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The purpose of this paper is to intelligibly demonstrate the effectiveness of face mask wearing as a means to prevent COVID-19 transmission. Through understanding the benefits of wearing masks, it is hoped to facilitate the change of societal behavior and more people are willing to wear face mask.

The paper investigates the 50 states in the United States of America (U.S.) and Washington, D.C. that implemented the mask mandates before September 30, 2020, which are divided into four groups: (1) those implemented the statewide mask mandates before June 5, 2020 when World Health Organization (WHO) recommended mask wearing; (2) those implemented statewide mask mandates after June 5, 2020; (3) those implemented partial mandates affecting 30 percent or more of the state’s population; and (4) those implemented partial mandates affecting less than 30 percent. Simple descriptive statistics are analyzed.

For the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., the higher the mask wearing rate, the lower the number of COVID-19 cases (correlation coefficient: −0.69 (p<0.001)). For the 23 states with mobility reduction of less than 15 percent, the higher the proportion of population required to wear masks, the lower the number of cases. This can be seen from the difference in the number of cases among the four groups by ANOVA (p = 0.013).

The positive effect of wearing masks is shown based on simple descriptive statistics for intuitive and intelligible understanding, which may lead people to comprehend the importance of wearing masks, and break through their custom, culture, and norms, and wear masks.

The rise of interactive fitness games in the post-epidemic era has resulted in the need to establish a quality evaluation index system. This study aims to develop such a system and provide a reference for enhancing the quality of interactive fitness games.

To achieve this, interviews and questionnaires were conducted to identify the factors that influence the quality of interactive fitness games. The Kano model and SII (Satisfaction Increment Index)-Dissatisfaction Decrement Index (DDI) two-dimensional quadrant analysis were then used to explore differences in quality judgment between males and females, as well as their priorities for improving interactive fitness games.

The study revealed that males and females have different quality judgments for “rich and diverse content,” “motivational value,” “sensitive motion recognition detection” and “portability.” However, both genders share similar views on the other quality factors. In addition, the study identified differences in the priority of improvement between men and women. “Very interesting,” “effective fitness achievement,” “motivating fitness maintenance,” “sensitive motion recognition detection,” “portability” and “educational value” were found to be of higher priority for men than women.

These findings provide a valuable theoretical reference for developers and designers of interactive fitness games seeking to enhance the user experience.

Automobile industry has been the backbone of manufacturing sector in any country. During the past decade, passenger car industry has emerged as the one of the growing sectors in the Indian economy. Technological features in the passenger cars industry has been evolving in the global market, and customers have been the most important stakeholders to judge the requirement of these features. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the customers’ need for these emerging technologies using Kano model of customer satisfaction.

This paper has used the Kano model to assess the customer satisfaction for Indian passenger car companies. Overall, 250 customers of passenger cars from Northern India have been surveyed using well-structured questionnaire designed as per the Kano model. On the basis of responses, this study has categorized the technological attributes of passenger cars as attractive, must be, one-dimensional and indifferent.

“Auto Gear Shift” system has emerged as a must be attribute. “Premium surround system” has been categorized under one-dimensional attribute. “Communication between vehicles,” “integration with smart phone,” “connecting applications,” “dual-stage airbags,” “in-dash navigation system,” “rearview camera,” “heated and cooled seats,” “built-in fourth generation long term evolution,” “Wi-Fi system” and “automated window cleaning system” have emerged as attractive features. The customers have been indifferent about “gesture control,” “reality display on car wind screen” and “run-on-flat tyre.” In contradiction to the popular belief, this study has found that customers have shown Indifferent attitude toward “hydrogen fuel-operated cars” and “battery cars.”

This present study gives insight about the acceptability of various emerging technological features in Indian car market. This study has fulfilled the existing dearth in assessing the customers’ insight about the implementation of these emerging technologies in Indian cars. This paper will be helpful to the manufacturers to inculcate the voice of the customers in designing the new technologies for the passenger cars.

Previous studies across the globe have applied Kano model for assessing customers’ satisfaction in various industries, but according to the authors’ knowledge, hardly any study was conducted in context of technological attributes for Indian passenger car companies.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and suggest a reference Kano model.

Existing Kano models have been classified into three types and, for each type, the curves, together with their corresponding evaluation tables, have been studied and a new type of the Kano model developed.

Findings imply that the existing types of the Kano model have weaknesses: starting points of the curves are not located in correct position; the sequence and slopes of the curves are not carefully illustrated; and the cells of Kano evaluation table are not coded correctly. Such problems have been resolved in the proposed Kano model.

Empirical research is needed to examine the proposed type of Kano model, and to investigate the differences between the results of the application of the new and other types of Kano model.

This study provides a valuable reference model for researchers and practitioners, to be utilized in future investigations.

The paper aims to help companies develop a better understanding of customer needs through quantitative analysis of Kano's model.

A novel approach is developed to measure and quantify the relationships between customer satisfaction and the fulfillment of customer requirements (S‐CR) as depicted in Kano's model. A case study concerning notebook computer design is conducted to illustrate the application of the proposed approach.

By implementing the proposed approach, S‐CR relationship functions have been identified from Kano's model to illustrate the impact of different customer requirements on customer satisfaction. The case study demonstrates that the proposed approach can be implemented successfully.

In order to identify the S‐CR relationship functions, several assumptions have been made in determining the shape of relationship curves in Kano's model. Future work could focus on improving the assumptions to derive the relationship functions more objectively.

The proposed approach enables companies to develop a better understanding of customer requirements by visualizing the impact of customer requirements on customer satisfaction through S‐CR relationship functions. More importantly, it provides a way for companies to integrate Kano's model with other mathematical models or tools to support engineering design.

The proposed approach goes beyond the qualitative analysis in Kano's model by identifying S‐CR relationship functions, both linear and nonlinear, to measure the impact of different customer requirements on customer satisfaction, which is currently a new attempt in the analysis of Kano's model for quality improvement.

The aim of this research is to propose a quantitative approach to evaluating the quality of services provided, helping organizations to make strategic decisions by better understanding the characteristics that satisfy consumers.

The approach was based on the integration of the Kano model with SERVQUAL, adapted by the satisfaction equations of Albuquerque et al. (2022) and fuzzy systems theory. Through this, it was possible to infer which attributes influence customer satisfaction, identifying the ranges of satisfaction and, with the help of fuzzy, reducing the imprecision of customer perceptions.

A total of 42% of the attributes were classified as unidimensional, with attribute 11 (Reliability) and attribute 9 (Courtesy) having the highest satisfaction values. Attractive attributes accounted for 38% of the sample, with attribute 29 (Variety of products) and attribute 7 (Location) having the greatest impact on satisfaction. On the other hand, attribute 30 (Order Delay) and attribute 31 (Waiting for payment) caused more dissatisfaction among consumers (ranges −0.6, −0.71, respectively). In addition, Variety of products was the most satisfactory, while Order Delay generated the most dissatisfaction among users.

The originality of this research lies in its contribution to organizations in relation to the services offered by investigating a gap in the studies that use the Kano model, integrated with SERVQUAL, which do not include reverse attributes in their equations and analyses. With the help of fuzzy sets, the subjectivity of the individual can be translated into data for greater clarity of information.

This paper aims to revise the ideal ratio for selecting new products based on their qualitative analysis of desired/undesired functions.

The Kano model has been integrated with the ideal ratio to select and prioritize the design of new products. First, the functional analysis method in value engineering was used to determine the attributes and functions of each product design. Then, the Kano model was used to determine the type of each product attribute and to use the desirable functions of attractive attributes, one-dimensional, must-be and undesirable functions of reverse attributes in the ideal ratio to select and prioritize the design of the product. To examine the application of the proposed approach, a gas instruments manufacturing company was investigated, and five new products were selected for the study.

Based on the results, the product design of industrial regulator GS 77/22 was selected as the superior product and the digital diaphragm gas meter, ultrasonic gas meter, axial regulator and turbine gas meter had the second to fifth priority, respectively.

The proposed method can help product designers determine product designs suitable for customers' expectations and provide a desirable prioritization of the product design in terms of their ideal ratio according to the customers.

The proposed approach provides a more desirable prioritization compared with other prioritization methods based on customers' viewpoints. In the proposed method, the Kano model results in respecting customers, understanding community needs, respecting consumers' rights and increasing the organization's social responsibility, which will significantly increase the chance of product success in the market.

The purpose of this paper is to apply the proposed methodology to develop the product as per customer’s requirements (CRs) and increase customer satisfaction (CS).

The companies are using different methods to identify CRs and translate these requirements into new products. The Kano model is used to identify CRs. The result of the Kano model is used in quality function deployment (QFD) to decide the priority for improvements of CRs and the technical requirements.

The integration of the Kano model and QFD is applied on the mobile phone. The Kano model helps to find out the CRs which affect the CS, such as attractive (A) attribute, one (O)-dimensional attribute and must be (M) attribute. The QFD method helps to translate the CRs into technical requirements so that the designer can decide priority of requirements for improvement or new product development.

The proposed methodology can be applied to different consumers as well as industrial products.

The Kano model has been used in manufacturing as well as service sector. This work explores its usefulness and applicability for consumer and industrial products.

The purpose of this paper is to apply Kano's method in practice in the cutlery industry and test its suitability to the cutlery industry. Furthermore, a Kano‐based process for weighting customer requirements is presented.

By using the example of the cutlery industry, the paper exemplifies in which way companies can use Kano's method to consider customer requirements as good as possible. Thereby, it is discussed how less popular Kano evaluation modes can support the process of prioritizing measures. Rest upon the results of a Kano project, a multistage method for weighting customer requirements is introduced. The method is based on the connection of already existing Kano evaluation modes. It calculates the meaning of a customer requirement by using the percentage dispatch of the requirement on individual Kano requirement categories.

The evaluation of Kano questionnaires – differentiated by age and sex – showed that a low price by itself is not a decisively criteria for a buyer's decision. The main successful strategy is the availability of an extensive service. The analysis of Kano evaluation modes showed that especially the methods CAT and M>O> A> I are conceptual useable for developing a Kano‐based weighting process. Through an adjustment of existing methods and by a variation of the factors of the multistage calculation algorithm it is possible to describe the process of customers' requirement prioritisation.

By calculating the weighted relevance of customer requirements directly from the results of a Kano project, the new method allows to optimize the customer orientation within the companies.