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Article
Publication date: 2 October 2018

Qi Jie Kwong, Jamalunlaili Abdullah, Sheng Chuan Tan, Tzer Hwai Gilbert Thio and Win Shyang Yeaw

Maintaining good indoor air quality (IAQ) in the built environment is essential to assure health, safety and productivity of occupants. The purpose of this paper is to report on…

Abstract

Purpose

Maintaining good indoor air quality (IAQ) in the built environment is essential to assure health, safety and productivity of occupants. The purpose of this paper is to report on the preliminary IAQ assessment of selected air-conditioned laboratories and naturally ventilated workshops in a tropical education institution.

Design/methodology/approach

The concentration levels of five major indoor air pollutants (IAPs) – carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, respirable particulates, formaldehyde (HCHO) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) in each sampling area were measured using calibrated air sampling sensors and the tracer-gas analysis was used to determine the ventilation effectiveness. A questionnaire survey was carried out concurrently to study the prevalence of sick building syndrome (SBS) among users of laboratories and workshops and the data collected were statistically analysed using χ2 test.

Findings

The air pollutant levels were found to be below the threshold limit values set in the local code of practice on IAQ, except for two of the air-conditioned laboratories. This is possibly due to insufficient ventilation, smaller floor area per occupant ratio, long-term exposure to chemical substances, and improper disposal of the used chemical substances. The total particulate levels were higher in naturally ventilated workshops because such spaces were assigned for mechanical works which involved grinding, welding and fabrication. Besides, it was identified that most of the air contaminant levels were not normally distributed (p<0.05) within the sampling areas and SBS like dry eyes, watery eyes, tiredness and dry throat were reported in both laboratories and workshops. The outcomes of this work suggest that an increase of ventilation rate was necessary to reduce the concentration of the IAPs in air-conditioned laboratories and improved housekeeping would help mitigate the prevalence of SBS symptoms.

Research limitations/implications

This research was carried out in selected laboratories and workshops in a Malaysian educational institution and only five major IAPs stipulated in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) code of practice were measured.

Practical implications

The results of this study will enable facility engineers and managers to understand the IAPs concentration levels and potential SBS problems in academic laboratories and workshops. The recommended strategies can be considered to improve IAQ conditions in such spaces.

Originality/value

Most of the previously conducted IAQ studies focused only on commonly occupied building spaces such as offices, classrooms and houses. Information of the quality of air and SBS conditions in experimental facilities in developing nations that is available is currently very limited. This case study provides detailed information on IAQ in laboratories and workshops in Malaysia with focuses on the concentration levels of particular harmful gases, the prevalence of SBS among users of these facilities and the appropriate mitigation strategies. The results presented are of value to both academic and industry communities.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2023

Tai-Yi Yu, Jeou-Shyan Horng, Chih-Hsing Liu, Sheng-Fang Chou, Ming-Tsung Lee, Yung-Chuan Huang and Maria Carmen B. Lapuz

This study attempts to fill the research gap by extending sustainability literature and providing empirical evidence that considers sustainability marketing commitment (SMC) as a…

Abstract

Purpose

This study attempts to fill the research gap by extending sustainability literature and providing empirical evidence that considers sustainability marketing commitment (SMC) as a fundamental attribute of effective marketing strategy that consequently improves tourism service quality, as represented by service attractiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

In the current study, data was collected from 313 tourism and hospitality firms. To test the model, this study applied structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the relationships among environmental strategy, SMC, supplier trust and service attractiveness in a mediation-moderation setting.

Findings

The results indicate that the multiple mediation effects of environmental strategy may indirectly influence tourist attractiveness through SMC and tourism services. The two-way moderating effects reveal that supplier trust and socialization strengthen the service attractiveness development process, while three-way interaction discovered that socialization and supplier trust positively moderate the relationships between tourism services and service attractiveness.

Originality/value

Sustainable strategy is a future trend for tourism business management; however, unknown to most is the role of marketing and environmental strategy in tourism business due to lack of integration with concepts in marketing strategy, with the multidimensionality of tourism services, and with the function of trust and socialization, critically undermining analyses of service attractiveness. This paper combines corporate sustainability and sustainability marketing methods to explore how an environmental strategy can improve tourism services and enhance a destination's attractiveness based on a mediation-moderation mechanism.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 36 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 September 2019

Chih-Hsing Liu, Angela Ya-Ping Chang and Yen-Po Fang

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new integrated model that combines the concepts of network ties (e.g. political ties and business ties), the organization of internal…

1558

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new integrated model that combines the concepts of network ties (e.g. political ties and business ties), the organization of internal critical attributes (such as social capital, human capital and innovation capability) and analyses of how those critical attributes influence organization performance and competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

A structural equation model and three-way interactions in moderated multiple regressions was used to test the hypotheses on a sample of 621 cultural and creative industry (CCI) managers in Taiwan.

Findings

The results indicate that human capital mediates the relationship between social capital and innovation capability. Furthermore, innovation capability also plays a mediating role in connecting the relationships between human capital, competitive advantage and organizational performance. The findings indicate that business ties strengthen the relationship between social and human capital. The level of human capital is at its peak when social capital, business ties, and political ties considerably interact with one another.

Research limitations/implications

The present study conceptualized the topic and systematized the questionnaire design and data collection, statistical analysis, and report writing. This study performs a systematic analysis to present the research but does not employ in-depth qualitative interviews to analyse the essential attributes of the different entrepreneurial styles. In-depth interviews enable the interviewees to completely depict their feelings, experiences, motivations, emotions and attitudes. Thus, this method can provide an in-depth analysis. Studies can be conducted to analyse the complexity of the processes involved.

Practical implications

This study determines and emphasizes that networking with various factors to create innovation is the key to enhancing competitive advantage and organizational performance. Innovation is a unique characteristic and a basic kinetic energy that affects various strategic organizational behaviours that positively influence competitive advantage and facilitate organizational performance. Hence, CCI firms need to consider market orientation and innovation in this highly competitive environment.

Originality/value

To the best of the knowledge, how CCI firms use networking sources to create competitive advantage and organizational performance, thereby promoting the development of the CCIs of Taiwan, has not been analysed in the tourism-related literature. Thus, the present study provides a significant contribution to the human capital literature, in which empirical research analyses the three-way interaction and demonstrates the empirical insights that may be used to study human capital. The findings reported in this study will encourage future researchers to employ multilevel human capital perspectives.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 58 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 March 2015

Aik-Chuan Teo, Garry Wei-Han Tan, Keng-Boon Ooi, Teck-Soon Hew and King-Tak Yew

The purpose of this paper is to uncover the effects of perceived transaction convenience (PTC) and perceived transaction speed (PTS) on unified theory of acceptance and use of…

6891

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to uncover the effects of perceived transaction convenience (PTC) and perceived transaction speed (PTS) on unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) in the context of m-payment.

Design/methodology/approach

A predictive analysis approach was used to examine the PTC and PTS using a two-stage partial least square (PLS) and neural network (NN) analyses.

Findings

The findings reveal that only effort expectancy (EE) and facilitating conditions (FC) were discovered to significantly influence BI. More importantly, PTC was found to have positive significant relationship with EE and performance expectancy (PE). Moreover, PTS also supported the positive relationship with BI and EE.

Practical implications

The findings of the study provided further insights to mobile payment service providers, online banking industry players, and all decision makers and stakeholders involved.

Originality/value

Despite of many attempts devoted to understand m-payment adoption, the effects of PTC and PTS on m-payment are not well understood.

Article
Publication date: 6 June 2008

Feng‐Chuan Pan, Suh‐Jean Su and Che‐Chao Chiang

The wine business is a fast growing industry in Taiwan particularly since the government deregulated the monopoly system, which in turn has induced fierce competition. Affective…

2554

Abstract

Purpose

The wine business is a fast growing industry in Taiwan particularly since the government deregulated the monopoly system, which in turn has induced fierce competition. Affective theory suggests that consumer emotion affects mood and purchasing behavior. The purpose of this paper is to propose that wineries may attract diverse customers by using pleasant atmospheric cues.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 346 samples from four famous wineries of two different types were collected and customers' mood and emotional factors relating to the wineries were explored, and the relationship between the factors of winery atmosphere, customer satisfaction, and purchasing behavior were examined.

Findings

Test results confirm that a pleasant atmosphere attracts and strengthens the customer's affective commitment, which in turn strengthens the customer's repetitive purchasing intention.

Research limitations/implications

Samples from four wineries may be too limited to allow generalisability of research findings, although these wineries attracted the majority of winery visitors.

Practical implications

Wineries should target and attract broader customer segments to include general tourists by creating the winery as a place of interest for leisure activities. The inclusion of customer‐centric factors in marketing campaigns in response to customer demands is needed in spanning market boundaries.

Originality/value

This paper expands the conventional wisdom of attracting wine consumers through wine tasting to include the overall attractiveness and appeal of the winery. Involving more diversified customer types as target groups will effectively broaden the winery's business scope and turnover.

Details

International Journal of Wine Business Research, vol. 20 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1062

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1960

C.G. ALLEN

The Communist revolution in China has led to the appearance in this country of increasing numbers of Chinese books in Russian translation. The Chinese names in Cyrillic…

Abstract

The Communist revolution in China has led to the appearance in this country of increasing numbers of Chinese books in Russian translation. The Chinese names in Cyrillic transcription have presented many librarians and students with a new problem, that of identifying the Cyrillic form of a name with the customary Wade‐Giles transcription. The average cataloguer, the first to meet the problem, has two obvious lines of action, and neither is satisfactory. He can save up the names until he has a chance to consult an expert in Chinese. Apart altogether from the delay, the expert, confronted with a few isolated names, might simply reply that he could do nothing without the Chinese characters, and it is only rarely that Soviet books supply them. Alternatively, he can transliterate the Cyrillic letters according to the system in use in his library and leave the matter there for fear of making bad worse. As long as the writers are not well known, he may feel only faintly uneasy; but the appearance of Chzhou Ėn‐lai (or Čžou En‐laj) upsets his equanimity. Obviously this must be entered under Chou; and we must have Mao Tse‐tung and not Mao Tsze‐dun, Ch'en Po‐ta and not Chėn' Bo‐da. But what happens when we have another . . . We can hardly write Ch'en unless we know how to represent the remaining elements in the name; yet we are loth to write Ch'en in one name and Chėn' in another.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2022

Chih-Hao Wen, Chih-Chan Cheng and Yuh-Chuan Shih

This research aims to collect human body variables via 2D images captured by digital cameras. Based on those human variables, the forecast and recommendation of the Digital…

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to collect human body variables via 2D images captured by digital cameras. Based on those human variables, the forecast and recommendation of the Digital Camouflage Uniforms (DCU) for Taiwan's military personnel are made.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 375 subjects are recruited (male: 253; female: 122). In this study, OpenPose converts the photographed 2D images into four body variables, which are compared with those of a tape measure and 3D scanning simultaneously. Then, the recommendation model of the DCU is built by the decision tree. Meanwhile, the Euclidean distance of each size of the DCU in the manufacturing specification is calculated as the best three recommendations.

Findings

The recommended size established by the decision tree is only 0.62 and 0.63. However, for the recommendation result of the best three options, the DCU Fitting Score can be as high as 0.8 or more. The results of OpenPose and 3D scanning have the highest correlation coefficient even though the method of measuring body size is different. This result confirms that OpenPose has significant measurement validity. That is, inexpensive equipment can be used to obtain reasonable results.

Originality/value

In general, the method proposed in this study is suitable for applications in e-commerce and the apparel industry in a long-distance, non-contact and non-pre-labeled manner when the world is facing Covid-19. In particular, it can reduce the measurement troubles of ordinary users when purchasing clothing online.

Details

Data Technologies and Applications, vol. 56 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 November 2015

Mamoun N. Akroush and Mutaz M. Al-Debei

The purpose of this paper is to examine an integrated model of factors affecting attitudes toward online shopping in Jordan. The paper introduces an integrated model of the roles…

17701

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine an integrated model of factors affecting attitudes toward online shopping in Jordan. The paper introduces an integrated model of the roles of perceived website reputation, relative advantage, perceived website image, and trust that affect attitudes toward online shopping.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured and self-administered online survey was employed targeting online shoppers of a reputable online retailer in Jordan; MarkaVIP. A sample of 273 of online shoppers was involved in the online survey. A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to assess the research constructs, unidimensionality, validity, and composite reliability (CR). Structural path model analysis was also used to test the proposed research model and hypotheses.

Findings

The empirical findings of this study indicate that perceived website reputation, relative advantage, perceived website image, and trust have directly and indirectly affected consumers’ attitudes toward online shopping. Online consumers’ shopping attitudes are mainly affected by perceived relative advantage and trust. Trust is a product of relative advantage and that the later is a function of perceived website reputation. Relative advantage and perceived website reputation are key predictors of perceived website image. Perceived website image was found to be a direct predictor of trust. Also, the authors found that 26 percent of variation in online shopping attitudes was directly caused by relative advantage, trust, and perceived website image.

Research limitations/implications

The research examined online consumers’ attitudes toward one website only therefore the generalizability of the research finding is limited to the local Jordanian website; MarkaVIP. Future research is encouraged to conduct comparative studies between local websites and international ones, e.g., Amazon and e-bay in order to shed lights on consumers’ attitudes toward both websites. The findings are limited to online shoppers in Jordan. A fruitful area of research is to conduct a comparative analysis between online and offline attitudes toward online shopping behavior. Also, replications of the current study’s model in different countries would most likely strengthen and validate its findings. The design of the study is quantitative using an online survey to measure online consumers’ attitudes through a cross-sectional design. Future research is encouraged to use qualitative research design and methodology to provide a deeper understanding of consumers’ attitudes and behaviors toward online and offline shopping in Jordan and elsewhere.

Practical implications

The paper supports the importance of perceived website reputation, relative advantage, trust, and perceived web image as keys drivers of attitudes toward online shopping. It further underlines the importance of relative advantage and trust as major contributors to building positive attitudes toward online shopping. In developing countries (e.g. Jordan) where individuals are generally described as risk averse, the level of trust is critical in determining the attitude of individuals toward online shopping. Moreover and given the modest economic situation in Jordan, relative advantage is another significant factor affecting consumers’ attitudes toward online shopping. Indeed, if online shopping would not add a significant value and benefits to consumers, they would have negative attitude toward this technology. This is at the heart of marketing theory and relationship marketing practice. Further, relative advantage is a key predictor of both perceived website image and trust and the later is a major driver of attitudes toward online shopping. Online retailers’ executives and managers can benefit from such findings for future e-marketing strategies and retaining customers to achieve long-term performance objectives.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the early empirical endeavors that examined factors affecting attitudes toward online shopping in Jordan. This study provides evidence on the factors that determine online shoppers’ attitudes as an antecedent to consumers purchase decisions. From a theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by revealing the sort of cause and effect relationships among relative advantage, perceived website reputation, perceived website image, in addition to trust, and their effect on consumers’ attitudes toward online shopping. Moreover, this paper is one of handful research that has distinguished between perceived website image and perceived website reputation along with their relationships and more specifically in the context of online shopping. From an international e-marketing perspective, online retailers planning to expand their operations to include Jordan or the MENA Region have now valuable empirical evidence concerning the predictors of online shopping attitudes and online shoppers’ behavior upon which e-marketing strategies are formulated and implemented.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 21 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2017

Wing-hin Kam

This paper aims to analyse how both Lin’s birthplace identity and his Christian identity contributed to his fruitful public career and to ascertain which identity became the most…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse how both Lin’s birthplace identity and his Christian identity contributed to his fruitful public career and to ascertain which identity became the most significant.

Design/methodology/approach

Archival research is the main method used in this paper. The most important archives drawn from are the Daniel Tse Collection in the Special Collection and Archives of the Hong Kong Baptist University Library. Oral history has also been used in this paper to uncover more material that has not yet been discussed in existing scholarly works.

Findings

This paper argues that although Lin’s birthplace identity and social networks helped him to start his business career in Nam Pak Hong and develop into a leader in the local Chaozhou communities, these factors were insufficient to his becoming a respectable member of the Chinese elite in post-war Hong Kong. He became well known not because of his leading position in local Chaozhou communities or any great achievement he had obtained in business but because of his contribution to the development of Christian education. These achievements earned him a reputation as a “Christian educator”. Thus Lin’s Christian identity became more important than his birthplace identity in contributing to his successful public career.

Originality/value

This paper has value in showing how Christian influences interacted with various cultural factors in early Hong Kong. It also offers insights into Lin’s life and motivations as well as the history of the institutions he contributed to/founded. It not only furthers our understanding of the Chinese Christian business elite in early Hong Kong but also provides us with insights when further studying this group of people in other British colonies in Asia.

Details

Social Transformations in Chinese Societies, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1871-2673

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2021

Feng Zhang

This study aims to analyze the subsequent investment success of EMNCs after their strategic asset-seeking foreign direct investments (FDIs), while internationalization…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the subsequent investment success of EMNCs after their strategic asset-seeking foreign direct investments (FDIs), while internationalization trajectories of multinational corporations from emerging economies (EMNCs) have been extensively studied, Post-internationalization investment success of EMNCs is defined as extensive technological knowledge access and transfer for knowledge combination. This paper focuses on EMNC explicit knowledge access and transfer.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzes US patents granted between 2000 and 2014 to leading innovation-oriented EMNCs from China and India as well as to their key competitors from mature industrialized countries (MMNCs). Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test is used to compare the explicit technological knowledge access and transfer patterns of EMNCs and MMNCs. With MMNCs as the benchmark, the comparison allows to imply the patterns and extent of technological knowledge access and transfer of EMNCs.

Findings

While subsidiary reverse knowledge transfer is largely missing, EMNCs adopt a parent-centric approach in which the parent directly accesses and transfers explicit knowledge from the external environment of host locations. In doing so, EMNCs at least partially achieve the knowledge access and transfer goals of strategic asset-seeking FDIs.

Originality/value

This study contributes to an in-depth understanding of EMNCs by empirically testing key predictions in extant EMNC literature, namely, the strategic asset-seeking in host locations and the systematic integration of accessed knowledge and resources with home country activities. This study also pioneers the use of the US patent and citation data to empirically study EMNCs.

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