Search results

The current study aims to develop a comprehensive model of cocreation and immersion/engagement for café brands as well as their antecedent and consequences in a café brand context. Inherently involving highly socially involving consumption settings, cafés are particularly conducive to brand cocreation.

The current study tested a model of these relationships by analyzing data from customers of a local café and those of a global café, Starbucks, situated in the same town, Karakoy, in Istanbul, Turkey. Data from 241 respondents were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the model of the study.

Results show that sense of brand community is a powerful predictor of cocreation and brand immersion, which are also important antecedents of attitude toward a brand including, cognitive, affective and conative dimensions. Results also revealed slight differences between the local and global brands in terms of brand cocreation's influence on brand trust and loyalty.

The study is conducted with a limited number of customers of two cafés in a city in Turkey. Future research with the customers from other locations of these cafés, especially the multinational customers of the international café brand is needed to retest the model for its validity.

The significant differences between ratings of local and global café brands are positive news for local and traditional cafés that are losing considerable market share to their global competitors. Strategic cocreation implementations can be used to instill special and robust relationships with consumers.

The study provides evidence that in highly socially dynamic brand contexts, such as café brands, brand community is a critical predictor of cocreation and brand immersion, which then affect attitude toward a brand with cognitive, affective and conative dimensions, reflected in brand trust, brand love, satisfaction with the brand, brand commitment and brand loyalty.

Luxury as a construct warrants an assessment of entities promoting themselves as luxurious offerings. Therefore, this study attempts to evaluate the experiencescapes of luxury trains operating in developed and developing countries to assess the presence of luxury values in the elements affecting tourists' experiences and immersion.

Two different types of luxury trains were selected from across developed and developing countries for a holistic assessment of the experiencescapes. Through netnography and hermeneutic interpretation, this study analyzes 218 experiential descriptions on Tripadvisor from luxury trains of Australia, UK, Peru and India.

Although luxury trains in both the regions entailed financial, functional, social and individual value, they struggled to offer these values in conjunction. While the positioning of luxury trains in developing countries under the “inaccessible luxury” segment is exaggerated, developed countries were also found to struggle with customer service and management.

By emphasizing on areas within the control of the service providers, short-haul luxury trains can be a better fit in developing countries. Better usability testing and employee training should be undertaken to improve the functional values of luxury in long-haul luxury trains of developed countries.

This article not only assesses the validity of luxury trains' positioning but also provides new insights into the nature of the tourist immersion process. Having extensively discussed experiences in the backdrop of luxury, it contributes to the progression of literature on luxury trains, experiencescapes and immersion.

This chapter provides the structure of an engaging intercultural, out of class, integrative curricular Somali Immersion Experience (SIE) offered to University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Education Studies majors and nonmajors who are not exposed to many different races, ethnicities, and people from different cultures because of the demographics of Eau Claire.

SIE participants complete 24 classroom hours and a weeklong immersion into the Somali Community of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. Critical Race Theory provides the framework for the coursework. Quantitative data is collected via pre- and post-SIE online surveys and classroom assignments. Qualitative data is collected via summative papers and reflective sessions.

The results indicate that participants develop understanding and knowledge of Somali culture, religious practices, life styles and school lives, as well as their performance in teaching, reading, mathematics, and social studies to nonnative speakers of English. The participants’ preconceived notions about Somalians, Muslims, and Islam were based on what they saw portrayed in the media. After the SIE, participants expressed how much knowledge they gained about best practices in English as a Second Language instruction, communicating: “Somalians and Muslims are a peaceful people.” One participant exclaimed “I have learned more in a week than I have learned during my field teaching experience and more than I have learned by taking a semester long class.”

This chapter offers help to individuals and institutions wanting to improve students’ exposure to diversity through domestic immersions.

Brand storytelling is an effective marketing tool. However, when choosing whether to tell more or tell less, it remains unclear which of these two narrative styles is most effective. This study aims to examine whether blank-leaving(less) leads to favourable brand attitudes and compares its effects on consumers’ story immersion, to non-blank-leaving(more).

Two experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses. In Study 1, a single-factorial design was used with 252 participants assigned at random to one of two narrative conditions: blank-leaving or non-blank-leaving. Study 2 replicated Study 1 and investigated the moderating role of implicit mindsets.

The results show that a blank-leaving narrative style increases favourable brand attitudes. Consumers present deeper immersion in the brand story that uses blank-leaving, as compared to non-blank-leaving, leading to a more favourable brand attitude. Furthermore, this effect is stronger for individuals with growth mindsets.

Telling the brand story using a blank-leaving narrative style is more effective in catching consumers’ attention than non-blank-leaving. In particular, a blank-leaving narrative is a good approach for targeting consumers who have a growth mindset.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to investigate and compare the effects of blank-leaving and non-blank-leaving narrative styles on brand attitudes in the context of storytelling marketing.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the initial corrosion behavior of pure Mg, AZ31 and AZ91 alloys in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) and to characterize the features in corrosion type and resistance of the corrosion product layer.

The scanning electron microscopy, equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy have been used to characterize the as-corroded samples. Besides, the Mg²⁺ concentration in PBSs has been determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrum.

It has been found that pure Mg suffers pit corrosion, and AZ31 initially undergoes pit corrosion and then uniform corrosion dominates with an extended immersion duration. However, AZ91 exhibits the uniform corrosion with the highest corrosion rate among the three materials. Besides, the corrosion product layer on AZ31 has the best compactness and corrosion resistance.

The findings add depth in understanding the corrosion of pure Mg and its alloys in PBS and also have guiding significance in exploring the effects by alloyed elements to develop new biomaterials with better performance.

This study explores how perceived interactivity effects in Livecommerce influences consumers' shopping intentions in live stream commerce. The authors specifically examine the mediating roles of immersion and hedonic/utilitarian gratification, as well as the moderating role of product involvement in identifying the boundary conditions.

A scenario-based online survey was conducted among American consumers via Prolific.co, an online crowdsourcing platform. The final sample included 187 respondents (male, 63.1 per cent; Caucasian, 61.5 per cent).

The results indicate that perceived interactivity significantly influenced consumers' shopping intentions. Consumers' sense of immersion and hedonic/utilitarian gratification were identified as serial mediators between perceived interactivity and consumers' shopping intentions. It was also found that individuals' product involvement moderated the serial effects of perceived interactivity on consumers' shopping intentions in live stream commerce.

This study provides empirical evidence that perceived interactivity plays an important role in creating an effectively immersive media experience in live stream commerce, which further contributes to higher shopping intentions via perceived utilitarian and hedonic gratifications. It was also found that varying levels of product involvement can have differing effects. Managerial implications are provided.

The Navier‐Stokes equation and the species continuity equation have been solved numerically in a boundary fitted coordinate system comprising the geometry of a large scale industrial size tundish. The solution of the species continuity equation predicts the time evolution of the concentration of a tracer at the outlets of a six strand billet caster tundish. The numerical prediction of the tracer concentration has been made with six different turbulence models (the standard k‐ε, the k‐ε RNG, the Low Re number Lam‐Bremhorst model, the Chen‐Kim high Re number model (CK), the Chen‐Kim low Re number model (CKL) and the simplest constant effective viscosity model (CEV)) which favorably compares with that of the experimental observation for a single strand bare tundish. It has been found that the overall comparison of the k‐ε model, the RNG, the Lam‐Bremhorst and the CK model is much better than the CKL model and the CEV model as far as gross quantities like the mean residence time and the ratio of mixed to dead volume are concerned. However, the k‐ε model predicts the closest value to the experimental observation compared to all other models. The prediction of the transient behavior of the tracer is best done by the Lam‐Bremhorst model and then by the RNG model, but these models do not predict the gross quantities that accurately like the k‐ε model for a single strand bare tundish. With the help of the above six turbulence models mixing parameters such as the ratio of mix to dead volume and the mean residence time were computed for the six strand tundish for different outlet positions, height of advanced pouring box (APB) and shroud immersion depth. It was found that three turbulence models show a peak value in the ratio of mix to dead volume when the outlets were placed at 200 mm away from the wall. An APB was put on the bottom of the tundish surrounding the inlet jet when the outlets were kept at 200 mm away from the wall. It was also found that there exists an optimum height of the APB where the ratio of mix to dead volume and the mean residence time attain further peak values signifying better mixing in the tundish. At this optimum height of the APB, the shroud immersion depth was made to change from 0 to 400 mm. It was also observed that there exists an optimum immersion depth of the shroud where the ratio of mix to dead volume still attains another peak signifying still better mixing. However, all the turbulence models do not predict the same optimum height of the APB and the same shroud immersion depth as the optimum depth. The optimum height of the APB and the shroud immersion depth were decided when two or more turbulence models predict the same values.

During offshore pipe-lay, pipe lengths with anticorrosion coating are welded together, and, to facilitate the welding process, the ends of the pipe remain uncoated. A wide range of field joint coating (FJC) types is available for coating this bare section, functioning in conjunction with the pipeline cathodic protection system to provide an anti-corrosion system or package. This paper aims to relate to two-layer type heat shrink sleeves (2LHSS), which commonly are used for FJC of concrete-weighted offshore pipelines where the sleeve typically is over-coated with a solid or foam type polyurethane “infill”. Similar sleeves also are used sometimes in exposed conditions on lines without concrete over-coating. The maximum allowable soluble salt contamination prior to application of high-performance coating systems can vary, depending upon the coating type, but typically has been set at 20 mg/m2 (de la Fuente et al., 2006). The first layer of three-layer heat shrink sleeve (3LHSS) systems for pipeline FJC, liquid epoxy, falls into this category (ISO_21809-3:2008, 2008). In contrast, the 2LHSS system does not use a liquid epoxy first layer but relies instead on the bonding of a “mastic” layer directly to the pipe metal surface. The maximum acceptable concentration of salt contamination on prepared metal surfaces prior to the application of 2LHSS has been a subject of debate and was the focus of this study. International standards for FJC do not provide a maximum salt level. However, some companies have continued to specify low thresholds for the maximum allowable salt level for 2LHSS, which can result in expensive delays in production during offshore pipe-lay. In this study, salt contamination levels of up to 120 mg/m2 were found to have no effect on peeling performance after accelerated aging by hot water immersion. Furthermore, preparation for welding and the use of potable water during ultrasonic testing procedures prior to FJC, typically reduces the salt contamination level to below 50 mg/m2 providing a strong case for the deletion of salt contamination testing for 2LHSS.

The potential risk of failure of the coating due to poor surface cleanliness/contamination was assessed by testing the adhesion between the coating and the steel substrate to which the coating is adhering, following a period of hot water immersion. Compliance with ISO 21809-3 “Annex I” requires 28 days’ immersion at maximum operating temperature. For this study, to create a severe situation, the test rings were subjected to accelerated aging by water immersion at the HSS upper specified temperature of 65°C for more than twice the specified period (ISO_21809-3:2008, 2008). Two HSS were tested; one was widely used in applications where exposure to moderate mechanical stress is required, having a high shear strength type mastic “hybrid” adhesive containing a significant proportion of amorphous polypropylene blended with tackifiers and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), Andrenacci et al. (2009) referred to as “Type A”. The second, referred to as “Type B”, is widely used in applications where it is covered by a layer of “infill”, typically consisting of polyurethane foam or solid polyurethane elastomer, i.e. typical design methodology for concrete coated pipelines. “Type B” HSS had a more moderate strength traditional type mastic than “Type A” containing a significant percentage of butyl rubber with asphalt, activation agents and tackifying resins. To determine how to apply the salt contamination without causing flash rust, a mini-study was completed on the steel substrate. After numerous trials, it was found impossible to not to form visible rust on the pipe surface. The extent of rusting was minimised by heating the pipe immediately after the application of the salt solution.

High levels of sea salt on power tool prepared pipe surfaces were investigated by peel testing of 2LHSS after hot water immersion and compared against peel tests undertaken prior to hot water immersion. The test conditions were considered severe: salt contamination levels of up to 120 mg/m2 applied on power tool cleaned pipe surfaces that had been aged for one year without prior grit blasting. The accelerated ageing procedure had twice the specified (ISO_21809-3:2008, 2008) water immersion duration, and the test samples had exposed edges providing the possibility for moisture to creep under the coating. The test results showed that there were no noticeable deleterious effects on the performance of the two most commonly used FJCs, 2LHSS. Therefore, it was concluded that, as the level of salt contamination on prepared pipe surfaces after wet non-destructive testing typically is much lower than the levels tested in this study, pipe surfaces prepared for the application of 2LHSS type do not require specific additional measures to further reduce salt contamination, provided that care is taken to ensure that these conditions are maintained consistently during pipe laying operations.

The frequency of salt contamination testing of power tool cleaned surfaces prior to mastic type heat shrink sleeves can be minimised, and perhaps omitted entirely, provided the above criteria are satisfied.

A literature review revealed there was little published information on the testing of 2LHSS and nothing related to hot water immersion testing. Hence, the results of this investigation have provided useful industrial data regarding the effect of hot water ageing and the influence of surface salt contamination on field joint corrosion prevention capabilities.

Endeavours to determine the physiological and perceptual responses to forearm cold water immersion as influenced by the use of an experimental fireproof carbonaceous insulation (ECI), Thinsulate (a commercial insulation), and Nomex flight gloves. The primary objective was to determine if ECI could provide adequate protection from cold water immersion while providing superior protection from fire. Physiological responses including rectal and skin temperatures to –1 degree C water were recorded. Perceptions of thermal discomfort and grip strength were also measured. The experimental carbonaceous insulation was able to provide better thermal protection as evidenced by significantly higher skin temperatures than the Thinsulate. Subjects perceived the Thinsulate gloves to be only slightly more comfortable than the ECI gloves. Both ECI and Thinsulate provided negligible loss of grip strength. The Nomex gloves provided virtually no thermal protection and substantial loss of grip strength post‐immersion.

The purpose of this paper is to present the optimisation of protocols for the immersion coating of silver onto copper‐track printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies, using a novel class of ionic liquid and to show the implementation of the scale up process.

Various conditions (temperatures and silver concentrations) are studied individually under laboratory conditions and then optimised for a pilot scale demonstrator line that is used to process British Standard test coupons.

The use of these novel liquids for the immersion coating of silver produces silver dip coatings that are bright and even and which give solderability that is as good as the commercial aqueous, nitric acid based, electroless process without any solder‐mask interface etching.

The combined technology has been optimised for an immersion silver coating line. Further development work should be undertaken to tailor the technology for gold immersion coating of PCB assemblies.

The paper details a process in which no solder‐mask interface etching is observed; that does not require the use of strong inorganic acids or expensive catalysts to sustain deposition and which does not appear to be light sensitive in contrast to other processes.