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We generalise the spectral EM algorithm for dynamic factor models in Fiorentini, Galesi, and Sentana (2014) to bifactor models with pervasive global factors complemented by regional ones. We exploit the sparsity of the loading matrices so that researchers can estimate those models by maximum likelihood with many series from multiple regions. We also derive convenient expressions for the spectral scores and information matrix, which allows us to switch to the scoring algorithm near the optimum. We explore the ability of a model with a global factor and three regional ones to capture inflation dynamics across 25 European countries over 1999–2014.

This paper focuses on understanding the contribution of Industry 4.0 technologies to manufacturing flexibility.

A multiple-case study was conducted through interviews and complementary data from 12 adopters of Industry 4.0 technologies from the industrial sector. To enable a broad perspective, cases from 5 industry sectors with different technological intensity levels were studied.

The findings show that Industry 4.0 technologies are mostly used to improve machine flexibility since there is a major focus on technological approaches rather than on wider flexibility. The results also showed that cloud services, IoT, and data analytics provide the basis for flexible operation, and collaborative robots, ERP/MES/PLM, AGVs, and traceability devices are the most commonly implemented technologies for flexibility. However, inherent contingency factors such as production complexity and product life cycle need to be considered.

This article expands the research on manufacturing flexibility, considering new capabilities introduced by Industry 4.0.

In this chapter, we examine how the schooling experiences of disabled children have changed during COVID-19, how families' engagement, advocacy and support of their children have shifted during the pandemic, and how race, class, and other axes of inequality shape these processes.

We used a semi-structured interview protocol with families of disabled children, asking them about their experiences with their children's schools before and during the pandemic. We analyzed the interview data using “flexible coding” and the constant comparative method.

COVID-19 has had wide-reaching effects on disabled children's schooling experiences, yet these effects varied, particularly at the intersections of disability with race, class, linguistic status, and gender. Remote learning and other pandemic-related changes to schools exacerbated extant inequalities in children's educational experiences, as well as in families' ability to effectively advocate for their children in school.

This research provides important information about how the pandemic has exacerbated inequality at the intersection of disability, race, and other axes of inequality. Moreover, it provides a lens to examine ableism and other systems of oppression in schools. The findings have crucial policy implications, pointing to the necessity of equitably allocated, high quality, inclusive educational services for disabled students, as well as to the need for special education policy that does not rely on individual family advocacy to allocate appropriate services.

An experiential retailing strategy is considered cardiotonic for consumers and brands. When such a stimulus is used, what cognition and behaviors are generated is an issue worthy of study. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the factors and mechanisms that affect consumer response and relationship quality through empirical research.

Based on theoretical deduction, this paper proposes a conceptual model that includes four antecedents: experiential scene atmosphere (ESA), highlight design, interaction approach and value fit. These affect consumer–brand relationship quality (CRQ) through consumer identification (CI), brand identity (BI) and experiential immersion degree. In two rounds of predictive tests, 624 and 481 valid data were collected, respectively, and the feasibility of the scale was verified scrupulously. Furthermore, 427 participants reported the participants' tendencies in a formal empirical study.

The results show that the direct effects of antecedents, mediators and dependent variables are significant. Although the mediating effect of BI in experiential highlighting design on CRQ is not supported, other consumer response variables have a full or partial mediating effect.

This study not only functions as an innovation of research perspective enriching the theoretical framework of the influence mechanism of experiential retailing, but also strengthens the discussion on the role of value fit, especially emotional value fit, in experiential retailing.

This study assesses how “green behaviour” influences the switching intention towards remanufactured products in sustainable consumers by introducing the possibility of an innovation diffusion approach for promotion efforts.

This study utilises a mixed-method approach. First, a study with a non-experimental causal design was performed with 248 cell phone users characterised by exhibiting sustainable consumption behaviours. Subsequently, 13 in-depth interviews were conducted to obtain a better understanding of the switching intention.

For sustainable consumers, green purchase behaviour and attitude towards remanufactured products have a significant effect on their switching intention. These results contrast with previous literature, where it was found that price differences, government incentives and environmental benefits were significant for consumers in general.

Switching intention towards remanufactured products in sustainable consumers may be encouraged by influencing factors related to green behaviour, rather than factors related to the market (e.g. reducing price, specific labelling or governmental regulations). Moreover, sustainable consumers could be regarded as the first adopters of remanufactured products.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to introduce green purchase behaviour to predict sustainable consumers' switching intention towards remanufactured products.

This study examined how marketer- and user-generated photographs jointly influence consumers' online hotel booking.

Viewing photographs as stimuli that influence consumers' online hotel booking, this study proposes a research model and validates that using one quasi-experiment.

The findings of this study provide some empirical insights. Marketers can release room- and scene-related photographs. Users can release product- and social-related photographs. The interaction between room-related photographs by marketers and product-related photographs by users can promote energetic arousal and dominance and then promote online booking intention. The interaction between scene-related photographs by marketers and social-related photographs by users can promote energetic arousal and dominance and then promote online booking intention. Pleasure, energetic arousal and dominance can positively influence the attitude toward photographs. Pleasure and energetic arousal can positively influence the attitude toward photographs and then positively influence booking intention. Dominance can positively influence booking intention.

The findings of this study reveal significant interaction effects between marketer- and user-generated photographs on consumers' online booking. The findings will help researchers and marketers better understand the impact of photographs on consumers' online hotel booking.

Quality 4.0 is being presented as the new stage of quality development. However, its overlying concept and rationale are still hard to define. To better understand what different authors and studies advocate being Quality 4.0, a systematic literature review was undertaken on the topic. This paper presents the results of such review, providing some avenues for further research on quality management.

The documents for the systematic literature review have been searched on the Scopus database, using the search equation: [TITLE-ABS-KEY (“Quality 4.0”) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY (Quality Management” AND (“Industry 4.0” OR “Fourth Industr*” OR i4.0))]. Documents were filtered by language and by type. Of the 367 documents identified, 146 were submitted to exploratory content analysis.

The analyzed documents essentially provide theoretical discussions on what Quality 4.0 is or should be. Five categories have emerged from the content analysis undertaken: Industry 4.0 and the Rise of a New Approach to Quality; Motivations, Readiness Factors and Barriers to a Quality 4.0 Approach; Digital Quality Management Systems; Combination of Quality Tools and Lean Methodologies and Quality 4.0 Professionals.

It was hard to find studies reporting how quality is actually being managed in organizations that already operate in the Industry 4.0 paradigm. Answers could not be found to questions regarding actual practices, methodologies and tools being used in Quality 4.0 approaches. However, the research undertaken allowed to identify in the literature different ways of conceptualizing and analyzing Quality 4.0, opening up avenues for further research on quality management in the Industry 4.0 era.

This paper offers a broad look at how quality management is changing in response to the affirmation of the Industry 4.0 paradigm.

This research addresses the pressing need for comprehensive studies in the rapidly evolving field of city tourism. This study aims to understand the overall performance of the International Journal of Tourism Cities (IJTC), the structure of knowledge in city tourism research and the prevalent themes and trends arising from IJTC.

A bibliometric analysis was conducted to scrutinize the publication patterns in IJTC. This involved examining parameters such as the annual count of published articles, the keywords used in them and their respective authors.

The findings reveal that IJTC has a growing and diverse publication output, establishing itself as a reputable and influential publication within urban tourism research. The results reflect various aspects and themes in city tourism research.

The study has certain limitations. The data used for analysis was obtained exclusively from the Scopus database. The analysis was conducted using only one software package, Bibliometrix. Other software packages may offer different features for bibliometric analysis. The study relied exclusively on quantitative methods for data analysis. Qualitative methods could have provided more nuanced interpretations of the data.

Comparative analyses could be conducted between IJTC and other journals within urban tourism or related disciplines. Such research would yield valuable insights into the current state of the field and aid in identifying areas warranting further investigation.

The findings from this study can inform the decisions and actions of various stakeholders involved in urban tourism. Practitioners and policymakers can draw from this research to make informed decisions. Existing and emerging authors can identify relevant topics for their research. Readers can access pertinent information for their needs.

This study offers a unique contribution by thoroughly comprehending the performance of IJTC between 2015 and 2023. It progresses the existing body of knowledge on city tourism research by examining its current status and future trends.

Consumers may boycott firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, but little is known about when, why and how they would respond in this way. Based on psychological contract violation and discount principles, the purpose of this paper is to argue that timing and fit of CSR activities are the main dimensions of consumers’ psychological contract. It is posited that CSR activities would be boycotted if consumers perceived violation of their psychological contract, and their altruistic tendency would have a moderating effect on this mechanism.

This paper takes the form of an empirical study using a sample of 434 respondents through scene-questionnaire survey in central China.

It is found that (1) low fit or reactive CSR activities would induce consumers’ psychological contract violation, and the latter has a more significant influence; (2) perceived CSR is negatively related with consumers’ boycott behaviors, but CSR activities would be boycotted if consumers’ psychological contracts are violated; (3) the negative relationship between perceived CSR and consumers’ boycott behaviors would be strengthened by consumers’ altruistic tendency, and the positive relationship between consumers’ psychological contract violation and their boycott behaviors would also be strengthened by their altruistic tendency.

This paper has significant theoretical implications, as it answers the question that when, why and how CSR activities would be boycotted. Besides, it contributes to literature on psychological contract for applying it to CSR research field. Furthermore, the double-edged effect of consumers’ altruistic tendency extends literature on pro-social behaviors.

This paper is of interests to corporate management and academics who wish to understand when and why consumers would boycott CSR activities and the factors that would relax consumers’ negative responses.

This is the first paper that investigates when, why and how CSR activities would be boycotted from the perspective of consumers’ psychological contract violation.

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the prohibition on debt-to-equity conversions for private limited companies in Thailand, resulting from an interpretation of Section 1119 of the Thai Civil and Commercial Code (TCCC) adopted by academics and the regulator.

This paper critically examines the interpretation of Section 1119 of the TCCC made by academics, the Thai Supreme Court and the regulator. Taking an approach, which draws on debate in the EU over the past two decades, this paper presents a new understanding of the rules relating to legal capital in Thailand. This new understanding is applied to challenge the orthodox interpretation of Section 1119.

The interpretation proposed by this paper is that debt-to-equity conversions may be permitted when viewed as shares issued in return for payment in kind. This proposed interpretation is consistent with existing Thai Supreme Court jurisprudence. In addition, a close reading of the provision, further supported by a historical investigation into the legislative drafting process, reveals that it reflects the original intention behind this provision.

This paper presents a view of Thai legal capital rules, which challenges the orthodox understanding of their nature, purpose and categorisation. Furthermore, the proposed interpretation of Section 1119 of the TCCC, if adopted by the regulator, would permit Thai private limited companies to engage in debt-to-equity swaps without further legislative intervention.