply chain. This study suggests methods to improve the vegetable sector in other cities facing similar issues.