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1 – 10 of 253Marjo Määttänen, Sari Asikainen, Taina Kamppuri, Elina Ilen, Kirsi Niinimäki, Marjaana Tanttu and Ali Harlin
While aiming to create methods for fibre recycling, the question of colours in waste textiles is also in focus; whether the colour should be kept or should be removed while…
Abstract
Purpose
While aiming to create methods for fibre recycling, the question of colours in waste textiles is also in focus; whether the colour should be kept or should be removed while recycling textile fibre. More knowledge is needed for colour management in a circular economy approach.
Design/methodology/approach
The research included the use of different dye types in a cotton dyeing process, the process for decolourizing and the results. Two reactive dyes, two direct dyes and one vat dye were used in the study. Four chemical treatment sequences were used to evaluate colour removal from the dyed cotton fabrics, namely, HCE-A, HCE-P-A, HCE-Z-P-A and HCE-Y-A.
Findings
The objective was to evaluate how different chemical refining sequences remove colour from direct, reactive and vat dyed cotton fabrics, and how they influence the specific cellulose properties. Dyeing methods and the used refining sequences influence the degree of colour removal. The highest achieved final brightness of refined cotton materials were between 71 and 91 per cent ISO brightness, depending on the dyeing method used.
Research limitations/implications
Only cotton fibre and three different colour types were tested.
Practical implications
With cotton waste, it appears to be easier to remove the colour than to retain it, especially if the textile contains polyester residues, which are desired to be removed in the textile refining stage.
Originality/value
Colour management in the CE context is an important new track to study in the context of the increasing amount of textile waste used as a raw material.
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This study aims to examine the way in which elderly people, men and women, with a terminal illness use language to construct a narrative about their “living-with-dying” experience.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the way in which elderly people, men and women, with a terminal illness use language to construct a narrative about their “living-with-dying” experience.
Design/methodology/approach
This investigation is a secondary analysis based on a corpus of health and illness narratives collected by the Health Experiences Research Group at the University of Oxford and published by the DIPEx charity (available at: http://healthtalk.org/home).
Findings
This study shows that there are qualitative differences in the way in which not only elderly people but also men and women report their experience with terminal illness and their relation to death.
Originality/value
Understanding the different perspectives from which elderly people narrate their experiences of how they live while dying from terminal illness can help health professionals to develop more effective all-inclusive health policies and practices in end-of-life care.
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The safety of operators handling pesticides is still one of the main problems facing Thai agricultural workers. The purpose of this paper is to study the safety of farmers and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The safety of operators handling pesticides is still one of the main problems facing Thai agricultural workers. The purpose of this paper is to study the safety of farmers and the techniques recommended to farmers by the Department of Agriculture in Thailand, i.e. spraying to achieve optimum spray volume with consideration for wind direction – henceforth referred to as officer techniques.
Design/methodology/approach
Operator exposure was detected by verifying the deposition of dye tracer on the coveralls worn by ten spray service team leaders, for all applications between May and June 2017. For each technique, a total of 15 patches were attached at the lower legs, thigh, chest, forearms, upper arms, hands, face, forehead and back. Each individual technique was performed four times in the area of 1,800 m2.
Findings
The results showed that the deposits with the farmers’ techniques was much higher than with officers’ techniques ranging from 2.32 to 23.91 times at the tillering stage and 9.90 to 56.79 times at the booting stage, respectively. These results indicate that the spray application technique has a considerable potential for reducing the contamination of spray operators by 56.96–98.23 percent. Operator safety can be considerably improved by the spray application technique employed. Without any investment and changing equipment, only by considering wind direction, officers’ techniques could avoid much deposition, which is the most practical operation in the field. The boom sprayer as a novel recommended technique is an alternative giving a positive result and it can be a substitute for the conventional method. Furthermore, the authors must pay attention to personal protective equipment (PPE) because depositions were discovered on the whole of the bodies of those tested. PPE is the best way to protect an operator from pesticide contamination.
Originality/value
Operator exposure data can be helpful in further development of exposure models and databases for risk assessment and pesticide registration in Thailand.
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The Euro-centric nature of dark tourism research is limiting the perspective and restricting the scope of contemporary theory. Hence, this paper aims to explore how dark tourism…
Abstract
Purpose
The Euro-centric nature of dark tourism research is limiting the perspective and restricting the scope of contemporary theory. Hence, this paper aims to explore how dark tourism consumption differs in a society apart from the Anglo/Eurosphere. This is done by testing Stone and Sharpley’s (2008) thanatological framework in Mexico, a country whose residents are renown for having a unique perspective on death, to assess whether Mexican dark tourism consumers undergo a similar, or different, thanatological experience to that proposed in the framework.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a qualitative approach in the form of a case study. The opinions of Mexican dark tourism consumers were gained by using the technique of semi-structured interviewing in four separate dark tourism sites within Mexico City, with coding serving as the form of analysis.
Findings
The findings show that due to the non-existence of an absent/present death paradox in Mexican society, the research participants experienced a thanatological process that contrasts with those from Western societies, which indicates that the thanatological framework is unsuitable in the context of Mexican dark tourism. At the same time, the study contests the common perception that Mexicans have a jovial familiarity with death, and demonstrates that in this case the thanatological process confirmed an acceptance of death, rather than any kind of intimacy.
Originality/value
The research is valuable in that it is a response to recent calls for research in geographical locations not previously considered in a dark tourism/thanatology context.
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Sanna Sekki, Hannele Kauppinen-Räisänen, Eliisa Kylkilahti and Minna Autio
Research has largely disregarded consumer–packaging interaction in contexts other than retail. Focusing on the powerful cue of colour and consumers’ pleas for sustainability and…
Abstract
Purpose
Research has largely disregarded consumer–packaging interaction in contexts other than retail. Focusing on the powerful cue of colour and consumers’ pleas for sustainability and drawing on the customer journey and moments of consumption, this study investigates how packaging colour meanings are redefined from retail to home and how the meaning of sustainability for colour transforms.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative methodology was employed with 27 informants, who were interviewed in pairs or in small groups of three.
Findings
First, colour meanings emerge outside the retail context, confirming the idea of the packaging journey. Colours are dynamic, as meanings are redefined throughout the voyage. In retail, colour conveys brand, product, environmental and origin-related meanings, while at home it conveys product, food- and health-related meanings. At the end of the journey, colour communicates disposal, environmental, health and origin-related meanings. Second, the meaning of sustainability for colour transforms during the voyage from being conveyed by a colour hue to being perceived as a material and, therefore, as a waste and recycling concern.
Originality/value
The study adds insight into the role of colour in the packaging life cycle, wherein colour transforms from a visual packaging cue to an issue of materiality. The recyclability of colours is a prevailing sustainability issue that deserves attention within the packaging industry. The study argues that although the consumer–packaging interaction in the retail context is essential, managers should recognise that the interaction continues with colours from in-store purchase decisions to consumers’ homes (use and recycling).
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Riane Cherylise Dalziel and Natasha De Klerk
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of two potentially important antecedents of female Generation Y consumers’ attitudes towards beauty products. In particular…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of two potentially important antecedents of female Generation Y consumers’ attitudes towards beauty products. In particular, the impact of the media and groups is analysed through their influence on subjective norms.
Design/methodology/approach
Structural equation modelling analysis of moment structures was used to propose and test a research model by means of data from a substantial size of female Generation Y consumers.
Findings
The study’s results confirm that female Generation Y consumers have a favourable attitude towards beauty products and that this attitude is influenced by their subjective norms. Furthermore, the findings suggest that group influence, which includes the opinions of friends, family and peers and media influence both predict female Generation Y consumers’ favourable attitude towards beauty products via their influence on this segment’s subjective norms.
Practical implications
These results emphasise the strategic importance of incorporating subjective norms, together with media and group influence into beauty product marketing communication campaigns targeting female Generation Y consumers. Given that this generation is known to be prevalent users of social media and often consult online peer product reviews, such strategies should also be extended beyond traditional media platforms to include social media, particularly social media influencers and online product review platforms, thereby tapping into subjective norms and group influence.
Originality/value
This study contributes to understanding female Generation Y consumers’ attitudes towards beauty products, especially the combined influence of subjective norms and media and group influence on such attitudes.
Propósito
El propósito de este trabajo es examinar la influencia de dos antecedentes potencialmente importantes de las actitudes de las consumidoras de la Generación Y hacia los productos de belleza. En concreto, se estudia la influencia de los medios de comunicación y de los grupos a través de su influencia en las normas subjetivas.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Se empleó el análisis de modelos de ecuaciones estructurales de estructuras de momento para proponer y probar un modelo de investigación mediante datos de un tamaño considerable de consumidoras de la Generación Y.
Resultados
Los resultados del estudio confirman que las consumidoras de la Generación Y tienen una actitud favorable hacia los productos de belleza y que esta actitud está influenciada por sus normas subjetivas. Además, los resultados sugieren que la influencia del grupo, que incluye las opiniones de amigos, familiares y compañeros, y la influencia de los medios de comunicación predicen la actitud favorable de las consumidoras de la Generación Y hacia los productos de belleza a través de su influencia en las normas subjetivas de este segmento.
Implicaciones prácticas
Estos resultados enfatizan la importancia estratégica de incorporar las normas subjetivas, junto con la influencia de los medios de comunicación y del grupo, en las campañas de comunicación de la comercialización de productos de belleza dirigidas a las consumidoras de la Generación Y. Dado que se sabe que esta generación es la usuaria habitual de los medios sociales y suele consultar en línea las revisiones de los productos, esas estrategias también deberían ampliarse más allá de las plataformas de los medios de comunicación tradicionales para incluir los medios sociales, en particular las personas que ejercen influencia en los medios sociales, y las plataformas de revisión de productos en línea, aprovechando así las normas subjetivas y la influencia del grupo.
Originalidad/valor
Este estudio contribuye a comprender las actitudes de las consumidoras de la Generación Y respecto de los productos de belleza, especialmente la influencia combinada de las normas subjetivas y la influencia de los medios de comunicación y los grupos en esas actitudes.
研究目的
摘要
本文旨在研究两个重要的潜在因素,对Y世代女性消费者对美容产品态度的影响。具体来说,是通过媒体和群体对主观规范的影响来进行分析。
研究方法
本研究采用结构方程模型分析力矩结构,结合相当规模的Y世代女性消费者的数据,提出并检验研究模型。
研究结果
研究结果证实,Y世代女性消费者对美容产品持积极态度,而且这种态度受到她们主观规范的影响。此外,研究结果表明,群体影响(包括朋友、家人和同伴的意见)和媒体影响都能通过对Y世代女性消费者主观规范的影响来预测她们对美容产品的好感度。
实际意义
本文的研究结果强调了将主观规范和媒体、群体影响纳入针对Y世代女性消费者的美容产品营销传播活动的战略重要性。由于Y世代是社交媒体的普遍用户,并且经常查看其他用户评价,因此这种策略应该超越传统媒体平台,将社交媒体,特别是社交媒体网络红人和在线产品评论平台纳入其中,利用他们对消费者主观规范和群体的影响力。
研究价值
本研究有助于了解Y世代女性消费者对美容产品的态度,特别是主观规范和媒体、群体对这种态度的综合影响。
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Tashi Dendup, Yun Zhao and I Gusti Ngurah Edi Putra
The differences in the distribution of factors associated with under-five mortality (UFM) can help explain the rural-urban inequities in UFM. The determinants contributing to UFM…
Abstract
Purpose
The differences in the distribution of factors associated with under-five mortality (UFM) can help explain the rural-urban inequities in UFM. The determinants contributing to UFM in rural and urban areas have not been previously explored in Bhutan. This study examined the factors associated with UFM in rural and urban Bhutan and the role of the factors in explaining UFM disparity.
Design/methodology/approach
The dataset of 6,398 single births (4,999 in rural and 1,399 in urban areas) from the 2012 Bhutan National Health Survey was analyzed. Logistic regression analysis accounting for the complex survey design was performed to investigate the determinants.
Findings
The UFM rate was 2.75 times higher in rural than in urban Bhutan. In rural communities, children of younger mothers, born in households without safe sanitation and electricity, and central and eastern regions had increased UFM odds. Whereas, children born to working mothers and educated fathers, and born in households with non-working household heads had lower UFM odds in urban areas. A higher number of births and smaller household size was associated with an increased UFM odds irrespective of rural-urban residence. Environmental factors were attributable for the largest portion of rural UFM disadvantage.
Originality/value
This study helps to understand the rural-urban differences in the factors influencing UFM in Bhutan. The findings suggest that policies aimed to improve environmental and socioeconomic conditions, women empowerment, and those aimed to enhance health utilization can help reduce the rural-urban child survival disparity and accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal target.
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Qinghua Zhu, Joseph Sarkis and Kee-hung Lai
Due to the different institutional pressure such as those from market, regulations and competitors, companies have implemented green supply chain management (GSCM). Unfortunately…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to the different institutional pressure such as those from market, regulations and competitors, companies have implemented green supply chain management (GSCM). Unfortunately, tens of GSCM practices exist. Whether all companies should implement GSCM and how to achieve both environmental and economic performance are still not clear for many companies. The purpose of this paper is to develop models that can be helpful for companies to identify right GSCM practices and implement GSCM effectively and efficiently.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on about 18 years of study on GSCM with four surveys in China in 2001, 2005, 2012 and 2016, as well as numerous site visits and interviews mainly in China but also in Japan, Germany and Canada, this paper explores institutional drivers as well as opportunities and challenges using theoretical analysis and case studies. GSCM is defined considering a product life cycle. A key three-step GSCM approach is theoretically developed considering opportunities and challenges through life cycle analysis (LCA) of a product and position of a company.
Findings
All companies should implement GSCM practices to avoid risks. To effectively implement GSCM practices, a company should understand the life cycle of its product and its position in the supply chain. A key three-step LCA-based approach can help companies to identify the critical GSCM practices.
Originality/value
A key three-step LCA-based approach for GSCM implementation is originally developed based on theoretical analysis and eight years of study.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of perceived information and entertainment value, perceived credibility and perceived value on Generation Y consumers’ usage…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of perceived information and entertainment value, perceived credibility and perceived value on Generation Y consumers’ usage frequency of online consumer reviews.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper proposes and tests, with structural equation modelling analysis of moment structures, a research model using data from a large sample of Generation Y consumers.
Findings
The results confirm that Generation Y consumers perceive online reviews to be informative, entertaining, credible and valuable, and that they frequently consult such reviews. More specifically, the empirical analysis confirms that perceived information value, perceived entertainment value and perceived credibility significantly influenced the perceived value that Generation Y attach to online consumer reviews, which, in turn, was a significant predictor of their usage frequency of such reviews.
Practical implications
The results highlight the strategic importance of integrating online consumer reviews into the marketing communication mix when targeting Generation Y, together with the necessity of having filtering mechanisms to ensure that only authentic reviews are published and the need to implement tactics to ensure that such reviews are informative and entertaining and, consequently, of value.
Originality/value
This study contributes to marketers’ comprehension of strategically using online consumer reviews when targeting the Generation Y segment.
Propósito
El objetivo de esta investigación es examinar la influencia del valor de la información, del valor del entretenimiento, la credibilidad y el valor percibido en la frecuencia de uso de las revisiones online de los consumidores por parte de los consumidores de la Generación Y.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Este documento propone y contrasta, a través de los modelos de ecuaciones estructurales (AMOS), un modelo de investigación que utiliza datos de una gran muestra de consumidores de la Generación Y.
Resultados
Los resultados ponen de relieve la importancia estratégica de integrar las reseñas de consumidores en línea en la combinación de comunicaciones de comercialización al dirigirse a la Generación Y, junto con la necesidad de disponer de mecanismos de filtrado para garantizar que sólo se publiquen reseñas auténticas y la necesidad de aplicar tácticas para asegurar que dichas reseñas sean informativas y entretenidas y, por consiguiente, de valor.
Implicaciones prácticas
Los resultados destacan la importancia estratégica de integrar las revisiones de los consumidores en línea en el mix de comunicación de marketing cuando se dirigen a la Generación Y, junto con la necesidad de contar con mecanismos de filtrado para garantizar que solo se publiquen revisiones auténticas y también se implementen tácticas para garantizar que las reseñas sean informativas y entretenidas y, en consecuencia, de gran valor.
Originalidad/valor
Este trabajo ayuda a los especialistas de marketing a comprender como pueden utilizar estratégicamente las opiniones de los consumidores online para dirigirse a los consumidores de la Generación Y.
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Woulan Hattingh, Liandi Van den Berg and Ayesha Bevan-Dye
Technological advancements in games increased the popularity of online gaming. The rapid expansion of the eSports market may largely be attributed to the ever-increasing…
Abstract
Purpose
Technological advancements in games increased the popularity of online gaming. The rapid expansion of the eSports market may largely be attributed to the ever-increasing popularity amongst Generation Y amateur gamers. The primary objective of this study is to determine the factors influencing Generation Y amateur gamers' ongoing eSports gameplay intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used the extended unified theory of acceptance as the theoretical framework. Data analysis included exploratory principal component analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis.
Findings
The results of the confirmatory factor analysis suggest that Generation Y amateur gamers' ongoing eSports gameplay intentions is an eight-factor model that is reliable, valid and has acceptable model fit. The results of the path analysis indicate that habit, price-value, flow, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions have a statistically significant positive influence on amateur gamers' ongoing eSports gameplay intentions, whilst social influence and hedonic motivation have a negative but non-significant influence on those intentions.
Research limitations/implications
The sample was formed using only amateur eSports gamers. In this regard, the opportunity exists to research professional eSports gamers. This study only focussed on Generation Y members between 18 and 36 years old. As a result, there is an opportunity for researchers to research the different generations of South African eSports gamers to determine whether there are any differences or similarities between generational segments.
Practical implications
The results of this study clearly indicate that flow, together with habit are salient contributors to ongoing gameplay intentions amongst amateur eSports gamers in South Africa. A reasonable assumption that can be made here is that flow is also instrumental in encouraging habitual gaming, which increases the importance of flow in overall ongoing gameplay intentions. This suggests that R&D expenditure should be directed at enhancing user engagement by building increased levels of flow into eSports games.
Social implications
eSports game developers can also achieve a desired state of flow by creating daily challenges that reward players when the players achieve specific objectives, which will encourage gamers to enter a state of flow when provided with challenges to complete. However, these in-game challenges should have a variety of levels regarding difficulty, ranging from beginner, intermediate and advanced levels so as not to exceed the effort expectancy of different groups of players. Game developers should provide regularly updated challenges to gamers to ensure that eSports games remain enjoyable and does not become predictable.
Originality/value
Given the nascence of research on eSports behaviour, the results of this study provide a novel addition to the knowledge pool, particularly in terms of amateur eSports behavioural intentions. Interestingly, hedonic motivation and social influence were non-significant negative predictors of Generation Y amateur gamers' ongoing eSports gameplay intentions. The recommendations provide various marketing strategies and opportunities for eSports business expansion.
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