Search results
1 – 10 of over 7000Jia Chen, Gang Kou, Yi Peng, Xiangrui Chao, Feng Xiao and Fawaz E. Alsaadi
Social media commerce provides a convenient way for users to share information and interact with each other. Few studies, however, have examined the effect of marketing messages…
Abstract
Purpose
Social media commerce provides a convenient way for users to share information and interact with each other. Few studies, however, have examined the effect of marketing messages and consumer engagement behaviors on the economic performance of marketing. This study, therefore, explored the economic performance of social media in terms of marketing messages and consumer engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
Using ordinary least squares regression and data collected from Weibo and Maoyan, this study analyzed the effects among marketing messages, consumer engagement and movie ticket sales.
Findings
The results indicated that marketing messages on Weibo had a positive effect on box office revenues, while consumer engagement behavior (whether personal or interactive) did not affect box office revenues. The results suggested that marketing messages on social media have more salient effects for predicting economic performance than consumer engagement behaviors.
Originality/value
This study underscores the importance of social media in consumer purchasing behavior. The findings also extend the literature related to commerce and product message design on social media platforms.
Details
Keywords
Hui Xu, Harry A. Taute, Paul Dishman and Jing Guo
The relationship between internationalization efforts of businesses and resulting performance has long been debated in the international marketing literature. Specially, under the…
Abstract
Purpose
The relationship between internationalization efforts of businesses and resulting performance has long been debated in the international marketing literature. Specially, under the environmental uncertainty, perception and experience of managers are important for internationalization performance.
Methodology/approach
This study proposes an integrated research framework and mechanism between perceived international risk and international marketing performance, adopting international experience as moderator variable and entry mode as mediating variable. Survey was conducted on 1,612 managers of 420 Chinese international enterprises by email and received 463 valid questionnaires.
Findings
The results show that there is a significant negative relationship between perceived international risk and international performance. Direct influence and perceived international risk have an indirect influence on international performance through entry mode; the influence on the international performance from perceived international risk is moderated by international experience, the regression coefficient between perceived international risk and international performance is the quadratic function of international experience.
Originality/value
Different from previous literature, this study found the complex relationship between risk and performance.
Details
Keywords
Qiao Yang, Xiao H. Yang, Pan Wang, Wei L. Zhu and Xiao Y. Chen
The purpose of this paper is to measure the apparent and complex viscosities of the zinc‐rich coatings derived from sodium silicate solution modified with aluminium chloride (AlCl3…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to measure the apparent and complex viscosities of the zinc‐rich coatings derived from sodium silicate solution modified with aluminium chloride (AlCl3), and then theoretically analyse the relation between viscosity behaviour and physiochemical mechanisms.
Design/methodology/approach
According to the different dosages of AlCl3, five coatings were prepared. The apparent viscosities as functions of shear rate, time and temperature, complex viscosity with variations of temperature and heating rate of these coatings were measured using an AR500 rheometer.
Findings
Results showed that the zinc‐rich coatings possessed the typical shear thinning behaviour and the apparent viscosity increased with time until solidification. Complex results showed that the complex viscosity depended strongly on heating rate. Both apparent and complex viscosities initially decreased to minimum and then started to increase, while temperature was ramped from 0 to 70°C.
Originality/value
It is believed that there is no published literature about the apparent and complex viscosities of the zinc‐rich coatings from sodium silicate solution modified with AlCl3. This paper presents the first attempt to obtain the rheological data of these zinc‐rich coatings.
Details
Keywords
Xiaomei Liu, Bin Ma, Meina Gao and Lin Chen
A time-varying grey Fourier model (TVGFM(1,1,N)) is proposed for the simulation of variable amplitude seasonal fluctuation time series, as the performance of traditional grey…
Abstract
Purpose
A time-varying grey Fourier model (TVGFM(1,1,N)) is proposed for the simulation of variable amplitude seasonal fluctuation time series, as the performance of traditional grey models can't catch the time-varying trend well.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed model couples Fourier series and linear time-varying terms as the grey action, to describe the characteristics of variable amplitude and seasonality. The truncated Fourier order N is preselected from the alternative order set by Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem and the principle of simplicity, then the optimal Fourier order is determined by hold-out method to improve the robustness of the proposed model. Initial value correction and the multiple transformation are also studied to improve the precision.
Findings
The new model has a broader applicability range as a result of the new grey action, attaining higher fitting and forecasting accuracy. The numerical experiment of a generated monthly time series indicates the proposed model can accurately fit the variable amplitude seasonal sequence, in which the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) is only 0.01%, and the complex simulations based on Monte-Carlo method testify the validity of the proposed model. The results of monthly electricity consumption in China's primary industry, demonstrate the proposed model catches the time-varying trend and has good performances, where MAPEF and MAPET are below 5%. Moreover, the proposed TVGFM(1,1,N) model is superior to the benchmark models, grey polynomial model (GMP(1,1,N)), grey Fourier model (GFM(1,1,N)), seasonal grey model (SGM(1,1)), seasonal ARIMA model seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average model (SARIMA) and support vector regression (SVR).
Originality/value
The parameter estimates and forecasting of the new proposed TVGFM are studied, and the good fitting and forecasting accuracy of time-varying amplitude seasonal fluctuation series are testified by numerical simulations and a case study.
Details
Keywords
Kittisak Makkawan and Thanyaphat Muangpan
Autonomous ports and digital ports are a modern trend of global commercial ports that are established to develop toward smart ports in many ports. Smart port indicators (SPIs) are…
Abstract
Autonomous ports and digital ports are a modern trend of global commercial ports that are established to develop toward smart ports in many ports. Smart port indicators (SPIs) are used as important tools for measuring, encouraging, and indicating smart port performance. These are the main indicators to operate smart port management as the practical direction and port development planning are enclosed. This research aims to identify the SPIs and to develop a conceptual model of smart port performance in a case study of The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in Thailand. Triangulation data are used in the data collection with three sources: the reviewed literature of five international databases in 2016–2021, participant observations, and in-depth interviews. Content analysis is utilized to analyze these data to develop a conceptual model approach. The findings of this research are shown in three main domains classified as smart port operation, smart port environment/energy, and smart port safety/security. These indicators represent 29 SPIs for developing smart port performance, which can be explained with a conceptual model. This information will exist as the foundation framework guiding Thai smart ports towards international standards of smart port efficiency.
Details
Keywords
Shujun Zhou, Bingzhen Sun, Weimin Ma and Xiangtang Chen
The purpose of this paper is to present a new method and model for determining the optimal decision-making for the pricing strategy to the Fuji apple in Shaanxi of Chain which is…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a new method and model for determining the optimal decision-making for the pricing strategy to the Fuji apple in Shaanxi of Chain which is representing fresh agricultural products under the e-commerce environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Considering the rapid development of information technology as well as internet that actually motivate the e-commerce, Fuji apple is a distinctive product in China’s Shaanxi; its sales channels have extended to online sales under the wave of e-commerce. Internet trading platforms make it possible to trade online in real time between suppliers and customers who live in different geographical areas. In this paper, the authors study how to price online to maximize the total revenue. The challenge is to optimally price two different qualities of apple. Based on the consumer surplus theory, the authors use the method that builds the function of the relationship between the proportion of consumers purchasing different qualities of products and price.
Findings
This paper presents a generalized model to determine the optimal pricing that maximizes the total revenue of a fruit grower over a finite planning horizon. The authors divided discount into two intervals and discussed the optimal discounting and pricing at both intervals. Then they determined the optimal pricing strategy for Fuji apple in Shaanxi of Chain under the e-commerce environment.
Originality/value
This paper makes up for the lack of existing studies of pricing under the e-commerce environment. A new method and approach to the traditional pricing strategy is established and applied to a management decision-making problem with Chinese characteristics in reality.
Details
Keywords
Zisheng Song, Mats Wilhelmsson and Zan Yang
This paper aims to construct rental housing indices and identify market segmentation for more effective property-management strategies.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to construct rental housing indices and identify market segmentation for more effective property-management strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
The hedonic model was employed to construct the rental indices. Using the k-means++ and REDCAP (Regionalisation with Dynamically Constrained Agglomerative Clustering and Partitioning) approaches, the authors conducted clustering analysis and identified different market segmentation. The empirical study relied on the database of 80,212 actual rental transactions in Beijing, China, spanning 2016–2018.
Findings
Rental housing market segmentation may distribute across administrative boundaries. Properly segmented indices could provide a better account for the heterogeneity and spatial continuity of rental housing and as well be crucial for effective property management.
Research limitations/implications
Residential rent might not only vary over space but also interplays with housing price. It would be worth studying how the rental market functions together with the owner-occupied sector in the future.
Practical implications
Residential rental indices are of great importance for policymakers to be able to evaluate housing policies and for property managers to implement competitive strategies in the rental market. Their constructions largely depend on the analysis of market segmentation, a trade-off between housing spatial heterogeneity and continuity.
Originality/value
This paper fills the gap in knowledge concerning segmented rental indices construction, particularly in China. The spatial constrained clustering approach (REDCAP) was also initially introduced to identify regionalised market segmentation due to its superior performance.
Details
Keywords
Berk Kucukaltan and Y. Ilker Topcu
Fierce competition in the airline industry compels airline companies to offer various services. Yet, while companies strive to become preferable, customers confront numerous…
Abstract
Purpose
Fierce competition in the airline industry compels airline companies to offer various services. Yet, while companies strive to become preferable, customers confront numerous airline selection indicators, and as such causes vagueness in human thinking that needs to be systematically and normatively resolved. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is initially to establish a strategic decision model that incorporates key selection indicators, among hundreds of criteria, through a systematic approach. Subsequently, it also aims to investigate the relative importance of these indicators for passengers.
Design/methodology/approach
This research first utilises a comprehensive literature review to uncover key indicators used in airline selection. Afterwards, the outcome obtained from the first phase initiated the phase of determining the prioritisation of these key selection indicators, through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, based on passengers’ judgments.
Findings
The outcome of structuring a strategic decision model reveals 32 key selection indicators to be mainly considered by passengers and these indicators are grouped under five dimensions in this paper. Then, the prioritisation results given by the AHP indicate that “price-related factors” and “customer satisfaction-related factors”, respectively, are more important dimensions for passengers while selecting the best airline company.
Originality/value
The proposed approach provides a novel way to identify and prioritise key airline selection indicators for different passengers, through using the AHP, as a response to the need of adopting a systematic and comprehensive manner with the inclusion of general industry norms. Within this scope, the established model and the prioritisation results can be used as a reference by both airline passengers during their decision-making processes and airline companies which aim for becoming more competitive.
Details
Keywords
Arkajyoti De and Surya Prakash Singh
This paper investigates how the channel leadership strategies develop a post-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resilient agri-supply chain, which reduces supplier and retailer's…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper investigates how the channel leadership strategies develop a post-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resilient agri-supply chain, which reduces supplier and retailer's price loss and enhances the logistics service quality level considering logistics outsourcing of agri-product especially for the rapidly changing market condition.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the classical leadership theory, two channel leadership strategies, i.e. LPL and SL, are considered. The proposed framework first derives the equilibrium price and service quality level decision among the supplier, the logistics provider and the retailer. Then it compares both leadership strategies in terms of the equilibrium prices and service quality theoretically. This article also presents a case study of Arabian dates pricing and supply chain to test the theoretically derived propositions.
Findings
Selection of suitable leadership strategy is a critical factor for profit maximization of the supply chain drivers and proper optimization of equilibrium price and service quality. Here, the product's quality and the market's socio-economic condition play an important role in selecting a suitable leadership strategy. A random transformation of the physical market to an e-commerce portal creates a wide variation of the market's socio-economic parameters, affecting the equilibrium pricing and the logistics provider's service quality.
Research limitations/implications
This study proposes a post-COVID-19 resilient agri-supply chain framework considering price and quality-dependent stochastic market demand, incorporating a wide range of socio-economic factors in the model to counteract the effect of rapid behavior change of agri-market due to COVID-19 norms. This research examines the effect of different channel leadership strategies to facilitate suitable decisions on prices and service quality and retrieve the profit of the supplier, retailer and logistics provider. The future models can incorporate competitiveness in logistics outsourcing, fourth-party logistics (4PL) and contract farming in the agri-supply chain. Each of the extensions can open avenues in different directions.
Practical implications
As the post-COVID-19 market and the customer behavior is randomly changing, and the traditional market is rapidly converting into supermarkets and e-commerce portals, this paper examines the model with a wide variety of e-commerce portals with multi-variation of product. It is conclusive that the product's quality and the market's socio-economic behavior significantly impact the equilibrium decision. The drivers of the supply chain must take them into account before choosing a particular channel leadership strategy.
Originality/value
This study considers a multi-product and multi-market (e-commerce) model by integrating a wide variety of products and the market's socio-economic parameters. The model is tested in a price and quality-dependent stochastic market condition, contributing to the literature by reconciling two different channel leadership strategies into the global logistics of fresh agri-product.
Details
Keywords
Jie Wan, Biao Chen, Jianghua Shen, Katsuyoshi Kondoh, Shuiqing Liu and Jinshan Li
The metallic alloys and their components fabricated via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) suffer from the microvoids formed inevitably due to the extreme solidification rate during…
Abstract
Purpose
The metallic alloys and their components fabricated via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) suffer from the microvoids formed inevitably due to the extreme solidification rate during fabrication, which are impossible to be removed by heat treatment. This paper aims to remove those microvoids in as-built AlSi10Mg alloys by hot forging and enhance their mechanical properties.
Design/methodology/approach
AlSi10Mg samples were built using prealloyed powder with a set of optimized LPBF parameters, viz. 350 W of laser power, 1,170 mm/s of scan speed, 50 µm of layer thickness and 0.24 mm of hatch spacing. As-built samples were preheated to 430°C followed by immediate pressing with two different thickness reductions of 10% and 35%. The effect of hot forging on the microstructure was analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Tensile tests were performed to reveal the effect of hot forging on the mechanical properties.
Findings
By using hot forging, the large number of microvoids in both as-built and post heat-treated samples were mostly healed. Moreover, the Si particles were finer in forged condition (∼150 nm) compared with those in heat-treated condition (∼300 nm). Tensile tests showed that compared with heat treatment, the hot forging process could noticeably increase tensile strength at no expense of ductility. Consequently, the toughness (integration of tensile stress and strain) of forged alloy increased by ∼86% and ∼24% compared with as-built and heat-treated alloys, respectively.
Originality/value
Hot forging can effectively remove the inevitable microvoids in metals fabricated via LPBF, which is beneficial to the mechanical properties. These findings are inspiring for the evolution of the LPBF technique to eliminate the microvoids and boost the mechanical properties of metals fabricated via LPBF.
Details