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Artificial intelligence, the latest chapter of the technological revolution, has a tremendous potential to change every area of our lives. This article has focused on a specific form of artificial intelligence, namely generative intelligence, which facilitates the generation of content in all its forms (text, image, video, audio, programming codes, etc.). Thus, generative artificial intelligence has a crucial role in education, allowing for the personalisation of educational content and facilitating the learning process. In the beginning, the paper has highlighted conceptual delimitations regarding artificial intelligence and its applications in education, along with advantages and limitations, highlighting that the adoption of generative artificial intelligence solutions, such as ChatGPT, in higher education in economics has been relatively underexplored in the literature. In order to cover these gaps identified in the literature, have been presented, in the second part of the paper, the methodology and results of an exploratory research, conducted on a sample of 364 undergraduate and master's students at the Faculty of Business and Tourism within the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. The research has provided insight into the perception of Business Administration students regarding these applications. The results indicated a high level of awareness and interest in content generation models and highlighted that users with favourable perceptions regarding the quality of content generated by such applications tend to believe that their integration into academic endeavours can foster creativity and enhance employment prospects.

The increased significance of artificial intelligence (AI) and the possibilities to implement it in higher education can be identified in contemporary conditions. At the same time, one cannot neglect the importance of student perceptions regarding it, since they represent the final users of educational services. Therefore, the focus of this study was on the implementation of the already developed Student Conceptions of AI in Education Scale (SCAIES) instrument on a sample of Serbian students. It is the first implementation of that eight-factor instrument modelled as a reflective-formative hierarchical construct which can be considered as its main contribution from the theoretical aspect. Thus, all eight factors positively and significantly formed the use of AI in education (UAIEd) from students' perspective, whereas the largest contribution could be attributed to factors arising from weaknesses of traditional education, i.e. sentiment analysis in education, personalised learning and student performance prediction. On the other hand, the lowest contribution could be attributed to factors that could be related to privacy concerns about AI use and the domain of control, concretely, classroom monitoring and visual analysis, and students' grade and evaluation. Some general recommendations for higher education institutions were also provided.

This paper presents an analysis of the perceptions surrounding the traditional and alternative educational systems. The aim of this study is to explore the various perspectives and attitudes towards these two approaches to education, considering their strengths and weaknesses. The analysis draws upon a comprehensive review of existing literature, examining both empirical research and theoretical frameworks. The data was collected with a questionnaire and a logistic regression equation was estimated with the help of SPSS 23 statistical software. The variable of interest was education system (traditional and alternative) and the independent variables were the following attributes: main benefits, capability, growth mindset, gender, age and degree. The findings reveal a wide range of perceptions and opinions, with proponents of the traditional system emphasizing its long-standing effectiveness and familiarity, while supporters of alternative approaches highlight their adaptability and potential for innovation. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these perceptions for policymakers, educators, and students, and suggests avenues for future research.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have become the leading international reference for achieving a more inclusive and sustainable model of development. Businesses play an important role in changing the existing model. Analysis of the engagement of businesses with the SDGs first requires knowledge of how managers perceive advances toward achieving these goals. This knowledge is missing from the academic literature. This paper proposes a synthetic indicator that captures company managers’ ratings of how well their companies are meeting the 17 SDGs. To create the synthetic indicator, the DP2 distance method was applied. Companies that most positively rate the degree of achievement of the SDGs belong to the agrifood sector.

The Internet service sector is characterized as extremely competitive, so Internet service providers have to seek to offer high-quality services to customers. This study aimed at measuring the gap between the expectations and perceptions of customers about the service quality of Internet service providers in Jordan. Data was gathered by surveying 405 customers of Internet service providers in Amman (Jordan) using the snowball sampling technique through social media. To reveal service quality, the questionnaire contained five dimensions of the original SERVQUAL model complemented by two additional dimensions by which gaps between customers’ expectations and perceptions could be measured, then, the Expectation–Experience Analysis (EEA) has been used. The results show that there is a perceptual gap between customers’ expectations and their actual experience of the Internet service delivered to them by Internet service providers in Jordan attributed to all seven factors of the service quality.

Administrative office employees spend much time confined in their workspaces as they work hard to provide the critical support required for the overall performance of their organizations. As a result, their comfort should be given priority by their organizations, be it private or public. This article investigated the administrative employees’ perceptions of their offices’ physical environment comfort in a public university. Different aspects of their physical environment, such as furniture, noise, office temperature, lighting and space, were examined as variables influencing their performance. The systematization of literary sources for solving the problem of arranging a comfortable physical environment in private organizations proved a significant dependence of the productivity of employees on the physical environment in which they perform their duties. However, there is the scarcity of research conducted in a public organization, especially in the higher education sector. The methodological tool of the research was the method of quantitative analysis, in which a questionnaire was used to collect data from 81 administrative staff of a public university with several campuses in South Africa. The findings indicated that many respondents generally perceived a comfortable physical environment necessary to increase performance. These were, however, not always matched by their perceptions of what transpired at their offices. For instance, 63% of respondents viewed comfortable furniture as critical for the performance of their duties. Nevertheless, only 55% of respondents agreed that their university furniture was comfortable, with 24% disagreeing and 21% taking a neutral stance. The split in perceptions makes it imperative for the university to attend to areas of weakness and inequality in providing physical environment resources. A future study could examine whose offices are more comfortable than others in university contexts. In addition, a promising direction of future research should be the reconciliation of employees' perception of the comfort of the physical environment in offices with the results of observations. This will enrich the obtained results.

This paper aims to find out about the perception Romanian students have concerning cryptocurrencies. Our main focus was on students from faculties of economics, but we have also gathered responses from students enrolled in other faculties, given the fact that this research is an empirical one. The method used in this research is qualitative. We have conducted semi-structured interviews which included the top of mind and Chinese Portrait method techniques. Thus, we have collected information about how students perceive cryptocurrencies (and with what they associate them), the most well-known cryptocurrencies among students, how much students are willing to invest in cryptocurrencies and from where they get their information on this topic. Our results align with results from past research, showing that attitudes concerning cryptocurrencies are in extremes, with some people being optimistic due to the facilities blockchain brings, but with others still being suspicious because of this new phenomenon.

The changing career environment in tourism following COVID-19 has piqued the interest of scholars who are curious as to whether such changes have altered perceptions of tourism careers. This study examined undergraduate students' perceptions towards tourism education, careers and the tourism and hospitality industry prospects following COVID-19 in the Sub-Saharan region using a case study of Malawi. The study is guided by the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and employed qualitative research methods. The findings revealed that the majority of students had favourable views of tourism careers as a result of their optimism regarding tourism recovery. Those who had lost faith in tourism and its careers expressed reservations about countries' economic ability to implement tourism recovery strategies. The study suggests career guidance and counselling, as well as increasing student awareness of government tourism recovery measures and recovery success stories across industry subsectors, as means of restoring student confidence in tourism and tourism-related careers.

Purpose: The focus of the study is to identify the perceptions of the students, the hospitality and tourism organizations, and the tourism polytechnic concerning the internships conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their perceptions of virtual internships. Design/methodology/approach: A survey method was used to collect the research data. Respondents comprised students from the six State Tourism Polytechnics (Perguruan Tinggi Negeri Pariwisata-PTNP), hospitality and tourism organizations, and the faculty internship coordinator & officials of each tourism polytechnics. Findings: The findings of the study indicated that the internship variables (student-focused issues, institution-specific issues, and organization-specific issues) were generally regarded as positive by the students, the hospitality and tourism organizations, and the tourism polytechnics. However, they all disagree on the issue of remuneration during the internship. There are seven items on which only PTNP stakeholders disagree, all of which pertain to the virtual internships variable. Research limitations/implications: The objective of the study is to enhance tourism and hospitality higher education internships in the new normal era through collaboration and internship creation aligned with industry demands. The study's respondents were primarily from Politeknik Pariwisata Bali (Bali Tourism Polytechnic), who generally presented a general image of Bali's diminishing tourism, which affected the internship program. Additional research should be conducted with a broader scope to allow for generalization findings. Originality/value: The study is highlighting the internships implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well to explore the possibility if internships are carried out virtually.

Background: Economists are often asked to explain or foresee the economic impact of certain events. Except for theoretical and practical knowledge, clear communication of views is therefore required. However, post-graduate training in Economics mostly focuses on technical modules. Furthermore, students often overestimate their (writing) abilities – as described in the Dunning-Kruger effect. Aim: This article aims to establish if, and to what extent, perceptions of writing quality differ between students, subject-specific lecturers and writing consultants. Setting: Honours students at a South African university wrote an argumentative essay on a specific macroeconomic policy intervention. Methods: In this study qualitative samples (an evaluation rubric) were quantified for an in-depth analysis of the phenomenon, which allowed for a mixed-methods research design. The essays were evaluated by fellow students, the Economics lecturer, Academic Literacy lecturers and Writing Centre consultants and then their evaluations were compared. The evaluation form contained 83 statements relating to various aspects of writing quality. Results: Student evaluators in the peer review were much more positive than the other evaluators – in a potential confirmation of the Dunning-Kruger effect. However, despite the more generous evaluations, students were still able to distinguish between varying skills levels, that is, good and bad writing. Discrepancies in evaluations between the subject specialists were also observed. Conclusion: More conscious effort needs to be put into teaching economics students the importance and value of effective writing, with clear identification of the requirements and qualities of what is considered to be effective writing.

Purpose: The students with hearing impairment have the facility to use Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter for their interaction with mainstream society. This study investigated the social media practices of students with hearing impairment studying at the college and university levels for their social inclusion in mainstream society. Design/Methodology/Approach A cross-section survey design was followed to gather data. The population of the research was hearing-impaired students enrolled in graduation in Lahore city. A sample of 85 students with hearing impairment was selected through a non-probability sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was developed and got validated by establishing validity with the help of relevant experts. Reliably was .81 estimated through Cronbach alpha. Findings: The inferential statistical analysis shows no difference in the social media practices on the basis of gender and level/degree of hearing loss, social media has added great value in integrating SWHI within mainstream society, but students are still unaware of using this platform for their broader social networking and academic inclusion globally. Implications/Originality/Value: The study will add in the existing body of the knowledge and will guide the students to use social media for inclusion in all segments of mainstream society in a better way.

Poverty reduction policies and interventions are only effective if the poor themselves own the process and believe in the process being implemented. The way people perceive poverty is to a greater extent informed by their position and economic circumstances in society. The conservative theorist of poverty argue that the poor are lazy and hence would tend to blame the society and the structures thereof. Assertions in the culture of poverty by Oscar Lewis imply that the poor may become comfortable in their poverty and hence may ignore any efforts that would change their circumstances. The liberal theories on the other hand argue that those in poverty perceive poverty as a result of an evil and an unequal system. However, these are general expectations and yet they are not always the same across countries and regions. This paper examines the perceptions of the causes of poverty as conceived by the people living in selected South African townships. The paper used data that was collected in the Gauteng Province South Africa in 2019-2020. Based on the Feagin scale of perceptions of the causes of poverty, the main categories namely, fatalistic, structural and individualistic, are considered between the different households. The results show that the poor to a greater extend agree with the structural perceptions of causes of poverty whilst those that are above the poverty line assign their position to hard work and hence blame the poor for their own circumstances mostly agreeing with the individualistic perception of causes of poverty.

In the hospitality industry, the quality of the services provided to customers determines the level of business success. In order to support and continuously improve the high level of quality, the hotel managerial staff should constantly assess the level of customer satisfaction, as well as the level of competitiveness as a result of the improvements of the services based on customers’ feedback. Such an evaluation begins by identifying the main attributes of the provided services, which make up the quality perceived by the customer and can influence his/her level of satisfaction. In order to achieve full customer satisfaction and maintain its place on the market, the hotel managerial staff should know, obtain, and maintain a competitive position in the context of the market’s dynamic change and create the opportunity for continuous improvement of its services. In this regard, this research seeks to evaluate the services provided by the selected hotels in order to help the administrators monitor their service delivery process, identify shortcomings and take corrective action. Thus, based on the exploratory study of the customers, this paper identifies the key success factors for luxury hotels in Bucharest and develops plans for the hotel managerial staff to improve their services.

In this article we present a descriptive analysis based on the results of a research conducted regarding the e-learning process in higher education institutions. The aim of the study was to reveal students' perceptions of the distance learning process, to determine the influencing factors and to examine the potential and perspectives of this form of education for students and its use in order to improve the quality and accessibility of education.

Background: Dietitians working in private practices in primary settings provide nutrition care to support individuals with the prevention and management of chronic disease. A better understanding of the type and usage of data collected by dietitians in this setting may provide insights to optimise the effectiveness and impact of the workforce. The present study explored the perceptions of leading Australian private practice dietitians on the collection and usage of data in their practice. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study of Australian private practice dietitians, recruited by snowball sampling, was conducted on their perceptions and attitudes towards collecting and using data. Data were collected by semi‐structured interviews and all interview data were thematically analysed. Results: Twenty‐three dietitians participated. Five themes emerged: (i) collecting data is challenging, nuanced, unclearly defined and therefore not routinely carried out; (ii) consistent data collection processes are impeded by the diversity of practise and practices; (iii) business‐related data collection is essential for sustainable dietetic services; (iv) clinical outcomes are fundamental to dietetic services; and (v) standardised, integrated systems are needed to enable routine data collection and synthesis. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the rudimentary role business acumen has in practice viability and provides evidence to potentially re‐shape the future of dietetic education in Australia. Private practice dietitians may benefit from tools and training that enable consistent collection of data about their services. Such data could enable benchmarking across the workforce and contribute to a broader understanding of dietetic impact on public health. Highlights: A qualitative descriptive study is provided of 'thought leading' dietitians on their perceptions of outcome data collection.Our findings demonstrate the rudimentary role business acumen has in practice viability.Private practice dietitians may benefit from tools and training that enable consistent collection of data about their services.Calls have been made for such training to be incorporated into the dietetic curriculum.Standardised assessments may enable benchmarking across the workforce and contribute to a broader understanding of dietetic impact on public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining food safety certification is essential for food manufacturers. Potential barriers to obtaining certification are complex, interrelated and broadly relate to, 'knowledge and skills', 'time, cost and resources', and 'communication and access to information'. This study aimed to explore requirements for support to enable food manufacturers in Wales to overcome identified barriers. Food manufacturers (n = 37) participated in group discussions (n = 2) and completed online-questionnaires (n = 29). Support mechanisms, perceived necessary to obtain food safety certification included; funding for training and audit-fees, support for implementing food safety scheme documentation, on-site support through mentoring/coaching and pre-audits. Findings identify the need for a food safety scheme certification support package pathway incorporating online, off-site, on-site and financial support to assist food and drink manufacturers obtain third-party food safety certification. Such assistance would support three critical areas. Findings may inform development of support mechanisms to increase uptake of food safety certification and accelerate food-sector growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the structure and function processes of the tourism sector are examined, it can be seen the tourism actors who spend the most time with tourists are the tour guides. Therefore, the education and personal development of tourist guides should be well-qualified. This study examines the effects of social media on foreign language education which is an important field for tourist guide candidates. The study was designed according to the quantitative method and descriptive survey model. Within the scope of the study, 322 questionnaires sent to the tourist guide candidates and the data were evaluated in accordance with the analysis. It concludes tourist guide candidates spend a significant amount of time every day on social media. They declare the posts about foreign language learning on social media affect their perceptions. Based on the results of this study suggestions are made to tourist guide candidates.

The study examined multi-stakeholder inputs into agrotourism development in Ghana. Particular emphasis was placed on the potential and anticipated challenges for the emerging niche-market. The study employed a qualitative approach using a purposive sampling of 35 stakeholders selected from mainly tourism and agricultural related organisations in Ghana. The qualitative data generated were thematically analysed. The results of the study indicated that most of the stakeholders have no official documentation on agrotourism in the country. This notwithstanding, the stakeholders have a positive perception of agrotourism as a niche-market, with potential for becoming a market leader in the tourism sector in Ghana. The challenge, however, is the quality of frontline employees who, according to the literature, lack communication skills. The study showed amply that considerations such as public education on agrotourism, supporting locals with farm tools and equipment, giving technical assistance through capacity building, will help stimulate agrotourism in the country. In sum, the study presents a cardinal focus for agrotourism emergence in Ghana, and serves as a trajectory for a more robust development of the niche-market in Africa and beyond

Research Question: The study investigates consequences of the public oversight establishment on accounting profession and also attempts to understand the thoughts and perceptions of the licensed/certified professional accountants on the public oversight activities in Turkey as an emerging country. Motivation: Public oversight activities have been evolved since it has existed less than two decades. After the Sarbanes & Oxley Act, first initiative was appeared in the United States as the PCAOB Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, then many countries have followed. Public interest oversight institutions play a crucial role as a leader of integrity in ensuring high quality auditing within accurate and informative framework. Idea: This study can be model or benchmark for the studies that can be realized in the other developing countries that might be trying to develop and improve accounting and auditing profession. The study shows the public oversight on accountancy has been a need for a better financial reporting for an effective and efficient financial market. Data: In the survey, members of licensed professional accountants, members of licensed prospective future professional accountants, and licensed auditors were included. Tools: Using a questionnaire, a survey was conducted as a methodological approach to determine the thoughts, perceptions, and expectations of respondents. Findings: The study concludes that professional accountants are aware of public oversight regulations and activities in Turkey. They are mainly thinking that public oversight activities will be impacting positively to the Turkish public accounting profession. Also, professional accountants mainly perceive that public oversight activities will be contributing efficient and effective financial reporting for financial and money markets in the country. Particularly financial statement audit environment has been changed and up scaled due to inspection activities of the public oversight organization on the auditors and audit firms. The results of the study might be interesting for the stakeholders of the public oversight activities on accounting profession.

It is increasingly essential for food manufacturers to have food safety certification. Little is known about certification in the Welsh food industry. This study aimed to explore perceptions of Welsh manufacturers regarding the drivers, benefits and barriers to obtaining certification. Focus groups with manufacturers and stakeholders (n = 68) were conducted. 'Customer requirement' and 'product safety' were drivers for obtaining certification. Benefits related to 'food safety culture', 'supply chain security', 'brand protection', 'due diligence', 'business growth' and 'job security'. Barriers were complex, often interrelated and were broadly defined as, 'knowledge and skills', 'time, cost and resources', and 'communication and access to information'. The research identifies the need to explore requirements for support to enable food manufacturers in Wales to overcome identified barriers. Such data may inform the design and development of support mechanisms to increase uptake of food safety certification and accelerate food sector growth in-line with Welsh Government aspirations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The telecom industry in India has witnessed substantial growth over the last decade. Rapid growth of telecommunications is opening up the doors for many telecom players from Europe, Asia and other parts of the world, resulting in increased competition and tariff reductions. In the present competitive environment, the services perceived by the customers and their behavioural intentions play a pivotal role in the customer switching process among service providers. With the changing expectations of service quality, it becomes imperative to discover the gap between customer expectations and customer perception. In this context, the aim of the present study is to identify the existing gap between customer expectations and perceptions and investigate the relationship between post-experience perception of service quality and customers’ behavioural intentions. The data was collected from 500 customers in Delhi NCR, India. Paired sample t-test and multiple correlation analysis were performed. The results of the study points out the key areas wherein the service gaps are considerably high such as reliability and responsiveness. The customer behavioural intentions, such as “Complain to customer service if a problem occurs”, “Switch to another service provider” and “Reducing the usage with a particular service provider”, have shown a strong relationship with quality of service. The findings of the study confirm that the perceptions of customers regarding the quality of service received definitely have an impact on their behaviour.

This paper scrutinises residents’ perceptions of political legends on tourism growth in the Eastern Cape (EC) Province, South Africa (SA). The paper specifically focuses on the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality (KSDLM) which covers Mthatha and Mqanduli. Furthermore, it needs to be borne in mind that the EC Province is home to political legends. These legends include some famous South African personalities inter alia, Nelson Mandela, Govan and Thabo Mbeki, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Chris Hani, Griffiths Mxenge, Steve Biko, and several other luminaries. Interestingly, these legends waged a protracted war of liberation against the apartheid regime. On the other hand, the EC province is one of the poorest in the country and poverty has reached unprecedented levels in the region. This paper employed a stratified random sampling approach. Moreover, face-to-face surveys were applied among the residents in the area of KSDLM. Additionally, a total of one hundred and fifteen (n=115) questionnaires were completed. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to capture and analyse the quantitative data. Whereas the qualitative data were analysed by means of categorising and conceptualising the terms and concepts used. Lastly, the key findings reveal that the vast majority of the respondents were aware of the political legends who had been raised in the area, and that there was a general development of local infrastructure resulting from the political legends’ influence in the area.

The goal of this article was to explore internal stakeholders’ emotional attachment and corporate brand perceptions through corporate storytelling for branding. Due to the nature of the research questions, the research was purely qualitative in nature. A total of fifty four (54) in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted from 2019 to 2020. These constituted the bedrock of qualitative data analysis for the study. An interpretivist research paradigm, anchored on subjectivist ontology, were both applied as research philosophy pillars. This was done by the researchers in order to get deeper understanding of corporate stories for branding in the six (6) selected listed company. Purposive sampling was used to select respondents from three (3) levels of authority, thus operational, tactical and strategic level. The mutual connection on variables of corporate stories for branding and Impression Management theory elements depicted that these are related to internal stakeholder’s corporate brand perceptions. The research results showed that there is a positive nexus between corporate stories for branding with emotional attachment and internal stakeholders’ corporate brand perceptions. Recommendations include that corporate management need to consciously involve internal stakeholders in developing corporate stories for branding, as it is crucial in carving positive corporate brand perceptions and emotional attachment. The research contributes to the theory and practice by shaping listed corporates to be able to maximise effectiveness of their corporate strategies, meant to improve internal corporate reputation and motivation of internal stakeholders.

The tourism and hospitality industry is of tremendous importance globally as it is the second largest source of job creation and income generation in the world. Government officials around the world therefore place huge emphasis on creating and developing funding bodies, associations, and/or organisations that help with the development of the hospitality and tourism industry of their countries by marketing themselves globally in the hopes of attracting tourism, which generates income and creates employment opportunities. Employees’ contributions are essential to ensuring that the hospitality and tourism industry is prosperous. It is therefore essential to study job satisfaction, and the different generations’ perceptions thereof, within this industry to determine how satisfaction levels can be improved, thus strengthening the industry. Employees contribute to an increase in efficiency in the hotel business when they are satisfied with their workplace. If hotel management is unaware of employees’ level of satisfaction or is unable to identify the aspects that make employees feel satisfied, then it should not be a surprise when hotel management ends up being confronted with poor performance, poor revenue or profit turnover, and poor customer retention problems. This study made use of questionnaires and was quantitative in nature. The questionnaire was distributed to hotel employees and the software STATA SE version 14 was used to analyse the data. This study reports on different generational groups that work in hotels in Polokwane, South Africa, as well as the elements that promote work contentment and discontentment. The outcomes of the study will assist in identifying the causes of low employee satisfaction in Polokwane’s hotel industry and open other avenues for research within the Polokwane hospitality industry that will better develop it.

Commencing 1st January 2018, Value Added Tax (VAT) was made effective in the UAE. The decision was made in light of the fall in oil prices and with the aim of diversifying the country’s revenue to non-hydrocarbon sectors. This paper examines the impacts of introducing VAT on the audit profession and the economy in the UAE. Unlike previous studies which have viewed this topic from a business or consumer perspective, this paper examines it from an auditor’s perspective. Given that this topic relates to a new policy and there isn’t much literature available on it, this study explores the auditors’ perceptions about the implications of this new policy on both; audit profession and the economy. This paper employs semi-structured interviews with auditors from both Big-Four as well as Non-Big-Four audit firms in order to collect data. This research, apart from being a timely and trending topic, may be useful to academicians, tax specialists, auditors, businesses and regulatory bodies. The findings of the study suggest that auditors are optimistic about VAT implementation in the UAE with respect to the growth in the economy in the long run. However, they have mixed perceptions regarding the audit profession and believe that there is no material impact on it due to VAT implementation.

The aim of this paper is to understand how workers’ perceptions and behaviors contribute to understanding the association between human resources management (HRM) and organizational performance (OP). Over the past few decades, theory construction has lagged the intermediate linkages between HRM and OP, and, therefore, there are still many unanswered questions with regards to such an association. To sustain the HRM-OP link, the authors highlight the potential influence of employees’ work engagement (WE), with the aim of exploring some of the intermediating variables, focusing on the perceptions of employees’ attitudes and behaviors. This research emphasizes that line managers have a crucial role to play in stimulating employees’ efforts and in shaping HR-related outcomes. Line managers act as crucial intermediaries in determining how HR policies that lead to OP can be designed and administered. Nevertheless, line managers have the capability to disrupt or stimulate the system, which has a significant impact on employees’ engagement with the organization. The empirical research is based on a sample of 1,609 employees and 40 organizations and was carried out in two settings. Results suggest that line managers and employees’ perceptions of HR policies were positively related to line managers’ perceptions of OP. The results also support a path model, whereby WE strengthens HR systems’ association with enhanced levels of OP. The discussion reviews the implications of these results and suggests future directions for research.

Traveloka.com is one of the famous online travel agents to make hotel reservation in Indonesia. Consumers making online hotel reservation can sometimes find that the performance of the website does not meet their needs. This study is to analyze the gap between hotel consumer expectations and perceptions on the website dimensions of traveloka.com. It is a quantitative method with 150 respondents who made hotel re­ser­vations through traveloka.com. The analysis techniques used are mean test and paired t-test. The results show that there are significant gaps between consumer expectations and perceptions on the website dimensions of traveloka.com. The biggest gap is on the images displayed which are in accordance with the real conditions.

Introduction: Current economic and environmental conditions have increased awareness of farmers' mental health. Agribusiness professionals may be important key informants to assist agricultural safety and health professionals in understanding the mental health experience of farmers and inform their potential role in mental health promotion. The objectives of this study were to explore agribusiness personnel's perceptions of their farmer clients' mental health and their perceived role in mental health promotion. Methods: Fifteen brief interviews of agribusiness personnel were conducted across 3 days in July 2018 at Farm Technology Days in Wood County, Wisconsin. Results & Discussion: Many interviewees commented on the mental health status of farmers in Wisconsin, stating farmers are "stressed" and "depressed". However, agribusiness personnel were hesitant about their organization's role in mental health promotion. Several respondents cited lack of training and confidence as barriers to addressing mental health with their clients. Others were optimistic about their organization's role in mental health promotion; however, participation would be mostly passive, stating mental health is a difficult topic to broach with some individuals. Conclusion: To engage agribusiness in mental health promotion, efforts to reduce the stigma of mental health disorders and increase agribusiness representatives' confidence and skills in talking about mental health will be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the last half of the twentieth century, events industry came into shape, marking the increasing role of events in various aspects of life worldwide. Nowadays it can be witnessed a growing number of events organised more frequently both in urban and rural settings, as well as an increase in their size. Romania is following the same direction concerning the events. Our paper aims to identify and analyse the attitudes and the perceptions of Romanians regarding the events organised in our country. A descriptive research through interview based on a short questionnaire was conducted during the 2016 to present. The research reveals that almost 65% of the respondents are interested and very interested in events. The overall impression of more than 80 percentages of the Romanians regarding the event market is good and very good. The results indicated a positive satisfaction level of more than 71% of the respondents.

The goal of this study is a comparative analysis of customer satisfaction towards postal and banking services in Serbia. In addition, this paper should provide guidance on how managements of the Post Office and the Bank should behave on the market. The survey was conducted throughout the whole Serbian territory. The subject of the research is to measure the perception of postal and banking services, in order to assess the quality of services and the impact of expectations on the level of perceived quality. Testing and final conclusions about the level of quality of postal and banking services was carried out on the basis of the existing literature and modified SERVQUAL model.

Price fairness perceptions for hotel services is a topic of interest, considering the particularities of price setting process in this area and the variety of factors that influence hotel prices. The present study aims to investigate some aspects of price fairness perceptions for hotel prices in Romania, using a national survey on hotel services customers. The main objectives of the study are oriented on investigating: the behaviour and feelings associated with unfair prices, the attitude to hotel prices, the perceived motives that determine hotel price increases, the information behaviour on price changes. The main results show that price is important for customers in choosing hotel services, the main factors associated with price increases being related to the desire of seller to increase profit and to the cost increases. The customers' reactions when they are confronted with unfair prices refers especially on changing the rebuying behaviour, while the most important way to acquire information on price increases is to analyse the competitors' prices. The decisional implications of this research refer to the management of pricing process and to the communications associated with price changes.

Owning a “renown” car brand, a “latest hour” model, with a futuristic design, etc. is the ultimate dream of any driver. Thus, the car producers always take into account the real or the ideal needs of consumers, including on the emergent market. The research of car brand perception among consumers is possible with quantitative and qualitative methods statistics, respectively. The combine use of these leads to the qualitative improvement of the research, in the sense that it fathoms the aspects belonging to endogenous and exogenous variables, direct noticeable, of the consumers. This research regarding the perception of the car brands most often encountered on Romanian highways, among young Romanian consumers is based on a combined use of a repertory grid and the Principal Component Analysis method for the data elaborating and construing phase. The results show: the perceptions of consumers are grouped in: the ideal image of the future, youth – sportivity, reliability; a strong perception of the symbolic significance, subjective related to car brands; good perceptions according to the history of the car brands; good perceptions according to aspects connected to reliability and maintenance of the car brands; good perceptions according to the design of the body car and aspects connected to it.

The success of a hotel’s food operation unit depends on customer satisfaction and repeat patronage. There is a high probability that customers will be satisfied with their dining experience if the service and product quality provided by an hotel food operation unit are of an exceptional quality. The provision of high-quality products and service is only possible if the inputs from suppliers the food operation unit relies on, are also of the highest possible quality. Research-based articles on the quality of service by suppliers of hotel food operation units in Gauteng province, South Africa, could not be sourced. The researcher was therefore of the opinion that it is important to fill this gap in the existing body of knowledge by conducting a study on the perceived service quality provided by suppliers as experienced by hotel food operation unit managers. The study followed a quantitative approach and non-probability sampling was applied to selected participants from the population of 1 428 hotel food operation unit managers. Apilot study was completed, after which 178 SERVPERF questionnaires were analysed for the study. The findings of the research indicate that the hotel food operation unit managers’ perceived suppliers’ service positively in all five SERVPERF service quality dimensions.

The aim of the study was twofold, firstly to determine the destination attractiveness of Zimbabwe as a tourist destination that would enable a stronger position post-political changes; and secondly, it sought to analyse the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on tourists’ perceptions of Zimbabwe’s attractiveness as a tourist destination. Data were collected using a demand survey from international tourists that visited Zimbabwe. A total of 500 questionnaires were administered and data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis and one way analysis of variances. The results revealed eight attractiveness factors for Zimbabwe as a destination faced with political challenges, of which destination amenities were rated as the most important. Mixed results concerning the influence of socio-demographic characteristics and tourists’ perceptions of destination attractiveness, were obtained. The most significant influencers were level of education and continent of residence with four direct influences on selected destination attractiveness factors. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge as this study is the first to document the influence of socio-demographic factors on the attractiveness of a destination in political turmoil. It can assist Zimbabwe, and similar destinations, in attracting selected markets based on the attractiveness of the destination.

South Africa with its diverse cultures and numerous tourist offerings, remains an attractive destination for travellers across the world. Tourism in South Africa contributes largely to the economic growth of the country, however, the country is internationally recognised as a country with a high crime rate. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the perception of crime and safety on first- time and repeat tourists in the George and Wilderness areas of the Western Cape Province. This study was quantitative in nature and incorporated a descriptive design. The target population of the study included domestic and international tourists who visited the George and Wilderness areas during or prior to the study. A non-probability sampling was incorporated through the use of convenience sampling method and 152 respondents took part in the study. Descriptive statistics and Person’s Chi-square tests were used to analyse the data. The research findings indicate that that media reporting on crime in South Africa influences the overall image of the country, yet do not deter first-time or repeat tourists from visiting the country. The results of the study, in addition, indicated that there is no relation between whether tourists or their friends and family have been affected by crime in the George and Wilderness areas and their repeat visits. These results confirm that tourists traveling to developing countries accept higher levels of crime. No clear relation exists between clear signage, including clear signposts and notifications of crime in the area and repeat visits of tourists.

Background: Corporate social performance (CSP) has been widely researched in the past. However, few empirical studies, especially in the African context, have been conducted. In particular, a highly under-researched topic is the role that corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays in an individual’s actual purchasing behaviour. Objectives: This article examines whether the perception of CSR plays a role in purchasing decisions of South African university students. It adopts Carroll’s CSR definition that comprises economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities. Methods: A mixed-method technique was used to analyse the data obtained from a sample survey (n = 145) and in-depth interviews (n = 30) of South African university students. An exploratory factor analysis was performed which revealed that legal, ethical and philanthropic factors influence individual purchasing behaviour. Results: The findings show that companies that fulfil consumer expectations of social responsibility tend to generate positive perceptions of CSP, which lead to actual purchases of goods and services from the company concerned. The findings also show that CSR plays a relatively minor role in individuals’ actual purchasing behaviour, and the other-than-CSP aspects influencing the outcome are explained. Conclusion: The study extends the theoretical understanding of CSR and its role in purchasing decisions of individuals in the African context.

Background: It has been said that organisational democracy influences the improvement of behavioural orientations related to being good organisational citizens. Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to provide empirical evidence on bank employees’ perceptions towards organisational democracy and their organisational citizenship behaviour, in addition to indicating whether a relationship exists between organisational democracy and organisational citizenship behaviour. Method: Data were collected through the use of a questionnaire. The population of the study consisted of bank employees working at branches of a private bank located in the province of Istanbul, Turkey. A total of 240 bank employees took part in the study. Data analysis entailed the computation of descriptive statistics, as well as t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, correlation analysis and regression analysis. Results: The study results indicated that a statistically significant relationship exists between the bank employees’ perceptions of organisational democracy and their organisational citizenship behaviour. Conclusion: Through this study, it can be concluded that organisational democracy is an important variable that can be used by managers to facilitate the favourable behaviour of employees and to promote the sense of citizenship that employees feel towards their organisation, which in turn will positively influence organisational performance.

Wind energy experienced an exponential development in the past two decades, forming a main source of energy today, but also a frequently encountered issue of debate due to the increased proximity of wind turbines to citizens’ residence, especially in the case of the Western part of the European Union. Although the benefits of renewable sources of energy represent a compulsory effort towards ensuring sustainable energy strategies for the future, due to the increased pressure of balancing climate change, limitation of traditional energy resources and economic competition, the expansion of wind parks has caused strong reactions of local communities in many regions leading to the reorganization of public exposure strategies of many companies in the field. This research intends to offer a sample of public perceptions of wind turbines depending on several influence factors, based on the answers of 64 Dutch citizens and 40 Romanian respondents. Through the implementation of the Delphi method based on questionnaires and interviews, an overview of perceptions towards placement of wind turbines in the two analyzed countries has been offered, providing significant answers to the influence factors of public reactions for or against wind turbines. The main results of the research revealed the importance of financial benefits in increasing public acceptance of wind farms, as well as several subjective factors, such as the visual impact of wind turbines and onshore or offshore placement, that contribute to a positive or negative behavior of citizens towards it.

Corruption in the context of tourism adheres to the mainstream tradition of (anti-)corruptionrelatedresearch; mainly focusing to the macro-level impact of corruption in economicdevelopment. A number of studies utilize secondary data and / or indices to explore causality /correlation with an array of tourism performance indicators. This paper aims at complementingthe existing research by exploring the corruption phenomenon from the perspective of theindividual tourist (micro-level). Content (qualitative) analysis of 204 holiday reviews posted ontripadvisor.com were selected and coded. The meta-data analysis of the reviews and thepreliminary thematic analysis suggest that tourism-related corruption can be effectively andpragmatically combated with targeted, pragmatic measures at a local-level, without significantdependence on overreaching legislative, structural (and even cultural) changes. This worksupports the notion that relatively small and short-term organizational changes at a local level canenable larger-term, significant positive anti-corruption effects at the macro-level.