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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 September 2023

Wail Alhakimi and Sumaya Albashiri

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors related to the adoption of social media by women entrepreneurial small businesses (ESBs).

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors related to the adoption of social media by women entrepreneurial small businesses (ESBs).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a structured survey instrument, this study gathered data from 101 women entrepreneurs in Yemen. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The results confirm that social media has been widely applied by women ESBs in Yemen and has made a significant contribution to different business strategies and processes, mainly marketing, promotion and communication. Social media adoption is linked mainly with nontechnical obstacles and challenges, in specific, those “soft” factors such as management attitude, as well as “hard” technical obstacles and challenges involving cost and other practical aspects regarding social media nature.

Practical implications

This study contributes to the increase in awareness of the impact of social media among female ESB owners. A greater understanding of the impact of social media will eventually lead to better use of the tool to increase performance.

Originality/value

This study highlights the perceived benefits and challenges that give Yemeni female business owners strong decision-making power in their businesses. This study provides insight into the numerous drivers that affect owners/managers’ decisions to adopt and continuously use social media in the future.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, vol. 17 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2071-1395

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 March 2022

Huiying Gao, Shan Lu and Xiaojin Kou

The purpose of this study is to identify medical service quality factors that patients care about and establish a medical service quality evaluation index system by analyzing…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify medical service quality factors that patients care about and establish a medical service quality evaluation index system by analyzing online reviews of medical and healthcare service platforms in combination with a questionnaire survey.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a combination of review mining and questionnaire surveys. The latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) model was used to mine hospital reviews on the medical and healthcare service platform to obtain the medical service quality factors that patients pay attention to, and then the questionnaire was administered to obtain the relative importance of these factors to patients' perception of service quality. Finally, the index system was established.

Findings

The medical service quality factors patients care about include medical skills and ethics, registration service, operation effect, consulting communication, drug therapy, diagnosis process and medical equipment.

Research limitations/implications

The identification of medical service quality factors provides a reference for medical institutions to improve their medical service quality.

Originality/value

This study uses online review mining to obtain medical service quality factors from the perspective of patients, which is different from previous methods of obtaining factors from relevant literature or expert judgments; then, based on the mining results, a medical service quality evaluation index system is established by using questionnaire data.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 1978

Martha E. Williams

The present success of online retrieval is well known. The future is dependent on several factors including technological developments (computers, communications, terminals and…

Abstract

The present success of online retrieval is well known. The future is dependent on several factors including technological developments (computers, communications, terminals and storage), progress in information with science research, availability and use of funds for employing and coupling the available technology and the useful results of research, and finally the nontechnical exterior factors, such as political, psychological, legal and legislative constraints. Research is under way to pave the way for the development of transparent systems for retrieving references, facts and information contained in textual material. Such systems will greatly increase the useability of computer‐readable databases by professionals and laymen alike. Really significant changes will depend on research that progresses towards fact retrieval and ultimately towards knowledge retrieval.

Details

Online Review, vol. 2 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-314X

Article
Publication date: 11 July 2018

Rohit Trivedi and Khyati Jagani

The purpose of this study is to understand that how different demographic variables and repeated availing of service from the same doctor or same hospital shape the overall…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand that how different demographic variables and repeated availing of service from the same doctor or same hospital shape the overall perception of health-care service quality and satisfaction among inpatients admitted in private hospitals in an emerging economy.

Design/methodology/approach

A self-administered, cross-sectional survey of inpatients using a questionnaire was translated into Hindi and Gujarati. The data were collected from 702 inpatients from 18 private clinics located in three selected cities from Western India.

Findings

The results indicate that experience with hospital administration, doctors, nursing staff, physical environment, hospital pharmacy and physical environment is significant predictor of inpatient satisfaction. Physical environment was found to be significantly associated with satisfaction only among female inpatient. It was also found that repeat availing of services either from the same hospital or doctor does not increase patient satisfaction. The feasibility, reliability and validity of the instrument that measures major technical and nontechnical dimensions of quality of health-care services were established in the context of a developing country.

Originality/value

The study makes important contribution by empirically investigating the inpatient assessment of health-care service quality based upon their demographic information and repeated availing of services to understand how repeat visit shapes the service quality perception.

Details

International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6123

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 November 2022

Debby Willar, Bambang Trigunarsyah, Anak Agung Diah Parami Dewi and Febriane Makalew

There are various methods to assess the failure of a road construction project that does not meet quality and performance standards. This study aims to evaluate the factors

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Abstract

Purpose

There are various methods to assess the failure of a road construction project that does not meet quality and performance standards. This study aims to evaluate the factors affecting the quality management of road construction projects in Indonesia by identifying the critical challenges in implementing quality management processes and examining the countermeasures to address these problems.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, the quality management processes in Indonesian road construction projects are evaluated using a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach. Quantitative data obtained from two rounds of Delphi questionnaire surveys as the primary data source, and focus group interviews as the qualitative data are used to achieve the aims of this study.

Findings

It is found that from as early as in the preconstruction stage of a project, the availability of quality standards and documentation is problematic when implementing quality management processes. The critical factor of the quality control activities of a project and the quality management roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders during road construction is the project team. This constraint deals with the interaction of the competency, commitment, and mutual cooperation among the main stakeholders to ensure that quality management processes are implemented. This implementation is a part of controlling the road pavement materials, supervising the project activities according to a specified standard, and reporting the project performance. The findings of this study add parameters relating to quality management and quality processes in a road construction project area.

Originality/value

This study is the first to evaluate the quality management processes in the construction of Indonesian road projects. The investigation identifies and evaluates the causes of the persistence of poor road quality. All revealed constraints are substantial factors that hinder the implementation of quality management processes when delivering quality road products. This study addresses the key influencing factors and scenarios related to quality management during road construction projects in Indonesia and other developing countries as practical examples and provides case-based insights for construction practitioners and civil engineering academics in developed countries.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 35 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 October 2021

Jun Jin, Zan Chen and Shijing Li

The objective of this paper is to empirically test and verify the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) capability on environmental performance (EP) of…

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to empirically test and verify the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) capability on environmental performance (EP) of manufacturing, as well as the moderating effect of heterogenous factors and the mediating effect of ambidextrous innovation in the context of the Chinese manufacturing firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The data come from the World Bank Enterprise Survey of China conducted from December 2011 to February 2013. The logistic regression is applied with Stata 15, and the robustness test by three methods is employed to verify the reliability of the results in this paper.

Findings

The research results suggest that the positive relationship between ICT capability and EP is moderated by two heterogenous factors, including main market and industry attributes. Meanwhile, the positive relationship between ICT capability and EP is mediated by ambidextrous innovation.

Originality/value

This work highlights ICT capability as an important, yet underexplored antecedent in improving the EP of manufacturing firms. This research further uncovers the moderating role of main market and industry attributes, as well as the mediating mechanism by introducing ambidextrous innovation in the relationship between ICT capability and EP.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 February 2023

G. Edward Gibson, Mounir El Asmar, Abdulrahman Yussef and David Ramsey

Assessing front end engineering design (FEED) accuracy is significant for project owners because it can support informed decision-making, including confidence in cost and schedule…

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Abstract

Purpose

Assessing front end engineering design (FEED) accuracy is significant for project owners because it can support informed decision-making, including confidence in cost and schedule predictions. A framework to measure FEED accuracy does not exist in the literature or in practice, not does systematic data directly linking FEED accuracy to project performance. This paper aims to focus first on gauging and quantifying FEED accuracy, and second on measuring its impact on project performance in terms of cost change, schedule change, change performance, financial performance and customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A novel measurement scheme was developed for FEED accuracy as a comprehensive assessment of factors related to the project leadership and execution teams, management processes and resources; to assess the environment surrounding FEED. The development of this framework built on a literature review and focus groups, and used the research charrettes methodology, guided by a research team of 20 industry professionals and input from 48 practitioners representing 31 organizations. Data were collected from 33 large industrial projects representing over $8.8 billion of installed cost, allowing for a statistical analysis of the framework's impact on performance.

Findings

This paper describes: (1) twenty-seven critical FEED accuracy factors; (2) an objective and scalable method to measure FEED accuracy; and (3) data showing that projects with high FEED accuracy outperformed projects with low FEED accuracy by 20 percent in terms of cost growth in relation to their approved budgets.

Practical implications

FEED accuracy is defined as the degree of confidence in the measured level of maturity of the FEED deliverables to serve as a basis of decision at the end of detailed scope, prior to detailed design. Assessing FEED accuracy is significant for project owners because it can support informed decision-making, including confidence in cost and schedule predictions.

Originality/value

FEED accuracy has not been assessed before, and it turned out to have considerable project performance implications. The new framework presented in this paper is the first of its kind, it has been tested rigorously, and it contributes to both the literature body of knowledge as well as to practice. As one industry leader recently stated, “it not only helped to assess the quality and adequacy of the technical documentation required, but also provided an opportunity to check the organization's readiness before making a capital investment decision.”

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 February 2023

Kenneth Shiu Pong Ng, Jiru Zhang, Jose Weng Chou Wong and Kennis Kaiqi Luo

Food delivery apps (FDAs), as a well-known technology, have been widely adopted by restaurants and customers. Different from existing studies in this field that mainly focused on…

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Abstract

Purpose

Food delivery apps (FDAs), as a well-known technology, have been widely adopted by restaurants and customers. Different from existing studies in this field that mainly focused on the technical (internal) parts, the study aims to introduce a new framework by linking up technical (internal) factors and service-related (external) factors in the context of FDAs. This study also empirically analyzes a comprehensive model that identifies the impacts of internal and external factors in FDAs on the continuous use intention.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes a comprehensive model integrating internal and external factors with a sample of 498 respondents who had ordered or purchased food through delivery apps for the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis.

Findings

The results of the study show that time-saving is the most significant factor on customers' perceptions, and various food choices and usefulness have also direct positive impacts on perceived value and satisfaction. In addition, perceived value shows a stronger effect than satisfaction on customers' continuous usage.

Originality/value

These findings provide a new perspective on FDAs, which not only simplify the elements of FDAs but also classify internal and external factors to foster the theoretical and practical development. Ultimately, the model proposed and validated in this study can serve as the basis for future FDAs and other service apps development.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 125 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1988

Ellen Day, Richard J. Fox and Sandra M. Huszagh

Although the viability of global marketing is disputed, the best opportunities for pursuing basically the same strategy across national borders are in industrial marketing…

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Abstract

Although the viability of global marketing is disputed, the best opportunities for pursuing basically the same strategy across national borders are in industrial marketing. However, because of the disparities across world markets, segmentation is essential to assessing opportunities for a standardised marketing approach. Segmentation based on economic indicators represents the first step in identifying potential markets. In this study, 96 countries were grouped into six segments. Implications for industrial marketers are presented, along with issues relating to using stages of economic development as a basis for segmentation and using a factor analytic and clustering approach to the segmentation of the global market.

Details

International Marketing Review, vol. 5 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-1335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2004

J.B. Yang

This paper presents a hybrid artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of integrating techniques of case‐based reasoning, rule induction and expert system, using them for…

Abstract

This paper presents a hybrid artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of integrating techniques of case‐based reasoning, rule induction and expert system, using them for knowledge acquisition and problem solving of selecting appropriate retaining wall systems at the project planning stage. The proposed hybrid system can eliminate the bottleneck of knowledge acquisition in developing a knowledge‐based system and improve the solution quality of the AI‐based system. Test results indicate that solutions generated by the proposed hybrid system are better than those generated by using a single technique.

Details

Construction Innovation, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

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