Search results

“Internet of things” is a broad term used to describe network connectivity to physical objects. Called connectable or smart objects, they are embedded in electronic circuits and software that make them capable of detecting, collecting and transmitting data and information. This paper aims to examine the influence of the attributes of “internet of things” products in the functional and emotional experience of purchase intention.

The study used a model adapted from Yaping et al. (2014), with adjustment for the constructs “emotional experience”, “functional experience” and “purchase intention”. The survey consisted of a sample of 747 valid questionnaires regarding users of “internet of things” products, through a structured questionnaire with 36 assertions, which were answered based on the Likert scale. The quantitative research approach followed an exploratory descriptive phase followed by the application of structural equation modeling.

Results validated most of the relationships of the model, with high levels of significance. In addition, there was a greater influence of emotional experience than functional on purchase intention for the selected sample, which mainly consisted of young people.

In short, the study confirmed the statistical significance of the structural paths, indicating that the proposed model is consistent, and with an appropriate adjustment can be applied in future research.

Existing research focuses on the pension systems and reforms in China from a macro-level and financial perspective. The expectations of mid-life Chinese people regarding their retirement and pensions have been ignored to date, and this research set out to address this lacuna.

The application of qualitative research methods is relatively novel in Chinese social science. As a grounded theory (GT) study, the research reported here deployed semi-structured interviews to investigate middle-aged Chinese women's and men's perceptions of their pensions and retirement. In total, 36 interviews were conducted, following the constructivist GT method.

The data point to disparities between the choices and perceptions of individuals on the one hand and the official assumptions underlying the current pension regime on the other hand. Research participants had varying interpretations of the inequality in retirement incomes in China, the main division being between enterprise workers and public-sector employees.

Although there are in principle rigidly fixed retirement ages for men and women in contemporary China, the phenomena of early retirement and working post-retirement are increasing. There are trade-offs between work/retirement and family needs, which influence the choices of middle-aged citizens. Retirement pathways are increasingly individualised, reflecting broader patterns of individualisation and inequality in China.