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Thermal conduction anisotropy, which is defined by the dependency of thermal conductivity on direction, is an important parameter in many engineering and research studies such as the design of nuclear waste depositional sites. In this context, the authors aim to investigate the effect of grain shape in thermal conduction anisotropy using pore scale modeling that utilizes real shapes of grains, pores and throats to characterize petrophysical properties of a porous medium.

The authors generalize the swelling circle approach to generate porous media composed of randomly arranged but regularly oriented elliptical grains at various grain ratios and porosities. Unlike previous studies that use fitting parameters to capture the effect of grain–grain thermal contact resistance, the authors apply roughness to grains’ surface. The authors utilize Lattice Boltzmann method to solve steady state heat conduction through medium.

Based on the results, when the temperature field is not parallel to either major or minor axes of grains, the overall heat flux vector makes a “deviation angle” with the temperature field. Deviation angle increases by augmenting the ratio of thermal conductivities of solid to fluid and the aspect ratios of grains. In addition, the authors show that porosity and surface roughness can considerably change the anisotropic properties of a porous medium whose grains are elliptical in shape.

The authors developed an algorithm for generation of non-circular-based porous medium with a novel approach to include grain surface roughness. In previous studies, the effect of grain contacts has been simulated using fitting parameters, whereas in this work, the authors impose the roughness based on the its fractal geometry.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect on movie performance of the breadth and depth of consumer groups targeted by movies and to analyze the ways in which electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) mediates these relationships.

For empirical analysis, 45 days of sales and eWOM data for 63 movies released in Korea in 2017 were collected, and a panel regression analysis was conducted on a total of 2,835 data items. In addition, the analysis was rigorously verified through three robustness tests.

The breadth and depth of consumer groups targeted by movies have a non-linear relationship with sales, and this relationship is mediated by the eWOM performance of social media websites. In addition, eWOM performance has a non-linear relationship with sales, and these effects differ depending on the type of eWOM platform involved.

The effects of the breadth and depth of the consumer groups targeted by movies on eWOM performance and movie performance have not been sufficiently investigated. This paper expands on previous studies that reported a linear relationship between eWOM and sales by finding that the effects of consumer group breadth and depth on sales are not linear in terms of the mediation of eWOM performance. In addition, a new research direction is suggested by conceptualizing consumer group breadth and depth using eWOM data, on which basis the new concept of eWOM-to-viewing ratio (eWOM ratio) is proposed.

Tests new proposed tools for measuring media exposure in a crisis management situation. A theoretical formula based on a literature review is applied to two crises: the TWA 800 crash and the ValuJet 592 crash. The application of the proposed formula was generally successful. The outcomes showed that diverse comparisons of media exposure are possible through the new methods.

The aim of this study is to analyze over time the evolution of associated costs of direct marketing in Spain and offer operational conclusions for the optimization of marketing budgets intended for the establishment of contact and/a relationship with the customer.

This study analyses and compares the relationship between advertising messages sent through direct mail, electronic mail, telemarketing and short cell‐phone messages (SMS), over five years. In the context of a loyalty program, and by means of a historical analysis, an alternating media marketing test is presented: a total of 10,000 contacts per medium studied per year were made.

The relationship that exists between the cost per contact and the cost per effective response for each one of the above mentioned direct and interactive media.

A series of operational conclusions can be extracted for direct media planning and its marketing budget optimization with regard to choice of medium according to expected response and choice of medium according to cost per response.

The relevance of this work is based on the relative lack of information in Spain over the cost of communications channelled through direct media. Besides, the inclusion of advertising by SMS in this work is particularly relevant due to the fact that the novelty of this media channel means that it has only been analyzed independently by very few existing studies.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between customer engagement in social media (CESM), brand equity and corporate performance and investigated whether these relationships differed according to cultural factors in the United States and South Korea.

We collected customer engagement on social media data on Facebook and brand equity data from Interbrand for listed companies in the United States and Korea. A total of 405 data sets were analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Results revealed that CESM did not affect financial performance through a direct path but was found to have a positive indirect path via the mediation of brand equity. In addition, this relationship was found to differ between the United States and South Korea.

This study contributed to the literature on social media and international management by verifying the relationship between CESM, brand equity and financial performance, and by presenting exploratory research results to ascertain if these relationships differ according to the cultural dimension of the country.

Briefly reviews previous literature by the author before presenting an original 12 step system integration protocol designed to ensure the success of companies or countries in their efforts to develop and market new products. Looks at the issues from different strategic levels such as corporate, international, military and economic. Presents 31 case studies, including the success of Japan in microchips to the failure of Xerox to sell its invention of the Alto personal computer 3 years before Apple: from the success in DNA and Superconductor research to the success of Sunbeam in inventing and marketing food processors: and from the daring invention and production of atomic energy for survival to the successes of sewing machine inventor Howe in co‐operating on patents to compete in markets. Includes 306 questions and answers in order to qualify concepts introduced.

The benefits gained from the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) are not consistent across related studies. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to use the threshold model to explain this problem and further recognize the gains and losses of Taiwan’s commercial banks in participating in CSR.

This paper uses the data of listed banks during the period of 2008–2020 and applies the multi-threshold regression model for designing the model with debt ratio as a threshold variable. These thresholds are used to classify the data into three regimes; low, medium and high debt ratios for examining how banks’ participation in social responsibility affects their financial performance, costs and depositors' confidence.

The implementation of CSR can enable the low debt banks to reduce costs and generate positive effects on the growth of profitability and time deposits. Conversely, the commitment to CSR of the bank group with medium and high debt ratios negatively affects their profits, and their costs increase insignificantly. Besides, the depositors' confidence in bank groups with low and moderate debt ratios increase, but those of high debt ratio group decrease.

This paper contributes to the existent literature in several ways: first, the nonlinear model is applied to eliminate the asymmetric of the data. Second, this paper highlights the importance of debt ratio in assessing the effectiveness of CSR engagement. Third, quality of loans is the key factor determining the bank's profitability and expenses. Fourth, depositors' confidence in commercial banks is lower when their debt ratio is too high.

The goal of this study is to investigate the nexus among TFP (total factor productivity), IT (information technology) capital accumulation, skills and key plant variables of 34 Indian industries for the period of 2009–2015.

Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) data series are extracted and formulated using Microsoft SQL server. The authors employ Wooldridge (2009) technique to estimate productivity. To investigate the linkages among productivity, IT, skills and key plant variables, the authors estimate specifications using system generalized method of moments (sys-GMM). Advanced estimation techniques such as Heckman two-step process, probit equations, inverse Mills ratio and panel cointegration are applied to overcome problems of nonstationarity, omitted variables, endogeneity and reverse causality.

The results indicate that the level of IT capital influences the TFP of Indian industries, so does the level of skilled workers. The outcome suggests that intermediate capital goods, location and ownership type enable the strength of IT capital and that in turn boosts productivity. The authors fail to find any impact of regional factors and contractual labor on IT capital and productivity. While medium-level gender diversity is statistically significant to influence productivity, however, no complementarities exist between gender diversity and IT capital accumulation. The results also indicate that IT demand of Indian industries is sensitive to availability of skilled workforce, fuel and electricity and access to short-term funding.

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the nexus among TFP, IT capital accumulation, skills and organizational factors using ASI unit level data. Besides this, the paper offers two more novelties. First, it uses Wooldridge (2009) technique to estimate productivity, which is used by a handful of studies in the context of India. Second, the study identifies factors that impact productivity growth, IT demand and its adoption in Indian industries and thus contributes to growth and development literature.

The intersection of persuasive technology and personalization features in enterprises such as Amazon.com delivers familiar consumer web interactions related to the purchase of goods. This paper aims to describe the intersection in terms of academic library database personalization features, persuasive technology, and student research.

The paper compares personalization features in popular academic library databases and a case study of usage in a university system provides a perspective on use in the academic community. Research on student use of technology related to databases and Web 2.0 provides information on potential and actual use of personalization features.

Personalization and filtering features of research databases and the evolving Web 2.0 technology platform offer helpful tools to researchers, but the technology may not be persuasive enough to make significant changes in research behavior. Usage statistics indicate that personalization features are used, but compared to total enrollment, use is not high. There is much room for extension of persuasive elements in library databases.

There are many areas for exploration in determining how personalization may best be used in the future. This includes observing trends in usage, understanding users and their needs, and future technology changes.

Librarians can provide instruction about personalization in library databases in multiple forms. Suggestions for extensions of technology provide a view of possible personalization enhancements including persuasive elements.

The description of the intersection of personalization and persuasive technology in the academic library database environment is unique. The paper's comparison of personalization features of academic library databases provides a view of features and options within popular library databases.

Describes a novel concept in aircraft propulsion: investigates a variable cycle jet engine for a supersonic advanced short take‐off vertical landing (ASTOVL) aircraft. The engine is the selective bleed turbofan. The selective bleed turbofan is a two shaft, three compressor, variable cycle gas turbine. At subsonic flight speeds it operates as a medium bypass turbofan. It becomes a low bypass turbofan when flying faster and is capable of supersonic cruise in the dry mode. A preliminary design of an ASTOVL aircraft from Cranfield, the S‐95, was used as the vehicle. Outlines the performance of the engine and its integration with the aircraft. Explains off‐design engine performance characteristics and describes variable geometry requirements. The major advantage of this engine is that all the components are employed all the time, for all operating modes, thus incurring low weight penalties. Predicts that the aircraft/ engine combination will perform in a satisfactory way, meeting most performance targets provided that some improvements are carried out.