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This study aims to reveal and compare the cultural logics of university-educated Chinese mothers in Singapore and Hong Kong in their mothering practices to improvise their femininities in constituting their work–family interactions.

This qualitative research, with the ethnographic elements, has included 32 Chinese mothers to share about their mothering experiences through semi-structured interviews. This methodological design with feminist lens embraces women’s own narratives as sources of knowledge and learns their voices to reinvent their role and bodily engagement in shaping their family dynamics.

This discussion basically reaffirms the argument where the mother’s involvement in their children’s schoolwork becomes one of the core elements in their actual everyday mothering practices. It has further reflected the dynamics of family quality time in the light of mothers’ cultural logics as much as their attentive agency capacity to present their respectable femininity in the form of mothering.

This research process has revealed the actual experiences of the participants from their own narratives. For future research development, data collection can be extended to include the husbands’ profiles and their narratives in understanding their wives’ mothering experiences.

This discussion enriches the work-family literature by extending it to the Asian Chinese context. While the concepts of cultural capital and habitus have been addressed in previous studies, this discussion highlights the agency capacity of the university-educated Chinese mothers in their cultural logics to deliver their respective mothering practices. This filtering process to transmit cultural capital to their children is as much as they involve in reproducing status boundaries for the family.

Previous studies have discussed individual effects that certain agritourism activities have on visitor response while ignoring interaction effects. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to discuss both the individual and interaction effects of agritourism activities on tourist revisit intention.

This study classified agritourism activities into four categories and collected 883 valid samples. Logistic regression was then applied to test the influence of agritourism activities on tourist revisit intention.

Based on the results of the statistical analysis, it was found that those agritourism activities, which required mutual cooperation such as do-it-yourself (DIY), animal interaction/feeding and fruit and vegetable picking, enhanced tourist revisit intention. Furthermore, the agritourism groups participating in activities with or without children did not have consistent revisit intentions regarding animal feeding/interaction activities. In particular, this study found that willingness to revisit for tourists with children was influenced by animal feeding/interaction, but not for tourists without children.

This study demonstrates that not all agritourism activities enhance revisit intention. For this reason, agritourism businesses should consider redesigning their activities related to visitor and animal interactions as increasing conscientiousness regarding animal welfare, especially with regard to animal abuse. Additionally, those activities focused on education and ecology are not as appreciated by tourists as they may have been previously assumed between different groups.

The findings of this study reveal that if the types of agritourism activities could fulfill visitors' expectations and desires they are more likely to have a satisfying experience. The authors consider some of these notions to be a kind of unrealistic fantasy regarding agritourism and the kind of activities involved therein. This kind of fantasy is likely formed by visitors 2019 past experiences and culture. As a result, the authors conclude that agritourism activities focused on the education of plants and ecology do not achieve the truly preferred aim of better interaction between people.

农业观光：体验设计、活动及再游意愿摘要

先前研究讨论农业观光活动的各别效果对游客反应的影响, 却忽略了交互作用。因此, 本研究目的为讨论农业观光活动的各别及交互效果对游客再游意愿的影响。

本研究将农业观光活动分为四类并收集883份有效问卷, 应用逻辑回归以检测农业观光活动对游客再游意愿的影响。

根据统计分析结果, 本研究发现农业观光活动需要互助合作, 例如自己动手作、动物互动喂食, 以及采摘蔬果等活动, 都会提升游客的再游意愿。更进一步的, 农业观光族群分为与孩童同行及未与孩童同行二类时, 动物喂食互动活动对其再游意愿的影响并不相同。更特别的是, 本研究发现游客与孩童同行时, 其再游意愿会受到动物喂食互动的影响；但是, 游客并未与孩童同行时则不会。

本研究证实了并非所有的农业观光活动都能提升再游意图。为此, 农业观光企业应考虑重新设计其游客与动物互动的观光活动, 例如增加对动物福祉的责任心, 特别是虐待动物的问题。另外, 关注在教育及生态的农业观光活动在先前区分的不同族群里都不受到青睐。

本研究发现显示了假若农业观光类型必须符合游客的预期及渴望, 游客才能感到满意的体验。作者认为游客对参与的某些观光活动之预想是一种不切实际的想像, 而这类想像是来自游客先前的经验及文化。因此, 作者综述关注植物及生态类的农业观光活动并不能达到人际间互动的目的。

Agroturismo: diseño de experiencia, actividades e intención de volver a visitor

Estudios anteriores han tratado los efectos individuales que tienen algunas actividades agroturísticas sobre la respuesta del visitante ignorando los efectos de interacción. Por eso, el objetivo de este estudio es tratar conjuntamente los efectos individuales y de interacción de las actividades agroturísticas sobre la intención de volver a visitar del turista.

Este estudio clasificó las actividades agroturísticas en cuatro categorías y recopiló 883 muestras válidas. A continuación, se aplicó la regresión logística para poner a prueba la influencia de las actividades agroturísticas sobre la intención de volver a visitar del turista.

Sobre la base de los resultados del análisis de estadística, se mostró que las actividades agroturísticas que requieren cooperación mutua, como el bricolaje, la interacción con animales o nutrición de ellos, así como la recogida de frutas y verduras aumentaron la intención de volver a visitar del turista. Asimismo, los grupos de agroturismo que participaron en actividades con o sin niños no tienen intenciones de volver a visitar consistentes a propósito de las actividades que implican interacción con animales o nutrición de ellos. En particular, este estudio desveló que la voluntad de volver para los turistas con niños está influenciada por las interacciones con animales o nutrición de ellos, mas no para los turistas sin niños.

Esta investigación demuestra que no todas las actividades agroturísticas fomentan la intención de volver a visitar. Por esta razón, las empresas de agroturismo deberían considerar volver a diseñar sus actividades en relación al visitante e interacciones con animales con escrupulosidad acerca del bienestar animal, especialmente con respeto al abuso animal. Además, estas actividades con enfoque sobre la educación y la ecología no son tan apreciadas por los turistas como muchos han ido asumiendo desde diferentes grupos.

Los resultados de este estudio muestran que si los tipos de actividades agroturísticas consiguen llenar las expectativas y los deseos de los visitantes, son mucho más propensos a tener una experiencia satisfactoria. Consideramos ciertas de estas nociones como fantasías poco realistas por lo que se refiere al agroturismo y al tipo de actividades implicadas en aquel. Este tipo de fantasías está probablemente formado por las experiencias pasadas y la cultura de los visitantes. Como resultado, concluimos que las actividades agroturísticas con foco en la educación sobre plantas y ecología no consiguen el verdadero objetivo preferido que es una mejor interacción con la gente.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a new design approach for stamping process curves based on the main transmission structure of a slider-crank servo press.

A numerical simulation approach for the slider and crank motion curve shape is developed on the basis of the forward and inverse kinematics models. A general method of curve segment connection is analyzed and discussed. Examples and experiments are also given to verify the feasibility of this work.

By properly connecting the basic curve segments, such as the constant velocity and cycloid trajectory segments, the designed curve can be incorporated into the output motion. The basic curve segments can be used as backups and stored in a curve repository. Different requirements of stamping process curves can be obtained by connecting the newly designed curve segments and selected existing curve segments. That the design approach has transferability to similar problems is encouraging.

This study provides a new method of designing curves for non-uniform velocity motion by connecting commonly used basic curve segments. It is characterized by simple operation and small calculating amount. Different curves can be obtained by connecting the newly designed segments and selected existing segments. Choosing simple curve segments freely can maintain minimum power dissipation in non-working intervals. The method can obtain minimum peak values of acceleration and jerk in the connection interval. Basic curve segments can also be used as backups and stored in a curve repository to improve the efficiency of design.

This paper updates the literature regarding the performance of constrained US mutual funds by looking at the relative performance of Christian mutual funds, socially responsible funds and Islamic funds. This paper aims to rank the performance of religious and ethical investment funds.

This study uses monthly returns from 2005 to 2015 to perform traditional asset pricing models as well as data envelopment analysis to determine rank.

Islamic mutual funds outperform socially responsible funds, which then outperform Christian-based mutual funds; these results are also consistent during the latest 2007-2008 crisis period. The results are robust to different performance metrics and benchmarks. Moreover, this paper reports a significant amount of money “left on the table” by investing in constraint funds and disregarding the sin industry which shows an ethical dilemma for investors.

Investors who seek to invest morally/ethically can be informed of the cost of doing so. They can also compare portfolio with others that have similar holdings and constraints.

This paper not only includes Christian mutual funds in the research but also provides the performance of all constrained assets. It also compares religious funds with “SIN” industry, and thus quantifies the cost of “doing right.”

Engagement, motivation, and persistence are usually associated with positive outcomes. However, too much of it can overtax our psychophysiological system and put it at risk. On the basis of a neuro-dynamic personality and self-regulation model, we explain the neurobehavioral mechanisms presumably underlying engagement and how engagement, when overtaxing the individual, becomes automatically inhibited for reasons of protection. We explain how different intensities and patterns of engagement may relate to personality traits such as Self-directedness, Conscientiousness, Drive for Reward, and Absorption, which we conceive of as functions or strategies of adaptive neurobehavioral systems. We describe how protective inhibitions and personality traits contribute to phenomena such as disengagement and increased effort-sense in chronic fatigue conditions, which often affect professions involving high socio-emotional interactions. By doing so we adduce evidence on hemispheric asymmetry of motivation, neuromodulation by dopamine, self-determination, task engagement, and physiological disengagement. Not least, we discuss educational implications of our model.

Three types of industrial buyer-seller relational process models are available: joining theory, stage theory, and state theory. However, historically, these models have developed based on the knowledge and cultural context of the Western world. Several researchers note that national culture may have an impact on international industrial buyer-seller relationships. Including culture in the models is highly important, especially as the business environment is increasingly more global and different countries have different business cultures. The goal of this paper is to define the most suitable industrial buyer-seller relational process models for describing relationships in various contexts. The paper includes a through literature review and a single case study in order to reach this objective. A new state theory model evolved during the research. It consists of two beginning states: searching and starting; four purely middles states: constant/static, decline, growth, and troubled; and a purely end state: termination. The state of dormant/inert is both a middle state and an end state, that is, when the relational actors are not in contact does not mean that the relationship has ended, but instead, for example, new legislation may have been implemented, which requires the actors to evaluate their relationship and its future. A relationship goes through the two beginning states in the order mentioned above, but after that, any state may occur.

The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss the use of Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China and Asia.

This paper provides a brief overview of the COVID-19. Based on the syndrome differentiation (辨證論治), the concept of clearing heat and detoxifying lung in traditional Chinese medicine is used to prevent and treat COVID-19 through restoring the vital qi (正氣) in human body and regulating the lung as well as spleen to strengthen the immune system. Traditional Chinese medicine has been used as a complementary therapy for the possible intervention of COVID-19 including traditional Chinese herbal decoctions, Chinese traditional patent medicines, acupuncture and moxibustion as well as the traditional health exercises in China and parts of Asia.

Traditional Chinese medicine plays a significant role in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 pandemic. The infection cases of China are around 80,000 and a steady decline compared with the USA which has 5,000,000 infection cases and continuous increases. It is shown that more than 90% of patients recovered after the treatment of traditional Chinese herbal decoctions and Chinese traditional patent medicines without any side-effect compared to the use of Remdesivir (GS-5734). Acupuncture (針灸) and moxibustion (艾灸) stimulate the immune and nervous systems for preventing infectious diseases. Taichi (太極) and Baduanjin (八段錦) as the auxiliary aerobic exercise under the theory of Chinese medicine can enhance the immune system and improve the lung function. Thus, an integration of traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine is the best strategy for the prevention, treatment and control of COVID-19 pandemic in the future.

This paper describes traditional Chinese medicine as an effective way for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

The study aims to investigate the effect of four customer relationship management (CRM) dimensions, namely, customer orientation, customer relationship management organization, managing knowledge and CRM based technology, on customer satisfaction in the hospitality sector of Kashmir.

A survey instrument with a slight modification is adapted from literature and is exercised on the customers of three- and four-star hotels operating in Kashmir. A total of 176 responses received using systematic random sampling were subjected to exploratory factor and regression analyses to uncover the underlying relationships among dependent and independent variables.

The results revealed a significant and positive relationship between CRM dimensions, namely, customer orientation, managing knowledge and CRM organization on customer satisfaction. Though the results also indicate a significant positive effect of CRM-based technology on customer satisfaction, the magnitude of this effect is very weak. This suggests that hotel organizations use technology as a mere tool to store customer information only. Thus, CRM-based technology should be used by the hotels to analyze customer information and, subsequently, design customized products. This will unravel the full potential of the technology and lead to better customer satisfaction.

The findings of this study provide significant insights to the practitioners to understand the role of successfully implementing a CRM strategy. It reflects that establishing an effective CRM strategy helps managers in improving customer satisfaction and in maintaining a long-term relationship with customers to achieve the organizational goals. Thus, establishing an efficient and effective CRM strategy should be (one of) the key objectives for all hotel managers. Moreover, the hotels that successfully implement CRM strategy and manage customer knowledge properly will reap the rewards in terms of better customer loyalty and long-term sustainable profitability.

This study approaches the implementation of CRM strategy from a customer perspective with a specific focus on investigating the effect of four CRM dimensions on customer satisfaction in the hospitality sector. This will provide a novel impetus to the hotel managers to devise and manage a CRM strategy that leads to (better) customer satisfaction.

The market orientation concept has received increasing research attention, although the vast majority of published work has focused on organizations based in western countries, especially in the USA. Given the importance of globalization, this western focus limits our understanding of the concept in global markets. The purpose of this study is to examine how the context of country/economy affects: levels of market orientation; and the strength of linkages between a company's market orientation and its business performance. Data were collected through a survey of firms in both mainland China and Hong Kong. These two economies were selected because they have similarities in cultural dimensions on the one hand, and differences in economic dimensions on the other. While the results suggest that the proposed conceptual model does generalize to a Chinese context, they also show that the country/economic context influences the impact of market orientation on business performance. However, contrary to our prediction, the country/economic context does not appear to affect the levels of market orientation. The implications of our findings are discussed and the limitations of the study as well as future research directions are also addressed.

Skill shortages worldwide have intensified the need for talent management. Few papers examine the pattern of human resource (HR) and talent management practices that help retain competent employees among service multinational companies (MNCs) in Asia. The purpose of this paper is to map out a number of HR practices used by service companies and to examine the effect of talent retention as perceived by MNC managers on service delivery capacity and business growth.

A survey data of 281 service MNCs in six Asian countries (namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand) are used to compare country and sectoral differences. Standard multiple regression analysis is conducted to test the link between HR practices, employee retention, and service firm performance.

The results confirm that there are statistically significant linkages between HR practices, talent retention and firm performance. In particular, various skill training and development programs are seen to be significantly associated with capacity to deliver quality service and on firm growth as perceived by managers surveyed. Informal recruitment methods that are used more by Asian‐bred firms have contributed to better retention rates. Not all formalised HR practices lead to talent retention; and the degree to which HR is perceived to have impacted on firm performance varies.

The paper focuses on examining the perceptual impacts of human resource management (HRM) practices on firm performance, rather than actual HRM impacts. The interpretation of results should be taken with caution.

Talent management is influenced by country specific variables. This paper shows how important it is for service firms to focus on strategic selection of both formal and informal HR practices in order to deliver high quality service and to drive service firm growth.