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This study aims to analyze the factors affecting tea-producing farmers' intention to use e-commerce exchanges (ECEs) to sell their products, combining the technology acceptance model (TAM) theory and barrier factors.

The authors use the generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) to analyze the intermediate model that is built on TAM.

Research results show that perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) significantly influence farmers' intention to use ECEs to sell their products. However, knowledge and information barriers hinder farmers' intention to use such ECEs.

Encouraging farmers to use ECEs is the most helpful solution for agricultural economic development in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

From an academic perspective, this is the first study that combines the TAM theory of Davis (1989) and barrier factors to analyze farmers' intention to use ECEs. The findings are valuable references for policymakers to propose strategies for agricultural economic development during the current pandemic. At the same time, the empirical results obtained from this study provide good orientations for agricultural economic development 4.0 in the future.

This study aims to investigate university students' knowledge about and attitudes toward e-cigarette (EC) use. It will also examine whether students' EC use is associated with knowledge about and attitudes toward EC use. The study also aims to analyze the determinants of students' use of ECs. The effects of gender, smoking behavior and friends' and family members' smoking behaviors on students' use of ECs were analyzed.

Completed questionnaire surveys were received from 1,362 students at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi in Bangkok City, Thailand, in November and December 2019. Chi-square tests and an independent samples t-test were conducted to determine whether students' knowledge about ECs and attitudes toward EC use influenced their use of ECs. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant factors affecting students' use of ECs.

The results revealed that students' EC use was associated with knowledge about ECs: Students with less knowledge about the harmful effects of ECs were more likely to use them. In addition, students who were EC users had more positive attitudes toward EC use than those who were not EC users. The results also revealed that male students, students who had also smoked tobacco cigarettes and students with friends who smoked tobacco cigarettes were more likely to use ECs. These results could suggest strategies to reduce the use of ECs among university students.

This study provides deep understanding about university students' knowledge about and attitudes toward EC use and their participation in EC use. The result clearly shows university students who are participating in EC use still have less knowledge about EC, thus, they have positive attitudes toward ECs. Gaining social acceptance from friends who use EC also influences students' decision to use EC. Therefore, EC use among students could significantly increase overall EC use.

This paper aims at assessing the impact of institutional and cultural distances and trade barriers on ASEAN's trade efficiency using a panel data set of 65 countries for the period 2006–2017.

First, the authors applied an improved version of the stochastic frontier model to estimate the trade efficiency scores. After that, we used the system generalized method of moment (GMM) estimator to investigate the impacts of institutional and cultural distances on ASEAN's trade efficiency.

The results show that the trade efficiency of ASEAN countries with the rest of the world (ROW) is moderate, ranging from 0.561 to 0.612, but shows a downward trend. This result indicates that considerable trade potential exists between ASEAN countries and ROW. Institutional and cultural distances, as well as the trade barriers, negatively affect ASEAN's trade efficiency. Efforts to reduce differences in institutions and cultures and to promote trade liberalization are vital remedies for ASEAN countries to turn potentials into actual trade performance.

This study contributes to the existing literature in three different ways. First, this is the first study on the impact of the differences between internal and external characteristics on trade efficiency, specifically, the impact of institutional and cultural distances on ASEAN's trade efficiency. Second, to obtain accurate efficiency scores, the authors use an improved version of the stochastic frontier model proposed by Karakaplan (2018), which can control the problem of endogeneity. Third, in quantifying the determinants of trade efficiency, the authors apply a system GMM estimator, which allows us to overcome the problems of endogeneity, measurement errors, and omitted variables.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the optimal design of micro-dimples on the bearing surface of the crankpin bearing (CB) to ameliorate the engine’s lubrication and friction (ELF).

A hydrodynamic model of the CB considering the influence of the asperity contact is built under the impact of the dynamic loading of the slider-crank-mechanism. The micro-dimples on non-slip surface of the bearing are designed and optimized based on the lubrication model and multi-objective genetic algorithm. The performance of optimal micro-dimples on ameliorating the ELF is analyzed and compared with that of optimal CB dimensions via the reduction of the solid contact force, friction force and friction coefficient between the crankpin and bearing surfaces; and the increase of the oil film pressure.

The optimal design of micro-dimples on the bearing surface may not only greatly ameliorate the ELF but also make the rotation of the crankpin inside the bearing more stable in comparison with the optimization of CB dimensions.

This study results not only clearly ameliorates the ELF but also can be applied to the slip/non-slip surface pairs of other journal bearings to enhance their lubrication performance.

To improve the lubrication and tribology performance (LTP) of the crankpin bearing, this paper aims to propose the optimization of the crankpin bearing parameters considering effect of the high-speed dynamic load and micro asperity contact.

A numerical simulation method combined by the slider-crank-mechanism dynamic and lubrication models is applied to solve the dynamic and lubrication equations of crankpin bearing. These equations are then computed via an algorithm program written in Matlab software. The contact force (W_ac) in the asperity contact region, friction force (F_f) and friction coefficient (μ) of crankpin bearing are chosen as objective functions. The original parameters and experimental data of the engine are used for the simulation to enhance the reliability of the research results. The parameters are then optimized to obtain the minimum values of W_ac, F_f and μ.

The research results show that the LTP is significantly improved with optimized parameters. Particularly, the maximum values of Wac and Ff are greatly decreased by 27 and 32%, respectively.

Reducing the width, radius and surface roughness and increasing the radial clearance of crankpin bearing can improve better the LTP.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-02-2020-0072/

The purpose of this study is to employ social exchange and social representation theories to explain Kinh and Ethnic minorities’ perceptions toward tourism development in Sapa. A cluster analysis is used to segment their perceptions based on tourism impacts.

The primary data collection involved a survey with local residents in Sapa, Vietnam.

The results from cluster analysis separate 357 local residents into three clusters which are supporters, pessimists and neutralists. The supportive cluster comprises mainly young, female and less-educated respondents who support tourism development because of their employment and income; however, the pessimistic cluster which mostly consists of highly educated and elder respondents show more concerns about tourism development. Demographic profiles of respondents are classified in each cluster, so that policymakers can put forward specific policy for each ethnic group.

The main limitation of this study is the high rate of incomplete responses in the questionnaires from ethnic minority groups.

Based on the findings of the study, implications are made for tourism planners and policymakers toward a future of more sustainable tourism development in the target context.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to segment the perceptions of Kinh and Ethnic minority groups toward tourism impacts in Sapa, Vietnam.

This paper aims to analyze the impacts of institutional quality on trade flows of NAFTA with a panel data set of 105 countries spanning the period 2006–2017.

We applied the system generalized method of moment (GMM) estimator to investigate the impacts.

The results show that institutional quality is a positive and significant determinant of international trade flows of the NAFTA bloc and its trading partners. Our results also indicate that the impact of institutional quality depends on the level of economic development of NAFTA's trading partners. Specifically, the trade elasticity of institutional quality is the highest for NAFTA’s trade with middle-income countries and the lowest for NAFTA's trade with low-income countries. In the long run, the trade elasticity of institutional quality increased significantly, with the highest increase in the case of NAFTA's trade with medium-income countries and the lowest increase in the case of NAFTA's trade with low-income countries.

This study contributes to the existing literature in three different ways. First, we examine the differential impact of institutions on NAFTA's trade according to the level of economic development of NAFTA's trading partners. Second, we compare the differential trade elasticity of institutional quality in the long run. Finally, we support our findings through an improved research methodology by using the system GMM estimation. This method allows us to overcome the potential sample bias, omitted variable problems and endogeneity of explanatory variables.

Playing exergames may resemble doing conventional exercise and thus has the potential to enhance users’ health. However, no study has yet examined whether and how a need for exercise impacts users’ intention to continuously play exergames, i.e. continuance intention and its antecedents. We developed a model grounded in the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) to address this issue.

We recruited 583 participants to play exergames and collected their psychological responses and physical information. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses.

We found that health consciousness and perceived exercise benefits are positively related to a need for exercise, which is, in turn, positively related to continuance intention. Moreover, perceived exergame similarity with exercise strengthens the positive link between the need for exercise and continuance intention.

This is the first study using the UGT to explain the underlying mechanism linking health consciousness to continuance intention in the playing of exergames. In addition, we introduced the need for exercise as a novel construct in this study. Our findings provide insights to managers on incorporating health-related features into their exergame products to motivate users' engagement in playing exergames.

Nurses' health is vital for retaining nurses in the profession. However, lack of study has examined how headaches and professional commitment interact to impact professional turnover intention. This study aims to examine the moderating effect of nurses' headaches on the relationship among professional commitment factors (affective professional commitment, continuance professional commitment and normative professional commitment) and nurses' professional turnover intention.

This study employed a two-wave design and questionnaires to survey 524 nurses from a large medical center in Taiwan during February and March 2017 (the first wave) and June and August 2017 (the second wave). Headaches were measured using descriptions formulated by the International Headache Society. Items measuring other constructs came from relevant literature. Regression analysis was used to assess relationships between the constructs.

All aspects of professional commitment are negatively related to professional turnover intention (B [CI] = −0.47 [−0.58, −0.36], −0.20 [−0.29, −0.11], −0.22 [−0.32, −0.12], p < 0.001). Headaches reduce the negative relation between affective professional commitment and professional turnover intention (B [CI] = 0.14 [0.02,0.27], p = 0.02).

Headaches could interfere with nurses' commitment to the nursing profession and influence nurses' intention to leave. Managers should seek means to help alleviate nurses' headaches.

This study is the first to examine how headaches and professional commitment interact to influence nurses' professional turnover intention.

This study uses a comprehensive theoretical framework that combines social cognitive theory and neighborhood effect to investigate the influence of neighborhood effects on farmers’ outcome expectations, observational learning and self-efficacy. This study aims is to analyze the mechanisms that underlie the adoption of social media by farmers for knowledge exchange in the agricultural context. Specifically, this research explores the role of neighborhood effects, outcome expectations, observational learning and self-efficacy in shaping farmers’ decision-making process regarding the use of social media platforms for exchanging agricultural knowledge.

The study data was collected through a sample survey conducted among 570 agricultural households residing in the provinces of Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, Bac Kan and Phu Tho, located in the northern region of Vietnam. To analyze the data, structural equation modeling was used as the statistical technique of choice.

The findings of the study indicate a significant influence of neighborhood effects on outcome expectations, observational learning and self-efficacy. These factors, derived from social cognitive theory, also exhibit a positive association with farmers’ adoption of social media for knowledge exchange. Additionally, the study highlights that neighborhood contribute to a favorable adoption of social media among farmers via outcome expectations, observational learning, and self-efficacy.

The study is limited in examining farmers’ social media adoption for agriculture knowledge exchange in Northern mountainous area of Vietnam. This study could be replicated across various regions or nations, providing comparative insights into the adoption of social media among farmers for knowledge exchange.

The study findings suggest practical and innovative means to promote farmers’ social media adoption for agriculture knowledge exchange.

This study presents a pioneering approach by integrating social cognitive theory and neighborhood effect to elucidate the factors influencing farmers’ adoption of social media for the purpose of agriculture knowledge exchange.