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The purpose of this article is to evaluate empirically the impact of contact personnel and physical environment on the perception of corporate image by new clients by using the hierarchical multiple regression analysis capable of exploring the potential presence of higher order and interaction terms. With data collected in two service industries, namely 272 new clients of a life insurance company and 238 travellers in a hotel, a linear relationship with corporate image was statistically confirmed for contact personnel, while a potential curvilinear relationship was found for physical environment. The results reveal the significant effect of both contact personnel and physical environment, as well as their interactive effects on corporate image. The managerial and research implications of the reported study are discussed.

This paper aims to explore how born global firms (BGs) in business to business (B2B) markets balance the mix of physical and virtual networking through social media to gain access to resources throughout their internationalization process. Further, the research seeks to understand these firms’ network dynamics in their continual adaptation to changing resource requirements throughout the internationalization process.

This research adopts a multiple case study approach based on in-depth interviews with founders and key informants in BGs in the software industry, supplemented with extensive secondary data.

Results reveal that networking through social media is efficient and can be used to access vital resources and to build trusting relationships in a B2B context, yet in combination with physical networking. This research found several boundary conditions related to the mix of physical and virtual networking, i.e. the relationship culture in the industry, strategic importance of partner/customer, type of product complexity and managers’ perceptions of the usefulness of social media in a B2B context. These conditions could evolve over time.

This research contributes to enhanced understanding of how resource-constrained BGs balance the mix of physical and virtual networking through social media in a B2B context, influenced by boundary conditions, achieving a network dynamic to advance internationalization.

The tensile test is one of the fundamental experiments used to evaluate material properties. Simulating a tensile test can be a replacement of experiments to determine mechanical parameters of a continuous material. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This research uses a new approach to model a tensile test of a high-carbon steel on the basis of discrete element method (DEM). In this research, the tensile test specimen was created by using a DEM packing theory. The particle-particle bond model was used to establish the internal forces of the tensile test specimen. The particle-particle bond model was first tested by performing two-particle tensile test, then was adopted to simulate tensile tests of the high-carbon steel by using 3,678 particles.

This research has successfully revealed the relationships between the DEM parameters and mechanical parameters by modelling a tensile test. The parametric study demonstrates that the particle physical radius, particle contact radius and bond disc radius can significantly influence ultimate stress and Young’s modulus of the specimen, whereas they slightly impact elongation at fracture. Increasing the normal and shear stiffness, the critical normal and shear stiffness can enable the increase of ultimate stress, however, up to maximum values.

To improve the particle-particle bond model to simulate a tensile test for high-carbon steel, the damping factors for compensating energy loss from transition of particle motions and failure of bonds are required.

This work reinforces the knowledge of applying DEM to model continuous materials.

This research illustrates a new approach to model a tensile test of a high-carbon steel on the basis of DEM.

One of the major concerns in the emerging phenomenon of collaborative consumption (CC) is the issue of contamination (i.e. feeling “grossed out” when sharing items with others). Guided by the law of contagion and the consumer contamination effect theory, this research investigated the ways in which companies can manipulate in order to reduce the negative contamination when renting or purchasing used fashion items from others. Specifically, this research examines this issue of contamination through the ownership type of the shared goods (e.g. corporate-ownership or B2C exchange, and consumer-ownership or C2C exchange) and its effect on consumers' CC intentions in two distinct sharing contexts (i.e. rental and secondhand purchase).

A total of 181 American female consumers were assigned to an experimental CC scenario, and their rental/secondhand purchase intentions were compared through ANCOVA analysis.

In both rental and secondhand purchase contexts, consumers displayed greater intentions to shop in B2C setting (i.e. corporate-ownership) with no direct contact with the previous owner, than in C2C setting (i.e. consumer-ownership) with a greater association with the previous owner and the shared items. Such inclination was more prevalent when purchasing a shirt than a handbag, suggesting that consumers feel more grossed out when there is greater physical contact with the shared item.

The findings of the study suggest a possible solution to alleviate the contamination effect, and the discovery of the degree of contact as a moderator provides new insight into contamination research.

This paper aims to concentrate on recent innovations in flexible wearable sensor technology tailored for monitoring vital signals within the contexts of wearable sensors and systems developed specifically for monitoring health and fitness metrics.

In recent decades, wearable sensors for monitoring vital signals in sports and health have advanced greatly. Vital signals include electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, electromyography, inertial data, body motions, cardiac rate and bodily fluids like blood and sweating, making them a good choice for sensing devices.

This report reviewed reputable journal articles on wearable sensors for vital signal monitoring, focusing on multimode and integrated multi-dimensional capabilities like structure, accuracy and nature of the devices, which may offer a more versatile and comprehensive solution.

The paper provides essential information on the present obstacles and challenges in this domain and provide a glimpse into the future directions of wearable sensors for the detection of these crucial signals. Importantly, it is evident that the integration of modern fabricating techniques, stretchable electronic devices, the Internet of Things and the application of artificial intelligence algorithms has significantly improved the capacity to efficiently monitor and leverage these signals for human health monitoring, including disease prediction.

Using a quantitative research method, health-care workers’ (HWs) well-being was taken as the dependent variable while the two independent variables were physical quality and service environment. This study aims to focus on the well-being of HWs in their physical environment.

This study used a hybrid method that is a combination of literature review and questionnaire survey. This study used quantitative research design which is a systematic study of phenomenon by collecting quantifiable data and performing statistical, mathematical or computational techniques. This study is conducted among HWs, with doctors and nurses at four Chinese government hospitals in the southern city of Changzhou (near Shanghai) as participants.

A total of 222 responses were obtained from a random sample of HWs from four hospitals in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Three-fifth of the participants (n = 133, 60%) are satisfied with hospital equipment and half (n = 111.50%) of them are satisfied with the modern technology in place. About one-third (n = 67, 30%) are satisfied with ventilation and only one-fifth (n = 44, 20%) are satisfied with hygiene. Most HWs think it was necessary to provide tests for frontline workers.

In the wake of COVID-19 in 2020, HWs are working long hours every day facing high risk of infection and stress. This research investigates the satisfaction level and the difficulties experienced by HWs based on the current physical environment setting during COVID-19 pandemic.

The all-inclusive system comprises a large share of supply and demand in the worldwide tourism market. All-inclusive system investments occupy a large place in the Mediterranean coastline, especially in Turkey. The risk that may arise for hotels operating with the all-inclusive system will affect the whole market in terms of supply and demand. The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions of the managers regarding the changes that may occur in demand and supply in the all-inclusive system after the COVID-19 pandemic and their consequences without disturbing the cost balance in an all-inclusive system.

The research was conducted by using an online interview method with a semi-structured interview form that includes questions on the effects of COVID-19 on all-inclusive systems. Obtained data were analyzed by using content analysis methods.

The findings suggest that COVID-19 directly or indirectly influences visitor expectations and behavior, use of physical space and services provided in all-inclusive system within the technology, hygiene and cost cycle. Because of the effect of COVID-19, there have been important alterations in the use of physical space and service contents. Related changes brought about the pressure to reduce costs. Ensuring the managerial balance for these costs, which cannot be subsidized with direct prices, will provide priority with regard to both competitive advantages and managing the risk perception.

There are limited studies on all-inclusive systems and operations. Additionally, there is a lack of studies based on managers’ perceptions of the future of all-inclusive. This study contributes toward a better understanding of perceptions about the future of high-demand all-inclusive systems within the effect of COVID-19 through the eyes of hotel managers. This study differs from existing literature by attempting to determine new ways to enrich service contents for risk management without changing cost structure and revealing strategies for effective sustainability of all-inclusive systems.

全包式系统在全球旅游市场的供需中占有很大份额。全包式系统投资在地中海海岸线, 尤其是在土耳其占据很大的位置。以全包制运营的酒店可能出现的风险将影响整个旅游市场的供求关系。本研究的目的是确定管理人员对 COVID-19 大流行后全包系统的供需变化, 以及在不干扰全包系统中的成本平衡的前提下对其后果的看法。

该研究是通过使用在线访谈方法和半结构化访谈形式进行的, 其中包括关于 COVID-19 对全包系统的影响的问题。使用内容分析方法对获得的数据进行分析。

结果显示了 COVID-19 对游客期望和行为、全包式系统设施中物理空间的使用以及全包式系统提供的在技术、卫生和成本周期内预测的在全包系统设施中提供的服务内容。由于 COVID-19 的影响, 物理空间的使用和服务内容发生了重要变化。相关变化带来了降低成本的压力。确保这些成本无法通过直接价格补贴的管理平衡会为竞争优势和管理风险认知提供优先权。

目前对全包系统和运营的研究比较有限。此外, 已有文献缺乏基于管理者角度对全包式未来的看法的研究。本研究通过酒店经理的视角能更好地理解在 COVID-19 影响下对高需求全包系统的未来的看法。本研究与现有文献的不同之处在于, 试图确定在不改变成本结构的情况下丰富风险管理服务内容的新方法, 并揭示全包系统有效可持续性的策略。

COVID-19, 全包系统, 技术, 卫生, 成本

文章类型： 研究型论文

The purpose of this paper is to identify and examine the important factors that could affect consumers' behavioural intention and use behaviour towards mobile payment services during COVID-19.

The proposed model extends meta-Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (meta-UTAUT) model with perceived severity and self-efficacy factors affecting consumers' behavioural intention and use behaviour towards mobile payment services. A convenient sampling technique has been utilized to gather data from a self-administered questionnaire. The data collection was restricted to the online mode to avoid any physical contact considering the COVID-19 situation.

The findings revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy and perceived severity have a significant positive impact on consumers' attitude; facilitating conditions has a significant positive impact on effort expectancy; self-efficacy has a significant positive impact on effort expectancy; attitude has a significant positive impact on behavioural intention; and behavioural intention has a significant positive impact on use behaviour. Social influence did not confirm any significant relationship.

The current research study has utilized a non-probability convenient sampling technique to gather data through a self-administered questionnaire. The data collection was restricted to the online mode to avoid any physical contact considering the COVID-19 situation. The respondents were adopters of mobile payment services. The scope of the study is the COVID-19 context or related chronic diseases context where major preventive mechanisms such as social distancing and avoidance of physical contacts are vital.

This study has extended the meta-UTAUT model with the COVID-19 context-specific constructs and relationships. The undertaken work has strengthened the explanability of the model. The inclusion of context relevant variables such as perceived severity and self-efficacy and their association with the existing meta-UTAUT framework have enriched the context of the study. The current study offers a holistic understanding of significant factors influencing Indian consumers’ adoption of mobile payment services in the COVID-19 context.

Increasing competition on international markets has led many companies to consider quality as a strategic tool capable of influencing market share and return on investment. Yet a review of the marketing literature reveals a serious lack of explanatory and empirical studies on the concept of quality and its related phenomena as it applies to the service sector. This article presents the results of an exploratory study on service quality in a financial institution setting, using data collected from 1,224 respondents. A set of six factors that explain perceived quality is identified, namely the degree of customer satisfaction, the contact personnel, the internal organisation, the physical environment and instruments, the corporate image, and the personnel/customer interaction during the service encounter.

One of the misconceptions of teaching and learning for practical-based programmes, such as engineering, sciences, architecture, design and arts, is the necessity to deliver via face-to-face physical modality. This paper refutes this claim by providing case studies of best practices in delivering such courses and their hands-on skillsets using completely online virtual delivery that utilises different formats of 2D and 3D media and tools, supported by evidence of efficiency using learning analytics.

The case studies were designed using pedagogical principles of constructivism and deep learning, conducted within a mixture of 2D and 3D virtual learning environments with flexible interface and tools capabilities. State-of-the-art coding and scripting techniques were also used to automate different student tasks and increase engagement. Regression and descriptive analysis methods were used for Learning Analytics.

Learning analytics of all case studies demonstrated the capability to achieve course/project learning outcomes, with high engagement from students amongst peers and with tutors. Furthermore, the diverse virtual learning tools used, allowed students to display creativity and innovation efficiently analogous to physical learning.

The synthesis of utilised media and tools within this study displays innovation and originality in combining different technology techniques to achieve an effectual learning experience. That would usually necessitate face-to-face, hands-on physical contact to perform practical tasks and receive feedback on them. Furthermore, this paper provides suggestions for future research using more advanced technologies.