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1 – 7 of 7Yunan Chen, Ivan Sun, Yuning Wu and Ziqiang Han
The purpose of this paper is to assesses whether supervisor justice is linked to COVID-19 negative and positive impacts directly and indirectly through the mechanisms of stress…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assesses whether supervisor justice is linked to COVID-19 negative and positive impacts directly and indirectly through the mechanisms of stress and resiliency among auxiliary police in China.
Design/methodology/approach
This study utilized survey data from more than 300 auxiliary police in a large Chinese provincial capital city in 2020. Structural equation modeling was conducted to analyze the direct and indirect relationships between supervisor justice and COIVD-19 impacts.
Findings
Results indicate that supervisor justice connects to COVID-19 negative impacts indirectly through stress. Supervisor justice is also indirectly related to positive impact through resiliency.
Research limitations/implications
The findings' generalizability is limited due to using a nonrandom sample of officers. Officers' emotional states in the forms of stress and resiliency are important in mediating the association between supervisory justice and COVID-19 impacts.
Originality/value
The present study represents one of the first attempts to empirically investigate the occupational experiences of a vital group of frontline workers in Chinese policing. This study also generates evidence to support the importance of officers' emotional conditions in reducing negative COVID-19 impacts in an authoritarian country.
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Setayesh Zamanpour, Pardis Bakhtiari Jami and Asma Afshari
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a four-carbon and nonprotein amino acid, made by various microorganisms, especially lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and probiotics. GABA has various…
Abstract
Purpose
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a four-carbon and nonprotein amino acid, made by various microorganisms, especially lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and probiotics. GABA has various physiological roles, for instance, insomnia, depression, hypotensive activity as well as diuretic effects. The production of GABA-based foods is a favorable result from GABA’s biological and functional properties. The purpose of this study is to investigate different methods of improving GABA production in probiotics and LAB to select the superlative method and bacterial strain.
Design/methodology/approach
In this review paper, all articles from five electronic databases containing Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and Science Direct were considered from 2000 to January 11, 2023, with keywords “Optimization” OR “Enhance” OR “Increase” AND “Gamma-aminobutyric acid” OR “GABA” AND “Probiotics” OR “Lactic acid bacteria” and selected according to the purpose of the study.
Findings
It seems that among all the investigated methods, an effective fermentation procedure with optimal conditions including fermentation medium, 5 L; glutamic acid, 295 g/L; incubation temperature, 32°C; inoculum, 10% (v/v); and agitation, 100 rpm, after 48 h of fermentation led to producing 205,800 mg/L of GABA from the effective bacterial strain Lactobacillus brevis NCL912.
Originality/value
With a simple but optimized fermentation, L. brevis NCL912 can be used for the efficient GABA production in the pharmacy and food factories.
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Arunava Dalal, Subhajit Bhattacharya and Subrata Chattopadhyay
The handicraft sector is unorganized with huge potential for the economic upliftment of the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) craft producers. To ensure the sustainable livelihood of…
Abstract
Purpose
The handicraft sector is unorganized with huge potential for the economic upliftment of the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) craft producers. To ensure the sustainable livelihood of the artisans living in BOP, it is essential to identify the hurdles being faced by them so that they can be worked upon. This paper aims to look at the existing handicraft value chain in an integrated way to identify these hurdles and suggest probable solutions to mitigate them.
Design/methodology/approach
A two-stage study involving quantitative and qualitative approaches is used. Empirical observations from 218 artisans were analyzed using the relative to an identified distribution to rank the different variables affecting the functioning of the handicraft value chain. Next, 17 handicraft entrepreneurs were interviewed to identify solutions for the hurdles.
Findings
A two-stage study examining the perspectives of artisans and handicraft entrepreneurs identified five significant challenges affecting the handicraft sector and viable solutions to address them. While presenting an operational model, a comprehensive picture of the handicraft business ecosystem was studied, from the procurement of raw materials to the marketing and sale of finished products. This can assist handicraft producers in sustaining their livelihoods and expanding the industry.
Originality/value
Studies on the handicraft value chain at BOP are rare, and none have tried to look at the sector holistically to find solutions and propose an operational framework. The study has captured the voices of the artisans and handicraft entrepreneurs and, through a mixed-method approach, identified the main pain points of the BOP artisans to arrive at a workable solution for better business outcomes.
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Yi-Hsin Lin, Ruixue Zheng, Fan Wu, Ningshuang Zeng, Jiajia Li and Xingyu Tao
This study aimed to improve the financing credit evaluation for small and medium-sized real estate enterprises (SMREEs). A financing credit evaluation model was proposed, and a…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to improve the financing credit evaluation for small and medium-sized real estate enterprises (SMREEs). A financing credit evaluation model was proposed, and a blockchain-driven financing credit evaluation framework was designed to improve the transparency, credibility and applicability of the financing credit evaluation process.
Design/methodology/approach
The design science research methodology was adopted to identify the main steps in constructing the financing credit model and blockchain-driven framework. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP)–entropy weighting method (EWM)–set pair analysis (SPA) method was used to design a financing credit evaluation model. Moreover, the proposed framework was validated using data acquired from actual cases.
Findings
The results indicate that: (1) the proposed blockchain-driven financing credit evaluation framework can effectively realize a transparent evaluation process compared to the traditional financing credit evaluation system. (2) The proposed model has high effectiveness and can achieve efficient credit ranking, reflect SMREEs' credit status and help improve credit rating.
Originality/value
This study proposes a financing credit evaluation model of SMREEs based on the FAHP–EWM–SPA method. All credit rating data and evaluation process data are immediately stored in the proposed blockchain framework, and the immutable and traceable nature of blockchain enhances trust between nodes, improving the reliability of the financing credit evaluation process and results. In addition, this study partially fulfills the lack of investigations on blockchain adoption for SMREEs' financing credit.
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Maha Al Balushi, Mirza Mohammad Didarul Alam and Adam Mohamed Ali Fadlalla
This study aims to assess both internal and external factors that impact consumer attitudes and intentions with regard to the purchase of non-deceptive counterfeits. More…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess both internal and external factors that impact consumer attitudes and intentions with regard to the purchase of non-deceptive counterfeits. More specifically, this study examines the impact of integrity, brand consciousness, performance risk and social risk on the attitude and in turn on the purchase intention of consumers towards non-deceptive counterfeits.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 679 valid responses from the university students in two different Gulf countries, namely, Oman (264) and Qatar (415) were gathered through a self-administered structured questionnaire and analysed through partial least square‐structural equation modeling.
Findings
All the predictors of consumer attitude appeared significant in both country samples except integrity. However, brand consciousness appeared insignificant in the sample of Oman. In addition, Purchase intention towards the non-deceptive counterfeits was significantly predicted by attitude and subjective norm in both samples.
Originality/value
In the domain of non-deceptive counterfeit literature, the findings of the study will substantially add value. Particularly, in the Gulf country context, the impact of internal psychological and external risk factors on the attitude and purchase intention of non-deceptive counterfeits will enhance the insights of existing literature and extend and proof the robustness of the theory of reasoned action.
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Bibhas Chandra Giri and Sushil Kumar Dey
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of greening and promotional effort dependent stochastic market demand on the remanufacturer's and the collector's profits…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of greening and promotional effort dependent stochastic market demand on the remanufacturer's and the collector's profits when the quality of used products for remanufacturing is uncertain in a reverse supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed model is developed to obtain optimal profits for the remanufacturer, the collector and the whole supply chain. Both the centralized and decentralized scenarios are considered. To motivate the collector through profit enhancement, the remanufacturer designs a cost-sharing contract. Through numerical examples and sensitivity analysis, the consequences of greenness and promotional effort on optimal profits are investigated.
Findings
The results show that the remanufacturer gets benefited from greening and promotional effort enhancement. However, a higher value of minimum acceptable quality level decreases the profits of the manufacturer and the collector. A cost-sharing contract coordinates the supply chain and improves the remanufacturer's and the collector's profits. Besides green innovation, remanufacturing mitigates the harmful effects of waste in the environment.
Originality/value
Two different viewpoints of remanufacturing are considered here – environmental sustainability and economic sustainability. This paper considers a reverse supply chain with a remanufacturer who remanufactures the used products collected by the collector. The quality of used products is uncertain, and customer demand is stochastic, green and promotional effort sensitive. These two types of uncertainty with green and promotional effort sensitive customer demand differs the current paper from the existing literature.
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Salma Habachi, Jorge Matute and Ramon Palau-Saumell
This study aims to examine the impact of the gameful experience on behavioural outcomes. Drawing from stimulus–organism–response theory, it proposes and tests a new model that…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the impact of the gameful experience on behavioural outcomes. Drawing from stimulus–organism–response theory, it proposes and tests a new model that investigates the relationship between the gameful experience, brand loyalty and intention to use gamified branded applications in the sports context. In addition, it explores the mediating role of customer–brand engagement (CBE) and the moderating role of self-image congruity (SIC).
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 436 active users of sport-related branded gamified applications was used to test the model. Data was collected from online sports forums, brands’ Facebook communities and during sporting events.
Findings
Results indicate that the gameful experience positively and directly impacts behavioural intentions but does not directly influence brand loyalty. This relationship becomes partially significant when mediated by CBE. In addition, results show that users with high levels of SIC are more likely to continue using the gamified application, whereas users with low levels are more likely to engage with the brand.
Originality/value
This study expands the gamification literature in the sports sector by revealing the importance of the gameful experience in driving loyalty, behavioural intentions and CBE. It proposes a new model that sheds light on the emotional aspect of the interaction between a user and a gamified system and the importance of exploring the effects of moderators, such as SIC, in these relationships.
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