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1 – 10 of 20Erose Sthapit, Chunli Ji, Yang Ping, Catherine Prentice, Brian Garrod and Huijun Yang
Drawing on the theory of memory-dominant logic, this study aims to examine how the substantive staging of the servicescape, experience co-creation, experiential satisfaction and…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the theory of memory-dominant logic, this study aims to examine how the substantive staging of the servicescape, experience co-creation, experiential satisfaction and experience intensification affect experience memorability and hedonic well-being in the case of unmanned smart hotels.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was used, with the target respondents being hotel guests people aged 18 years and older who had been recent guests of the FlyZoo Hotel in Hangzhou, China. Data were collected online from 429 guests who had stayed in the hotel between April and June 2023. Data analysis was undertaken using structural equation modelling.
Findings
The results suggest that all the proposed four constructs are positive drivers of a memorable unmanned smart hotel experience. The relationship between the memorability of the hotel experience and hedonic well-being was found to be significant and positive.
Practical implications
Unmanned smart hotels should ensure that all smart technologies function effectively and dependably and offer highly personalised services to guests, allowing them to co-create their experiences. This will lead to the guest receiving a satisfying and memorable experience. To enable experience co-creation using smart technologies, unmanned smart hotels could provide short instructional videos for guests, as well as work closely with manufacturers and suppliers to ensure that smart technology systems are regularly updated.
Originality/value
This study investigates the antecedents and outcomes of a novel phenomenon and extends the concept of memorable tourism experiences to the context of unmanned smart hotels.
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Jieqi Guan, Yui-yip Lau, Huijun Yang and Lianping Ren
This paper aims to explore factors affecting young consumers’ purchasing of new smart products under the influence of social media.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore factors affecting young consumers’ purchasing of new smart products under the influence of social media.
Design/methodology/approach
Twenty semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with young consumers who used new media, and five extended interviews were conducted with popular smartwatch retailers in Macau.
Findings
The findings reveal that they tend to garner product information from multiple channels of communication. Social media exert the greatest influence. Reliable information, strong branding and interactions with vendors are also influential, although new product pre-announcements may be boring and difficult to understand.
Originality/value
This study presents new insights into diffusion of innovation theory and provides retailers launching smart products with a better understanding of their target young customers’ purchasing behavior.
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Huijun Yang, Yao-Chin Wang, Hanqun Song and Emily Ma
Drawing on person–environment fit theory, this study aims to investigate how the relationships between service task types (i.e. utilitarian and hedonic service tasks) and…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on person–environment fit theory, this study aims to investigate how the relationships between service task types (i.e. utilitarian and hedonic service tasks) and perceived authenticity (i.e. service and brand authenticity) differ under different conditions of service providers (human employee vs service robot). This study further examines whether customers’ stereotypes toward service robots (competence vs warmth) moderate the relationship between service types and perceived authenticity.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design, Study 1 examines a casual restaurant, whereas Study 2 assesses a theme park restaurant. Analysis of covariance and PROCESS are used to analyze the data.
Findings
Both studies reveal that human service providers in hedonic services positively affect service and brand authenticity more than robotic employees. Additionally, the robot competence stereotype moderates the relationship between hedonic services, service and brand authenticity, whereas the robot warmth stereotype moderates the relationship between hedonic services and brand authenticity in Study 2.
Practical implications
Restaurant managers need to understand which functions and types of service outlets are best suited for service robots in different service contexts. Robot–environment fit should be considered when developers design and managers select robots for their restaurants.
Originality/value
This study blazes a new theoretical trail of service robot research to systematically propose customer experiences with different service types by drawing upon person–environment fit theory and examining the moderating role of customers’ stereotypes toward service robots.
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Hanqun Song, Huijun Yang and Erose Sthapit
Using cognitive appraisal theory, this study aims to propose and test an integrated framework – comprising robotic service quality, robotic service authenticity, customer…
Abstract
Purpose
Using cognitive appraisal theory, this study aims to propose and test an integrated framework – comprising robotic service quality, robotic service authenticity, customer existential authenticity and customer revisit intention – on diners with experience using robotic technology in restaurants. The moderating role of robotic appearance is in the hypothesised relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Data was gathered through a Web-based survey delivered to 428 diners who had experience using robotic services in restaurants in China. The hypotheses were analysed using a structural equation model and multi-group analysis was used to analyse the moderating effect.
Findings
The findings indicate that functional service quality positively influences robotic service authenticity and existential authenticity. However, technical service quality only affects existential authenticity, which leads to revisit intention. Robotic appearance moderated the relationship between functional service quality and service authenticity.
Research limitations/implications
Restaurateurs should enhance robotic service authenticity, existential authenticity and revisit intention by improving robotic technical service collaborating with robot manufacturers and operators.
Originality/value
Focusing on cognitive appraisal theory, the findings serve as a starting point for investigating robotic service quality and authenticity in robotic service settings theoretically and empirically.
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Huijun Yang, Hanqun Song, Qing Shan Ding and Hanjun Wang
Drawing on signalling theory and focusing on independent restaurants, this study aims to investigate how business signals (transparency information and exposure) affect business…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on signalling theory and focusing on independent restaurants, this study aims to investigate how business signals (transparency information and exposure) affect business transparency, food authenticity and, ultimately, purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a 2 × 2 between-subject experimental design, Study 1 examines the recipe and an internet-famous restaurant, and Study 2 assesses the food supply chain and a celebrity-owned restaurant. Analysis of covariance and PROCESS are used to analyse the data.
Findings
The results suggest that while revealing information on recipes and food supply chains positively affects business transparency, exposure has no significant impact. Additionally, secret recipes and revealed food supply chains contribute to higher food authenticity, whilst being a celebrity owner or internet-famous restaurant negatively affects food authenticity.
Research limitations/implications
Restaurant managers must be strategic and selective about the kinds of business signals they wish to reveal to customers. Secret recipes lead to higher food authenticity, whereas the revealed recipes and revealed food supply chains elicit higher business transparency. Independent restaurants should not rely on celebrity owners or seek internet fame, as neither type of exposure contributes to transparency or authenticity.
Originality/value
This study advances the theoretical understanding of signalling theory relating to the determinants of transparency and food authenticity in a hospitality context. Contrary to previous studies, it reveals that exposure, as a transparency signal, has no impact on either business transparency or food authenticity. It extends knowledge and understanding of different types of independent restaurants, especially internet-famous restaurants.
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Outdoor signage, a key aspect of store atmospherics which influence consumer perceptions and behaviour, is largely overlooked in research on restaurants. Studies show that food…
Abstract
Purpose
Outdoor signage, a key aspect of store atmospherics which influence consumer perceptions and behaviour, is largely overlooked in research on restaurants. Studies show that food perceptions relate positively to restaurant choice, but how outdoor signage influences these perceptions is unclear. Hence, the study aims to investigate the effect of signage colour and restaurant name on consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a two (signage colour: blue-white vs. red-yellow) by two (restaurant name: typical vs. atypical) experimental design to investigate the impact of two key elements of corporate visual identity – logo colour and corporate name – on consumers’ attitudes (perceptions of food tastiness and healthiness) and purchase intentions. Two-way analysis of covariance, confirmatory factor analysis and PROCESS are used for data analysis.
Findings
There is a main effect of signage colour on consumers’ perceptions of food healthiness and purchase intentions, and restaurant name significantly affects consumers’ purchase intentions. In addition, there is an interaction effect of signage colour and restaurant name on food healthiness and purchase intentions, and food tastiness and healthiness are associated with purchase intentions.
Practical implications
A key managerial insight emerging from this study is that restaurants’ outdoor signage may be manipulated by restaurateurs to enhance consumers’ perceptions of food healthiness and tastiness, as well purchase intentions.
Originality/value
This study adopts a new angle on corporate visual identity and links existing theories with research on restaurant atmospherics, to explore how brands employing national identity symbols leverages consumers’ prior knowledge to enhance the influence of outdoor signage on their food perceptions and purchase intentions.
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Huijun Gan, Dongsheng Yu, Dongkun Li and He Cheng
The purpose of this paper is to construct a flux-controlled memcapacitor (MC) emulator without grounded restriction with the binary operation ability. The active first-order…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to construct a flux-controlled memcapacitor (MC) emulator without grounded restriction with the binary operation ability. The active first-order low-pass filter (LPF) and high-pass filter (HPF) circuits are constructed by replacing the capacitor with MC.
Design/methodology/approach
The output saturation of the active device is innovatively adopted to realize the binary operation of MC with two memcapacitance values. By applying the direct current control voltage together with the input signal, the memcapacitance can be controlled, and hence, cut-off frequency of the filters can be adjusted without changing the circuit structure.
Findings
Experiments and simulation results show that the new filter has good frequency selectivity. Both LPF and HPF can change the cut-off frequency by changing the positive and negative control voltage. The experimental and simulation results are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis, which proves the feasibility and validity of the emulator and the filters.
Originality/value
These MC emulators are simple and easy to physically fabricate, which have been increasingly used for experiment. It also provide an effective reference for device miniaturization and low power consumption.
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Jiacheng Zhou, Jinglin Shi, Lei Xu, Fuwen Zhang, Zhigang Wang, Qiang Hu and Huijun He
The reliability of solder joints is closely related to the growth of an intermetallic compound (IMC) layer between the lead-free solder and substrate interface. This paper aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
The reliability of solder joints is closely related to the growth of an intermetallic compound (IMC) layer between the lead-free solder and substrate interface. This paper aims to investigate the growth behavior of the interfacial IMC layer during isothermal aging at 125°C for Sn-3Ag-3Sb-xIn/Cu (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Wt.%) solder joints with different In contents and commercial Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu/Cu solder joints.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, Sn-3Ag-3Sb-xIn/Cu (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Wt.%) and commercial Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu/Cu solder were prepared for bonding Cu substrate. Then these samples were subjected to isothermal aging for 0, 2, 8, 14, 25 and 45 days. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze the soldering interface reaction and the difference in IMC growth behavior during the isothermal aging process.
Findings
When the concentration of In in the Sn-3Ag-3Sb-xIn/Cu solder joints exceeded 2 Wt.%, a substantial amount of InSb particles were produced. These particles acted as a diffusion barrier, impeding the growth of the IMC layer at the interface. The growth of the Cu3Sn layer during the aging process was strongly correlated with the presence of In. The growth rate of the Cu3Sn layer was significantly reduced when the In concentration exceeded 3 Wt.%.
Originality/value
The addition of In promotes the formation of InSb particles in Sn-3Ag-3Sb-xIn/Cu solder joints. These particles limit the growth of the total IMC layer, while a higher In content also slows the growth of the Cu3Sn layer. This study is significant for designing alloy compositions for new high-reliability solders.
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Huijun Deng, Xue Li, Libao Sun and Shiyou Yang
The aim of this paper is to explore the potential of particle swarm optimization (PSO) methods for minimizing the sidelobe levels (SLL) and placing null at arbitrary angles of a…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to explore the potential of particle swarm optimization (PSO) methods for minimizing the sidelobe levels (SLL) and placing null at arbitrary angles of a nonlinear antenna array.
Design/methodology/approach
An improved PSO algorithm is designed.
Findings
The improved PSO method is an efficient and robust global optimizer for minimizing the SLL and placing null at arbitrary angles of a nonlinear antenna array.
Originality/value
Some improvements, such as the design of some new formulae for both position and velocity updating, the introduction of an age variable, and the devise of an intensification searches using the cross entropy method, are proposed.
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Solder joint inspection plays a critical role in various industries, with a focus on integrated chip (IC) solder joints and metal surface welds. However, the detection of tubular…
Abstract
Purpose
Solder joint inspection plays a critical role in various industries, with a focus on integrated chip (IC) solder joints and metal surface welds. However, the detection of tubular solder joints has received relatively less attention. This paper aims to address the challenges of detecting small targets and complex environments by proposing a robust visual detection method for pipeline solder joints. The method is characterized by its simplicity, cost-effectiveness and ease of implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
A robust visual detection method based on the characteristics of pipeline solder joints is proposed. With the improved hue, saturation and value (HSV) color space, the method uses a multi-level template matching approach to first segment the pipeline from the background, and then match the endpoint of the pipeline to accurately locate the solder joint. The proposed method leverages the distinctive characteristics of pipeline solder joints and employs an enhanced HSV color space. A multi-level template matching approach is utilized to segment the pipeline from the background and accurately locate the solder joint by matching the pipeline endpoint.
Findings
The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solder joint detection method in practical detection tasks. The average precision of pipeline weld joint localization exceeds 95%, while the average recall is greater than 90%. These findings highlight the applicability of the method to pipeline solder joint detection tasks, specifically in the context of production lines for refrigeration equipment.
Research limitations/implications
The precision of the method is influenced by the placement angle and lighting conditions of the test specimen, which may pose challenges and impact the algorithm's performance. Potential avenues for improvement include exploring deep learning methods, incorporating additional features and contextual information for localization, and utilizing advanced image enhancement techniques to improve image quality.
Originality/value
The proposed pipeline solder joint detection method offers a novel and practical approach. The simplicity, cost-effectiveness and ease of implementation make it an attractive choice for detecting pipeline solder joints in different industrial applications.
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