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1 – 10 of 151
Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 December 2023

Henna M. Leino, Janet Davey and Raechel Johns

Disruptive shocks significantly compromise service contexts, challenging multidimensional value (co)creation. Recent focus has been on consumers experiencing vulnerability in…

Abstract

Purpose

Disruptive shocks significantly compromise service contexts, challenging multidimensional value (co)creation. Recent focus has been on consumers experiencing vulnerability in service contexts. However, the susceptibility of service firms, employees and other actors to the impacts of disruptive shocks has received little attention. Since resource scarcity from disruptive shocks heightens tensions around balancing different needs in the service system, this paper aims to propose a framework of balanced centricity and service system resilience for service sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

Adopting a conceptual model process, the paper integrates resilience and balanced centricity (method theories) with customer/consumer vulnerability (domain theory) resulting in a definition of multiactor vulnerability and related theoretical propositions.

Findings

Depleted, unavailable, or competed over resources among multiple actors constrain resource integration. Disruptive shocks nevertheless have upside potential. The interdependencies of actors in the service system call for deeper examination of multiple parties’ susceptibility to disruptive resource scarcity. The conceptual framework integrates multiactor vulnerability (when multiactor susceptibility to resource scarcity challenges value exchange) with processes of service system resilience, developing three research propositions. Emerging research questions and strategies for balanced centricity provide a research agenda.

Research limitations/implications

A multiactor, balanced centricity perspective extends understanding of value cocreation, service resilience and service sustainability. Strategies for anticipating, coping with and adapting to disruptions in service systems are suggested by using the balanced centricity perspective, offering the potential to maintain (or enhance) the six types of value.

Originality/value

This research defines multiactor vulnerability, extending work on experienced vulnerabilities; describes the multilevel and multiactor perspective on experienced vulnerability in service relationships; and conceptualizes how balanced centricity can decrease multiactor vulnerability and increase service system resilience when mega disruptions occur.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 February 2024

Hina Naz and Muhammad Kashif

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers many benefits to improve predictive marketing practice. It raises ethical concerns regarding customer prioritization, market share…

2204

Abstract

Purpose

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers many benefits to improve predictive marketing practice. It raises ethical concerns regarding customer prioritization, market share concentration and consumer manipulation. This paper explores these ethical concerns from a contemporary perspective, drawing on the experiences and perspectives of AI and predictive marketing professionals. This study aims to contribute to the field by providing a modern perspective on the ethical concerns of AI usage in predictive marketing, drawing on the experiences and perspectives of professionals in the area.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducted semistructured interviews for 6 weeks with 14 participants experienced in AI-enabled systems for marketing, using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Thematic analysis was used to explore themes emerging from the data.

Findings

Results reveal that using AI in marketing could lead to unintended consequences, such as perpetuating existing biases, violating customer privacy, limiting competition and manipulating consumer behavior.

Originality/value

The authors identify seven unique themes and benchmark them with Ashok’s model to provide a structured lens for interpreting the results. The framework presented by this research is unique and can be used to support ethical research spanning social, technological and economic aspects within the predictive marketing domain.

Objetivo

La Inteligencia Artificial (IA) ofrece muchos beneficios para mejorar la práctica del marketing predictivo. Sin embargo, plantea preocupaciones éticas relacionadas con la priorización de clientes, la concentración de cuota de mercado y la manipulación del consumidor. Este artículo explora estas preocupaciones éticas desde una perspectiva contemporánea, basándose en las experiencias y perspectivas de profesionales en IA y marketing predictivo. El estudio tiene como objetivo contribuir a la literatura de este ámbito al proporcionar una perspectiva moderna sobre las preocupaciones éticas del uso de la IA en el marketing predictivo, basándose en las experiencias y perspectivas de profesionales en el área.

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Para realizar el estudio se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas durante seis semanas con 14 participantes con experiencia en sistemas habilitados para IA en marketing, utilizando técnicas de muestreo intencional y de bola de nieve. Se utilizó un análisis temático para explorar los temas que surgieron de los datos.

Resultados

Los resultados revelan que el uso de la IA en marketing podría tener consecuencias no deseadas, como perpetuar sesgos existentes, violar la privacidad del cliente, limitar la competencia y manipular el comportamiento del consumidor.

Originalidad

El estudio identifica siete temas y los comparan con el modelo de Ashok para proporcionar una perspectiva estructurada para interpretar los resultados. El marco presentado por esta investigación es único y puede utilizarse para respaldar investigaciones éticas que abarquen aspectos sociales, tecnológicos y económicos dentro del ámbito del marketing predictivo.

人工智能(AI)为改进预测营销实践带来了诸多益处。然而, 这也引发了与客户优先级、市场份额集中和消费者操纵等伦理问题相关的观点。本文从当代角度深入探讨了这些伦理观点, 充分借鉴了人工智能和预测营销领域专业人士的经验和观点。旨在通过现代视角提供关于在预测营销中应用人工智能时所涉及的伦理观点, 为该领域做出有益贡献。

研究方法

本研究采用了目的性和雪球抽样技术, 与14位在人工智能营销系统领域具有丰富经验的参与者进行为期六周的半结构化访谈。研究采用主题分析方法, 旨在深入挖掘数据中显现的主要主题。

研究发现

研究结果表明, 在营销领域使用人工智能可能引发一系列意外后果, 包括但不限于加强现有偏见、侵犯客户隐私、限制竞争以及操纵消费者行为。

独创性

本研究通过明确定义七个独特的主题, 并采用阿肖克模型进行基准比较, 为读者提供了一个结构化的视角, 以解释研究结果。所提出的框架具有独特之处, 可有效支持在跨足社会、技术和经济领域的预测营销中展开的伦理研究。

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 December 2023

Osvaldo García Mata

Needs change as people get older. Procuring resources to satisfy them can generate anguish and insecurities in consumers due to their financial situation. This study aims to…

Abstract

Purpose

Needs change as people get older. Procuring resources to satisfy them can generate anguish and insecurities in consumers due to their financial situation. This study aims to analyze the relationship between age and financial stress among Mexican adults and estimate the age of their maximum financial stress.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on constructing a financial stress indicator using the confirmatory factor analysis and linear regression models with a quadratic term, employing data from the National Survey on Financial Inclusion 2021.

Findings

Results show that the relationship between age and financial stress follows a quadratic pattern, with a maximum level at age 56, which varies according to sex, marital status, number of dependents, education and regions. These findings interest financial product designers and policy developers who aim to improve consumers' well-being.

Research limitations/implications

Longitudinal studies and indicators, such as financial fragility, are needed to facilitate refining models over time.

Originality/value

There is no evidence of studies that have addressed the age of maximum financial stress in Latin America. Doing so is relevant because identifying the stages in life when adults are most vulnerable to financial stress helps assess its causes more precisely, thus mitigating its adverse effects.

Details

Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Science, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2077-1886

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 9 June 2022

Nadina R. Luca, Marsha Smith and Sally Hibbert

“Social eating initiatives” are framed as a specific type of community-based food service that provides opportunities for people to eat together in local spaces using surplus…

Abstract

“Social eating initiatives” are framed as a specific type of community-based food service that provides opportunities for people to eat together in local spaces using surplus food. These initiatives provide a meal that is fresh, affordable and more environmentally friendly than fast or convenience foods. In this research, we build upon the food well-being model to explore how food consumption is experienced in these community settings and the role of social eating projects in shaping the different dimensions of people's foodscapes. We adopted a community-based participatory approach and engaged in a series of dialogues with staff volunteers and coordinators at four “social eating initiatives”. We also conducted 45 interviews with service users and volunteers at three sites in the Midlands region.

The role of community-based food initiatives responding to hunger by utilising surplus food to feed local populations is often conceptualised critically. However, closer attention to the experiences of staff, volunteers and customers at these spaces, reveals them as sites where knowledge and experience of food is being developed with this contributing to a sense of well-being beyond nutrition. Shared food practices and eating together contribute to social capital and are important dimensions of food well-being that are significantly restricted by food insecurity. The “food well-being” model envisages a shift in focus from health, defined as the absence of illness, towards well-being as a positive relationship with food at the individual and societal level. In the concluding remarks of this article, it is suggested that this holistic conception is required to understand the role and function of social eating initiatives.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 March 2023

Melanie Wiese and Liezl-Marié Van Der Westhuizen

This study aims to explore public coping strategies with government-imposed lockdown restrictions (i.e. forced compliance) due to a health crisis (i.e. COVID-19). This directly…

1105

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore public coping strategies with government-imposed lockdown restrictions (i.e. forced compliance) due to a health crisis (i.e. COVID-19). This directly impacts the public's power, as they may feel alienated from their environment and from others. Consequently, this study explores the relationships between the public's power, quality of life and crisis-coping strategies. This is important to help governments understand public discourse surrounding perceived government health crisis communication, which aids effective policy development.

Design/methodology/approach

An online questionnaire distributed via Qualtrics received 371 responses from the South African public and structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate the public's experience of powerlessness and resulting information-sharing, negative word-of-mouth and support-seeking as crisis coping strategies in response to government-imposed lockdown restrictions.

Originality/value

The public's perspective on health crisis communication used in this study sheds light on adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies that the public employs due to the alienation they feel during a health crisis with government-forced compliance. The findings add to the sparse research on crisis communication from the public perspective in a developing country context and provide insights for governments in developing health crisis communication strategies. The results give insight into developing policies related to community engagement and citizen participation during a pandemic.

Details

Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. 28 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1356-3289

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 April 2023

Alicia Orea-Giner and Francesc Fusté-Forné

This research aims to examine Generation Z's perspectives of sustainable consumption in food tourism experiences, considering the drivers on food tourists' behavioural intents and…

9409

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to examine Generation Z's perspectives of sustainable consumption in food tourism experiences, considering the drivers on food tourists' behavioural intents and basing its analysis on the value-attitude-behaviour model of norm activation theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative design, 27 qualitative online surveys were conducted with Generation Z travellers who are also active on social media.

Findings

Results show that while they are aware of environmental knowledge and ethical food choices and think that sustainable food consumption improves individual and social wellbeing, the sustainability of food consumption is limited by factors such as time and budget. Also, results reveal that the eating habits of Generation Z people are more sustainable when they eat at home than when they travel. Theoretical and practical implications for food tourism management and marketing are described.

Originality/value

While food tourism has been largely investigated in recent years, little previous research has focused on the relationships between daily eating behaviours and sustainable consumption in food tourism experiences, especially from the perspective of Generation Z individuals and the influence of social media on individual and social food decisions.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 125 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 7 July 2023

Navodika Karunarathna, Dinesha Siriwardhane and Amila Jayarathne

The main aim of this study is to explore the appropriate factors in measuring COVID-19-induced supply chain disruptions and the impact of these disruptions on the economic…

1192

Abstract

Purpose

The main aim of this study is to explore the appropriate factors in measuring COVID-19-induced supply chain disruptions and the impact of these disruptions on the economic vulnerability of small-scale farmers in Sri Lanka.

Findings

The findings revealed that most of the farmers have continued to cultivate even during the pandemic despite several challenges which affected their economic status. Therefore, it is concluded that COVID-19-induced transportation and demand disruptions exacerbated the economic vulnerability of small-scale farmers over the disruptions in supply and production.

Practical implications

The findings of this study are crucial for formulating novel policies to improve the sustainability of the Sri Lankan agricultural sector and alleviate the poverty level of Agri-communities in the countryside. As farming is a vital sector in the economy, increased attention ought to be given on facilitating farmers with government-encouraged loans or allowances for their financial stability. Further, the respective government authorities should develop programs for importing and distributing adequate quantities of fertilizers among all the farmers at controlled prices so that they can continue their operations without any interruption. Moreover, the government could engage in collaboratively work with private organizations to streamline the Agri-input supply process. There should be a government initiative for critical consideration of the issues of farming families and their continued motivation to engage in agriculture. Thus, farmers' livelihoods and agricultural prosperity could be upgraded through alternative Agri-inputs and marketing strategies, providing financial assistance, encouraging innovative technology, etc.

Originality/value

Despite the significance and vulnerability of the vegetable and fruit sector in Sri Lanka, there is a limitation in the empirical studies conducted on the supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19 measures and their implications on the farmers' livelihood. Furthermore, previous empirical research has not employed adequate quantitative tools to analyze the situation or appropriate variables in evaluating COVID-19-induced disruptions. Hence, the current study explored the appropriate factors for measuring COVID-19-induced supply chain disruption using exploratory factor analysis. Then, the impact of those factors on the economic vulnerability of the small scale farmers was revealed through the ordinal logistics regression analysis.

Details

International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2690-6090

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 March 2024

Tianyu Pan, Rachel J.C. Fu and James F. Petrick

This study aims to examine consumer perception during COVID-19 and identifies cruise industry marketing strategies to fill a gap in crisis management and product pricing…

209

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine consumer perception during COVID-19 and identifies cruise industry marketing strategies to fill a gap in crisis management and product pricing literature.

Design/methodology/approach

This study developed and validated two-factor measurement scales (vaccine perception and protective behavior), which predicted cruise intents well. This study revealed how geo-regional factors affect consumer psychology through spatial analysis.

Findings

This study recommended pricing 7-day cruises at $1,464 (the most preferred length). The results also showed that future price hikes would not affect demand and that coastal marketing would help retain customers.

Originality/value

This study contributed to the business, hospitality and tourism literature by identifying two new and unique factors (vaccine perception and protective behaviors), which were found to affect consumers’ intention to travel by cruise significantly. The result provided a better understanding of cruise tourists’ pricing preferences and the methods utilized could easily be applied to other cruise markets or tourism entities.

Details

International Hospitality Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2516-8142

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 27 March 2023

Michael Adu Kwarteng, Alex Ntsiful, Christian Nedu Osakwe and Kwame Simpe Ofori

This study proposes and validates an integrated theoretical model involving the theory of planned behavior (TPB), health belief model (HBM), personal norms and information privacy…

1231

Abstract

Purpose

This study proposes and validates an integrated theoretical model involving the theory of planned behavior (TPB), health belief model (HBM), personal norms and information privacy to understand determinants of acceptance and resistance to the use of mobile contact tracing app (MCTA) in a pandemic situation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws on online surveys of 194 research respondents and uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PL-SEM) to test the proposed theoretical model.

Findings

The study establishes that a positive attitude towards MCTA is the most important predictor of individuals' willingness to use MCTA and resistance to use MCTA. Furthermore, barriers to taking action positively influence resistance to the use of MCTA. Personal norms negatively influence resistance to the use of MCTA. Information privacy showed a negative and positive influence on willingness to use MCTA and use the resistance of MCTA, respectively, but neither was statistically significant. The authors found no significant influence of perceived vulnerability, severity, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control on either acceptance or use resistance of MCTA.

Originality/value

The study has been one of the first in the literature to propose an integrated theoretical model in the investigation of the determinants of acceptance and resistance to the use of MCTA in a single study, thereby increasing the scientific understanding of the factors that can facilitate or inhibit individuals from engaging in the use of a protection technology during a pandemic situation.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-10-2021-0533

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 48 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 22 April 2024

Carolina M. Vargas, Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie and Thomas Reardon

We study five exogenous shocks: climate, violence, price hikes, spoilage and the COVID-19 lockdown. We analyze the association between these shocks and trader characteristics…

Abstract

Purpose

We study five exogenous shocks: climate, violence, price hikes, spoilage and the COVID-19 lockdown. We analyze the association between these shocks and trader characteristics, reflecting trader vulnerability.

Design/methodology/approach

Using primary survey data on 1,100 Nigerian maize traders for 2021 (controlling for shocks in 2017), we use probit models to estimate the probabilities of experiencing climate, violence, disease and cost shocks associated with trader characteristics (gender, size and region) and to estimate the probability of vulnerability (experiencing severe impacts).

Findings

Traders are prone to experiencing more than one shock, which increases the intensity of the shocks. Price shocks are often accompanied by violence, climate and COVID-19 shocks. The poorer northern region is disproportionately affected by shocks. Northern traders experience more price shocks while Southern traders are more affected by violence shocks given their dependence on long supply chains from the north for their maize. Female traders are more likely to experience violent events than men who tend to be more exposed to climate shocks.

Research limitations/implications

The data only permit analysis of the general degree of impact of a shock rather than quantifying lost income.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to analyze the incidence of multiple shocks on grain traders and the unequal distribution of negative impacts. It is the first such in Africa based on a large sample of grain traders from a primary survey.

Details

Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-0839

Keywords

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