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The purpose of this study is to explore the association between eating patterns, social identity and the well-being of adolescents via a mixed methods study of Chinese teenagers. The specific research questions presented in this study are as follows: What is the relationship between social eating and well-being? How is the relationship between social eating and well-being mediated by social identity?

This study is based on a sequential mixed methods study, including interviews with 16 teenage–parent dyads, and a large-scale survey of over 1,000 teenagers on their eating patterns, conducted with the support of public schools. A model that tests relationships among social eating, social identity and subjective well-being is developed and tested.

The results show that dining with family members leads to improved subjective well-being for teenagers, through a partial mediator of stronger family identity. However, dining with peers is not found to influence subjective well-being.

The privileged position of family meals demonstrated through this study may be an artifact of the location of this study in one Chinese city. Further research is needed related to the connections among social identity, objective well-being and the social patterns of teenagers’ food consumption behavior.

To improve the subjective well-being of teenagers, families, public policy-makers and food marketers should support food consumption patterns that promote family meals.

While many food-related consumer studies focus on the individual, social and environmental influences of food choices of adolescents, few studies address how eating patterns affect overall well-being. These results reinforce the importance of understanding the effect of the social context of teenagers’ eating patterns on health and well-being.

Drawing on self-determination theory, this paper compares the effects of QR code payment method (autonomous vs dependent payment) on payment pleasure, its mechanism and the boundary condition in the mobile payment setting.

Four studies were conducted to examine the effect of QR code payment method on payment pleasure. In study 1, 108 undergraduate students were asked to recall a recent experience when they made either autonomous payment or dependent payment. Study 2 assigned 74 undergraduate students to either the autonomous or dependent payment. Study 3 replicated study 2, but recruited 75 customers in the field. For study 4, a total of 134 undergraduate students participated in a 2 (payment method: autonomous payment vs dependent payment) × 2 (product involvement: high vs low) between-subjects design.

The results of these four studies demonstrate that (1) customers derive more payment pleasure from autonomous payment, compared with dependent payments (study 1); (2) the sense of control mediates the effect of the payment method on payment pleasure (study 2 and study 3); and (3) product involvement moderates the mediating effect of the sense of control (study 4).

These findings contribute to the literature on mobile payment and payment experience. These findings also provide insight to merchants when they select an appropriate payment method and manage the customer payment experience.

This study aims to, with family structures in urban China becoming increasingly diverse, examine how and to what extent the characteristics of everyday family meals relate to the establishment and strengthening of a collective sense of the Chinese family. Integrating ritual and family identity theories developed through studies conducted in the West, the research explores the relationship between family identity and the major dimensions that characterize ritualistic practices through an examination of family dinners in a non-Western context.

The mixed-method approach combines a qualitative phase (focus groups and interviews) with a large-scale survey of households (n = 1,319) in four Chinese cities.

The results find a positive relationship between family identity and commitment to family meals, as well as continuity promoted through family meals, at a 99 per cent confidence level.

One important research limitation is that the sample was limited to four cities. In addition, it is difficult for quantitative measures to capture the richness of emotionally and symbolically laden constructs, such as communication, commitment, continuity and family identity.

The results provide insights into the meanings of family meals in China. With over one-third of household expenditures spent on food in Chinese cities, the formulation of brand positions and promotions can be informed through a greater understanding of the influence of family dynamics on food consumption.

The findings indicate that, within China’s dynamic environment of changing family values, strengthening the ritualistic characteristics of everyday family activities, such as family meals, can lead to an increase in a collective sense of family.

The study demonstrates under what conditions, within this rapidly changing socioeconomic environment, the family dinner provides stability and a sense of unity for Chinese families. In China, a trend toward individualization is accompanied by a deep-seeded sense of obligation toward family that exerts an important influence on meal composition and patterns.

This study aims to examine the major influences of food choices of Chinese teenagers within a dynamic food marketing environment.

The paper reports findings from semi-structured interviews with high school students which examine teenagers’ guidelines for selecting food, along with their actual eating behavior.

The results reflect on how four major influences – personal, family, peer and retailer – may intersect to affect the eating behaviors of Chinese adolescents, as they navigate an intense education schedule during a time of rapidly changing cultural values. Different norms of food choice – nutrition, food safety, taste, body image, price, convenience, sharing, friendship and fun – are evoked according to the social context and concurrent activities of the teenagers.

The findings offer tentative insights related to the potential for promoting healthier eating habits for adolescents in urban areas of China.

The study demonstrates how, within this rapidly changing food environment, food retailers are creating alliances with teenagers to meet needs of convenience, speed, taste and social interaction.

In 2022, the International Network for Quality Assurance (QA) Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) published the new guidelines by adding three QA modules in response to the changing higher education landscape. The paper aims to investigate the transformative focus of quality assurance in higher education globally as well as Asian response to three new QA modules according to the INQAAHE ISGs.

The research conducted a quantitative approach for data collection. An on-line survey was conducted to perceive QA practices, perceptions toward new emerging QA modules and challenges encountered. In total, there were 26 responses from 18 territories with 22 QA agencies. A total of 13 out of them have a national qualifications framework in place.

Three are three major findings in the study. First, national policy and criteria and standards in distance education have been developed in the majority of Asian nations. Second, non-signatories of the Tokyo Convention had a higher proportion of having related policies, regulations and criteria in CBHE and distance education. Third, national policies and regulations; and lack of professional staff are two common challenges implementing QA in new types of providers.

The findings are of value for policymakers, QA agencies and universities to advocate the new QA model as a systematic approach in response to changing higher education landscape in the post pandemic era.

Strong evidence suggests that word‐of‐mouth (WOM) communication varies in its influence according to product type; however, empirical research remains deficient. The purpose of this paper is to propose a procedural model to examine the influence of product type on both the effect and spread of related WOM information at the same time.

Using a self‐administered questionnaire, a sample of 895 consumers across 16 different products was collected; results were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

WOM was found to be more influential and more widely spread for services than for goods. In addition, although the level of receivers' perceived risk (PR) is generally assumed to be a significant antecedent of WOM influence (WI), the results of the study indicate that PR is not a direct function of WI. Instead, WOM request (WR) mediates the effect of PR on WI.

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to examine the relationship between product type and WOM from a dyadic perspective. Moreover, the authors introduced two important mediators – namely, PR and WR – in the model in order to identify different potential effects of WOM in a seeker‐initiated context. The results of this study will enhance knowledge about the influences of WOM information.

This study aims to examine the role that cultural dimensions at the accounting subculture level play in the relation between XBRL mandate and quality of financial information environment.

Analyst forecast accuracy with empirical data of firms from six nations is assessed.

Results show that accounting values across nations play a significant role in influencing information quality change from XBRL mandate.

This research paper is the very first in assessing the role of national culture in realizing information quality improvement value of XBRL.

This study aims to draw on customer experience theory to shed light on how hotel in-room amenities foster customer experience, which continues to form brand attitude and loyalty before and during the pandemic. Also, this study assesses the impact of the pandemic in the relationships among proposed constructs on the basis of risk perception theory.

A quantitative approach was deployed using a total of 379 responses, for evaluating the measurement model through confirmatory factor analysis and testing proposed hypotheses through structural equation modeling.

The findings provide initial support for the predictions, except for the influence of brand attitude on brand loyalty before the pandemic. Particularly, the analysis results observe that the effect of tangible amenities on customer experience was stronger before the COVID-19, whereas the impact of intangible amenities on customer experience is greater during the pandemic. Furthermore, the results validate the significant moderating influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the path between customer experience and brand loyalty.

This present study guides hotel professionals to be more effective in the management of appropriate in-room amenity to create a satisfactory customer experience, which contributes to brand loyalty in the with-corona era.

The study differs from earlier studies in that it investigates how the pandemic changes the role of hotel in-room amenities on customer experience, which, in turn, increases brand attitude and brand loyalty for the first time.

The purpose of this paper is to identify a need to incorporate Asian perspectives in theories of food consumption and marketing.

This editorial discusses the mutually recursive relationship between food and culture in Asian markets, offers an integrative summary of the special issue and develops several key themes for future research.

Food consumption plays a central role within Asian cultures and markets. Thus, understanding Asian perspectives and contexts provides an important complement and contrast to current theories of food consumption and marketing that have been primarily sited in North American and European contexts. In particular, the complex multiplicity of Asian consumer cultures creates dynamic heterogeneity within Asian food markets.

Although food consumption plays a central role in Asian consumer cultures, extant theory regarding Asian food consumption and marketing is still in its infancy. We highlight important developments in this area that suggest a path for future work.

The authors make three contributions to the literature on food consumption and marketing. First, while engaging with these questions, this issue points to the importance of Asian cultural perspectives into the marketing literature on food consumption. Second, through the articles of this special issue, we trace the relationships between food consumption practices, marketing practices and cultural multiplicity in Asian contexts. Finally, we draw the threads together to provide directions for future research in this area.