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With the large-scale popularization of mobile terminals, crowd sensing technology has gradually replaced the existing static sensors with its efficient and low-cost advantages as an emerging data collection method. How to quickly allocate the sensing task to the optimal execution user under the premise of ensuring the perceived quality and reducing the cost is the focus of the research. In this regard, this paper proposes a Crowd sensing Sparrow Search Algorithm (CSSA) collaborative optimization recommendation method that combines fitness priority, collaboration, and intelligent optimization algorithms, and uses it for task allocation problems. Firstly, the concept of fitness is proposed to calculate the location, power, equipment and reputation of the perceived user, and analyze the matching degree of the user to the task. Secondly, according to the different fitness, the user is divided into explorers and followers, and the two cooperate to complete the perception task. Thirdly, in the process of solving the optimal task allocation scheme, CSSA intelligent optimization algorithm is used to simulate the process of users completing tasks, and the selected user results can be obtained after limited iterations. Through the comparative experiments of the proposed algorithm and other optimization algorithms in the same environment, the results show that it has higher performance in solving the task allocation problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper uses social identity theory to investigate the sequential mediating effects of extrinsic religiosity and perceived role of religious leaders in the impact of consumers' intrinsic religiosity on perceived value of brands endorsed by religious leaders. Design/methodology/approach: This paper comprises two survey-based studies with urban consumers in two emerging markets, India (N = 303) and Indonesia (N = 150). Findings: Intrinsic religiosity has a direct positive effect on extrinsic religiosity, which in turn mediates the effect of intrinsic religiosity on the perceived value of the brands endorsed by religious leaders in both India and Indonesia. However, extrinsic religiosity has a significant positive effect on the perceived value of these brands through the perceived role of religious leaders in India but not in Indonesia. Research limitations/implications: Samples for both the studies are drawn from urban consumers in India and Indonesia, which also have large rural populations. Hence, future research may use both urban and rural samples from other countries to replicate our results. Practical implications: The study findings may help both local and global brand managers in the emerging markets with religious societies, such as India and Indonesia, to understand how they may use endorsements by religious leaders to manage the differences in the impact of consumers' intrinsic versus extrinsic religiosity on their brand perceptions and evaluations. Originality/value: This paper extends social identity theory to the international marketing context by showing that religious consumers in the emerging markets are likely to support the brands endorsed by religious leaders vis-à-vis other national or multinational brands. Thus, religious identification offers a unique sacred worldview and unlimited group membership, unlike other social groups, especially in the highly religious emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study strives to determine how electronic word-of-mouth impacts the purchase intentions (PI) of millennials in Pakistan. To fulfil that purpose, three EWOM determinants - quantity, Quality, and valence are chosen. Whereas Brand image (BI) and perceived Quality (PQ) are taken as mediators. The paper adopts a Quantitative Explanatory approach to survey 169 Karachi respondents. Inferential analysis of collected data was performed using PLS version 4.0, and structural equation modelling was also performed using Smart PLS version 4.0. The results confirmed the proposed hypothesis that the Quality, quantity, and valence of EWOM significantly influence millennial consumers' purchase intentions. The paper's final part presents theoretical and administrative implications, limitations, and suggestions for further research. The study's findings are helpful to marketers and brand managers to understand their customers better and adapt their prospective online communication strategies. The investigation's findings underscore buying intention rather than purchase decision. Future research can close the gaps by determining the key factors crucial in the last phases of converting buy intention into the purchase decision. The first-ever study in Pakistan to look into the impact of e-WOM on the purchase intention of Millennials using the brand image and perceived product quality as mediators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging Internet of things (IoT) technologies are enhancing the value of traceability information in reshaping organic food consumption behaviours. However, the best ways to measure consumers' perceptions of the quality of traceability information remains uninvestigated. This paper explores the perceived quality of traceability information through the available literature on perceived information quality, principal-agency theory, and cue utilisation theory. Specifically, we examine how traceability information influences purchase intentions of organic foods. We conducted an online survey and collected 361 valid samples from organic milk consumers in China. Our structural equation modelling analysis led to the following key findings: first, the perceived quality of traceability information positively influences purchase intention towards organic food; second, perceived uncertainty partially mediates the main effect; and, finally, the importance of product information positively moderates the relationship between perceived uncertainty and purchase intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe demand for gluten-free products has grown tremendously in the past decade globally. In this regard, the present research aims to examine how consumer satisfaction (CS) toward gluten-free products is influenced by perceived quality (PQ), perceived price fairness (PPF), and perceived value (PV), with the use of the theory of cue utilization, dual entitlement, and S-O-R theory. The hypotheses were tested with maximum-likelihood estimation. The finding of this study revealed that PQ, PPF, and PV positively influence CS. Additionally, the partial meditation impact of PV was observed between PPF, PQ, and CS. Theoretical contribution, managerial implication, and scope for further research are discussed at the end of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to shed light on the determinants of sustainable products' purchase intention, with a focus on sustainable beer. Specifically, three determinants related to the theory of planned behavior (i.e., perceived consumer effectiveness, social influence, and environmental concern) and two determinants related to the perceived value (i.e., green perceived utility and perceived quality) have been investigated. Five categories of environmentally sustainable beer have been considered: three referred to the types of ingredients (organic, local, and Italian) and two to the type of packaging (recycled and biodegradable). Furthermore, the effect of gender has been investigated for all the five above‐mentioned sustainable solutions. A survey has been conducted on 790 Italian consumers and structural equation modeling (SEM) has been employed for hypothesis testing. Results show that perceived quality, green perceived utility, and environmental concern influence the purchase intention of sustainable beer, regardless of the specific type of sustainable solution. Further, results highlight that gender does moderate the relationship between perceived quality and purchase intention only for two types of sustainable solutions (local ingredients and recycled packaging). Several implications for scholars, companies, and policymakers are drawn from this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper examines the impact of advertising spending on three crucial aspects of brand equity--brand awareness, perceived quality, and consumer purchase intention--in Kosovo's unique market environment. The study aims to offer a detailed analysis of both the actual advertising expenditures and consumers' perceptions of these expenditures, exploring their influence on brand-related metrics. This approach not only fills a significant gap in the literature concerning advertising spending in Kosovo--a developing economy facing substantial economic challenges--but also provides practical insights for businesses to optimize their advertising strategies even in times of economic downturns. The research encompasses a diverse array of 24 brands from sectors such as banking, microfinance, insurance, furniture retail, and supermarkets, thus presenting a comprehensive view of advertising's role in shaping consumer behavior. Employing a robust quantitative framework, the study integrates both secondary and primary data through statistical models like ordinary least squares and Probit, highlighting the strategic value of advertising investments and offering a contextually rich perspective on its effectiveness in enhancing brand equity elements within a challenging economic landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to find the effect of customer satisfaction on the relationship between perceived service quality and customer loyalty among passengers of railway transport services in Kenya. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design and a pragmatism paradigm were used. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to pick samples from each railway service provider. Simple random sampling was used to select a representative sample size of 357 respondents for the study. The study population comprised all railway customers who had frequently used Madaraka Express, Nairobi Commuter Rail, Kisumu Safari Train and Nairobi-Nanyuki Train passenger services in Kenya. Primary data was collected by a selfadministered semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Stepwise regression analysis was carried out to test the research hypothesis. The results showed that customer satisfaction significantly and partially mediated the relationship between perceived service quality and customer loyalty (p-value<0.05, ß= 0.400). The study contributes to the existing literature by revealing the partial mediating influence of customer satisfaction on the relationship between perceived service quality and customer loyalty. The study recommends that policy makers should embrace perceived service quality to enhance customer loyalty and gain competitive advantage. Managers should use the study results to establish perceived service quality dimensions and customer satisfaction attributes for customer loyalty realization. Future studies may use longitudinal research design to establish causal relationship between perceived service quality and customer loyalty over a period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of museum atmosphere in affecting brand trustworthiness, perceived quality, visitor satisfaction, and visitor behavioral intentions in a museum context in Italy. While broadly examined with reference to stores, atmosphere has been rarely looked at in the museum context, particularly in Italy, the authors developed a research framework to investigate the relationships among museum atmosphere, brand trustworthiness, perceived quality, intention to revisit, and intention to recommend. Using a survey as a research instrument, the study was conducted with 1,370 visitors of three Italian museums: Museo delle Culture (MUDEC), Museo del Novecento, and Galleria d'Arte Moderna (GAM). Results show that the museum atmosphere affects both perceptions of brand trustworthiness, and visitor behavioral intentions. The paper makes the case for using the development of the atmosphere as a strategy to include the visitor perspective in the museum value co-creation process. Theoretical and managerial implications are then outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper explores the impact that an augmented reality shopping assistant may have on consumers' emotional and cognitive responses, and how it would affect their buying behaviours. A prototype of an application to assist consumers inside a supermarket was developed using HoloLens glasses. A total of 85 participants were invited to walk‐through the store using augmented reality glasses. A PLS‐SEM approach was used to test the conceptual model. Results using different scenarios show that media richness (the level of information cues, variety and immediate feedback) impacts consumer decisions and heightens their cognitive and emotional responses. The current study finds that a media‐rich augmented reality experience influences brand engagement and willingness to buy through perceived information quality and brand attitudes. At a time when managers in every industry work to capture consumers' attention, the present study shows how content remains important in every communication activity, even in an innovative augmented reality retail shopping experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the Millennium Development Goals and the Dakar Framework for Action, many African countries instituted free primary education policies in 2000 to achieve universal primary education by 2015. However, the impact of free education policies remains understudied, particularly for late‐adopters. This paper estimates the short‐term effects of free primary education on enrollment in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the policy was implemented as a trial in only two provinces in 2010. We exploit the spatial variations in adopting the policies using difference‐in‐differences with propensity score matching and show that free primary education policies significantly increase enrollment. We find large heterogeneity in the effects depending on the school management types. Catholic conventional school accounts for most of the enrollment due to the perceived quality, level of teacher knowledge, school infrastructure, and better service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of usability in human-machine interaction (HMI), most commonly used devices are not usable by all potential users. In particular, users with low or null technological experience, or with special needs, require carefully designed systems and easy-to-use interfaces supporting recognition over recall. To this purpose, Natural User Interfaces (NUIs) represent an effective strategy as the user’s learning is facilitated by features of the interface that mimic the human “natural” sensorimotor embodied interactions with the environment. This paper compares the usability of a new NUI (based on an eye-tracker and hand gesture recognition) with a traditional interface (keyboard) for the distal control of a simulated drone flying in a virtual environment. The whole interface relies on “dAIsy”, a new software allowing the flexible use of different input devices and the control of different robotic platforms. The 59 users involved in the study were required to complete two tasks with each interface, while their performance was recorded: (a) exploration: detecting trees embedded in an urban environment; (b) accuracy: guiding the drone as accurately and fast as possible along a predefined track. Then they were administered questionnaires regarding the user’s background, the perceived embodiment of the device, and the perceived quality of the virtual experience while either using the NUI or the traditional interface. The results appear controversial and call for further investigation: (a) contrary to our hypothesis, the specific NUI used led to lower performance than the traditional interface; (b) however, the NUI was evaluated as more natural and embodied. The final part of the paper discusses the possible causes underlying these results that suggest possible future improvements of the NUI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present an unsupervised, completely blind, no-reference (NR) stereoscopic (S3D) image quality prediction model to assess the perceptual quality of natural S3D images. We study the joint dependencies between color and depth features of S3D images and empirically model these dependencies by using a bivariate generalized Gaussian distribution (BGGD). We compute the parameters of BGGD, and we also obtain the determinant and the coherence values from the covariance matrix of the proposed BGGD model. We extract the features of BGGD model and covariance matrix from the reference S3D image, followed by multivariate Gaussian (MVG) distribution modeling on the predicted features of the reference. We estimate the joint color and depth quality of the S3D images by computing the likelihood of the image features with respect to the reference MVG model. We apply the popular 2D unsupervised NIQE model on individual stereo views to estimate the overall spatial quality of the S3D images. Finally, we pool the likelihood scores and the spatial NIQE scores to achieve the estimation for the overall perceived quality of the S3D images. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated on the MICT, LIVE Phase I and II S3D image datasets. The results indicate consistent and robust performance for all datasets. Our proposed estimator is completely blind, as it requires neither training on subjective scores nor reference S3D images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to verify the antecedents influencing mobile gamers' intentions to purchase mobile phones. To this end, the constructs price–quality relationship, price sensitivity, perceived quality, identification with the group of gamers and referrals from other gamers were identified in the literature. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through an online questionnaire with 335 consumers. The model was tested using partial least squares. Findings: It was verified that the price–quality relationship directly influences mobile gamers' intentions to purchase mobile phones. Also, it was observed that price sensitivity of mobile gamers directly influences the price–quality relationship and indirectly influences the intention to purchase mobile phones to play games. It was further verified that this price sensitivity is directly influenced by the perceived quality of mobile gaming devices. Finally, it was observed that referrals from other gamers directly influences the perceived quality and onès identification with the group of gamers. Research limitations/implications: This study concluded that developing strategies focused on prices of mobile phones gamers use to play games tends to influence mobile gamers' purchase intentions. This paper extends the study of mobile device purchase behavior, uniting constructs studied separately and proposing connections not yet tested, assisting in the theoretical understanding of the factors that contribute to the intention to purchase mobile devices. Originality/value: This study is theoretically justified for four reasons: it focused on a specific group of consumers, mobile gamers, which is a constantly growing audience; it brought an innovative model, testing the influence of the perceived quality of mobile gaming devices on the price sensitivity of mobile gamers; there are spaces for new research on mobile device purchase intention; and it may assist in the theoretical understanding of the factors contributing to mobile device purchase intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development goals (SDGs) are both a guide for growing more sustainably and a useful tool for engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) that can boost sustainable economic models. Hence, in this paper, we shed light on how companies' application of SDG practices affects perceived quality (PQ) and consumer loyalty based on the resource-advantage theory of competition (RAT). Exploratory analysis was used to create a scale of SDG practices, which was confirmed through confirmatory analysis. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the mediation between the constructs. Our findings indicate that PQ mediates the relationship between SDG practices and loyalty, confirming a previous result on CSR. Hence, PQ retains paramount importance; only through PQ can SDG practices affect loyalty. We also propose the theoretical foundations for conceptualizing SDG practices among ride-hailing companies and empirically demonstrate the mediation effect of PQ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the number of television series increasing almost daily and resources becoming increasingly sparse, it is more important than ever for companies to determine which series will have market success or not. This paper attempts to identify the characteristics of television fiction series that cause consumers to perceive them as being of high quality. In a nation-wide survey, we isurveyed 874 television viewers about ten series from four genres to investigate which characteristics of television series predict consumers' perception of their quality. Although in most cases the coherence of the plot and the dialogues have a strong and positive effect on perceived quality, overall, we find that different genres have different predictors of perceived quality. We discuss the implications of our findings and provide recommendations for future research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust in national and local institutions is an essential component of democracy. The literature has dealt mainly with the former, while less attention has been given to the latter. This paper advances a novel theoretical approach to inquire about trust in local institutions, which is also used to test national ones. We posit that trust is affected by the perceptions individuals have of the physical space where they live. Both a) the perceived quality of life in the neighbourhood where individuals live and b) the neighbourhood (perceived) peripherality are hypothesized to affect trust in local (and to a lesser extent) national institutions. We test our hypotheses in Italy, over a large representative sample of more than 40.000 respondents. We show that both variables are crucial predictors of local trust, but only the perceived quality of life predicts national trust. Equally important, social, cultural and economic individual capital does not modify the relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People's learning style is constantly changing together with the rapid development of information technology. Nowadays, online learning has become a common learning style, but online learning resource providers are also faced with the charging issue. Besides, a large number of studies have been made by scholars at home and abroad in this field. In this paper, the influence of middle school students' self-efficacy on online learning resource purchase intention is analyzed, and the study comprises two stages. To be specific, in the first stage, the interview method is adopted to acquire related materials, and the grounded theory is also followed to reconstruct the theoretical research framework; in the second stage, the theoretical framework is empirically verified by the questionnaire. Then, it is found that middle school students' selfefficacy affects the identity about online learning resources' perceived quality and their purchase intention for online learning resources. At the same time, the teacher-student relation may also reinforce students' purchase intention for online learning resources. Thus, it can be seen that online learning resources' perceived quality and the intimate teacher-student relation have significant influence on middle school students' purchase intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the perceived usefulness (PU) of online discourse and the decision-making behavior of users in Online Travel Communities (OTCs). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used on secondary data available in OTCs in the form of 852 threads to empirically test the proposed integrated model. The antecedents of the perceived usefulness of online travel communities were found to be the argument quality and credibility. These influence the PU of usergenerated content significantly and are helpful in information adoption in OTCs. The PU of OTC discourse positively impacts travelers' information adoption and decision-making. The current study offers implications for OTCs and online service providers for enhancing the usefulness of user-generated content in OTCs and social media sites, leading to online information use and travel decision-making. Prior literature has explored the nature and magnitude of the influence of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on information adoption and intention to use information for travel purchases from users' perspectives and has investigated the PU of third-party travel sites. This paper is an effort to examine PU and decision-making by analyzing the User-Generated-Content (UGC) posted by the actual users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using China's milk scandal as a natural experiment, this paper explores whether the countries of origin and export destinations have the same responses to the original country's food scandal. Our difference‐in‐difference estimation shows that the outbreak of China's milk scandal had asymmetric impacts on China's total imports (increased by 23.4%) and exports (sharply dropped by 65.8%). The results further show that China's milk scandal contributed to import increases from European and Oceanian countries. Moreover, China's milk scandal worsened exports, mainly those going to neighbouring Asian regions but increased exports to Oceania. A product quality index is constructed to explain this finding. Intuitively, consumers' perceived quality of Chinese products declined, and they tended to consume products from other countries. The lower the product quality was with those in China, the lower the perceived quality and safety, thereby affecting demand. During the scandal, Chinese consumers tended to buy high‐quality dairy products from Europe and Oceania rather than the perceived unreliable dairy products produced by China or neighbouring countries. We conclude that product quality plays a key role in imports and exports when facing food scandals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper examined the impact of brand-identity expressiveness and perceived brand value that was neglected in prior literature, in addition to perceived brand quality and prestige, on behavioral intention. Research also tests if certain consumer values moderate this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: Mall-interception technique was used. Also, partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze data and test research hypotheses. Findings: Results indicate that perceived brand globalness (PBG) and perceived brand localness (PBL) are significantly positively associated with perceived quality and prestige. Besides, the inclusion of brand-identity expressiveness and perceived brand value was supported. PBL showed a greater association with brand identity expressiveness compared to PBG, different from previous findings. Furthermore, the total indirect effect of PBG on behavioral intentions was significant through the routes of perceived quality and prestige, compared to a weak and non-significant effect for PBL through the quality route. Originality/value: This study proposes a comprehensive model testing additional pathways through which global and local brands can boost their preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite a growing interest in accessible tourism, delivering high-quality tourism experiences to people with disabilities (PwD) remains a major challenge. Beyond a number of acknowledged barriers (e.g. cultural, architectural, relational), the main issue is the lack of coordination amongst the many actors participating in the co-creation of tourism experiences. This paper intends to advance available knowledge on this issue by conceptually suggesting a solution that draws on the concepts of the tourism experience and digital ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is developed as a conceptual contribution, drawing also on an illustrative example that considers a tourist with mobility disability as the focal actor. Findings: The results indicate that a digital ecosystem could contribute to making tourism locations more accessible by enabling information sharing and coordination amongst all actors that co-create the tourism experiences. Moreover, the analysis underlines that tourism locations should be designed to be useable by all people, drawing on the principles of the universal design. Research limitations/implications: This paper describes a path to fostering accessible tourism, drawing on local authorities, particularly municipalities and universities. The suggested solution would benefit from future empirical analyses to assess its strengths and weaknesses. Originality/value: By drawing on the concept of digital ecosystems, this paper is amongst the first studies to suggest a path to making tourism locations more accessible to all tourists (with or without disabilities) based on technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article furthers the understanding of cultural congruity in relation to extension evaluations of corporate heritage brands. The extension of corporate heritage brands remains challenging, due to their unique identities around heritage—typically fostering a narrow spectrum of product‐cultural domain. Drawing on the concept of cultural congruity, this paper puts forward the notion that one effective way to break the deadlock of a brand's heritage is to expand into product categories that share the unique cultural heritage in ways that are meaningful, not merely symbolic. Based on data from a large survey on time‐honored brands in China, this paper demonstrates that cultural congruity does not only influence extension evaluations directly, but also indirectly through perceived fit. The findings further indicate that brand cultural heritage positively moderates both direct and indirect effects. This study enhances the concept of product fit from the lens of cultural congruity and opens up a new avenue for managing corporate heritage brands in the marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to study the differing pathways to loneliness in managers and their employees. Literature on emotions in organizational life, organizational management and leadership and loneliness are explored to develop and test hypotheses regarding the differential prototypical scripts that can be generative of loneliness in managers and employees. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 28 managers and 235 employees from a horticultural company based in Mexico were surveyed, using measures of perceived connection quality, loneliness and meaningful work to test three hypotheses. Findings: Data from 28 managers and 235 staff indicate that while loneliness scores do not significantly differ between managers and their subordinates, the predictors of loneliness differ between managers and employees, with emotional connection and mutuality predicting loneliness in employees but not in managers. Originality/value: This paper adds specification to the literatures on workplace loneliness, the loneliness associated with management roles, emotions in organizational life and emotions and leadership. The findings are discussed in relation to the literature on manager-subordinate relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Marketing (0354-3471) is the property of SEMA - Srpsko udruzenje za Marketing i Ekonomski fakultet Beograd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper presents a method for the analysis and design of industrial production systems based on a joint assessment of the cost and the quality of service. The operation of a production system is seen as the accomplishment of a sequence of missions, each one corresponding to the cost-effective production and delivery of a specified quantity of products within a specified time frame. The paper shows that the probability of successfully accomplishing a mission is a non-linear function of the cumulative production downtime and that this time cannot be obtained using conventional Markov based techniques. The paper also introduces an analytical model and a procedure that allows the density function of the downtime to be obtained and shows how, using these tools, the production costs and the quality of service may be assessed and related to the internal design of the shop floor. The method seems to be particularly valuable in the analysis of production systems integrated in just-in-time supply chains, in which the reliability of the deliveries is an outstanding requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the modern economy and society, traveling abroad has gradually become one of the ways for people to enjoy life. With the continuous development of tourism and the change of tourists' consumption concepts, tourists' satisfaction has been received by more and more tourism managers and operators. It pays attention to providing tourism products and services from the perspective of tourists and meets the personalized and diversified needs of tourists. Tourist satisfaction has become an important indicator to measure the level of tourism in a tourist destination. According to the structural equation model, this paper constructs the tourist satisfaction index analysis index, which can truly and efficiently detect the tourist satisfaction index, which is convenient for the scenic spot to find out the areas that need to be improved, and enhance the new attraction and service level of the scenic spot. The research results of the article show that (1) there is no significant difference in the satisfaction of tourists of different genders. In terms of influencing factor indicators, individual factors have not passed the T test. The difference in satisfaction of tourists of different ages is not obvious, but there are also individual factors that do not pass the significance test in terms of influencing factors. For the actual perceived quality, the observation index with a larger contribution rate to principal component 2 is mainly the tourists' evaluation of the satisfaction of the tourist attractions. (2) The test result of the structural equation-based satisfaction analysis model proposed in the article is the highest among the four models. According to the error curve, it can be concluded that with the increasing complexity of the data, for the other three models, the evaluation error of the tourist satisfaction evaluation model is getting larger and larger, and the errors of the models proposed in the article are basically controlled within 0.4. Therefore, it can be concluded that the satisfaction evaluation model based on structural equations can reduce the error of tourist satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-being of the Indian elderly is presently a concern in the urban Indian society due to the gradual decline in the capacity of the family to serve as care-givers for their elderly members. Holistic improvement in the lives of the Indian elderly requires an understanding of the varied aspects which they perceive to influence their lives. The concept of perceived Quality of life (QoL) deals with an individual's assessment of varied aspects influencing their well-being. Considering the role of social and economic backgrounds on the perception of QoL, this paper identifies the factors which the Indian elderly from varied backgrounds associate with their perceived QoL. Using interviews with 83 elderly residents of Kolkata, India, this paper identifies 58 factors for eight broad domains, which influence the perceived QoL of Indian elderly. The findings from the present research will help in the formulation of an index for measuring QoL, which can subsequently facilitate the preparation of policy guidelines for the improvement of QoL of elderly, especially the QoL of Indian elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Image steganography is the art of hiding information in a cover image in such a way that a third party does not notice the hidden information. This paper presents a novel technique for image steganography in the spatial domain. The new method hides and recovers hidden information of substantial length within digital imagery while maintaining the size and quality of the original image. The image gradient is used to generate a saliency image, which represents the energy of each pixel in the image. Pixels with higher energy are more salient and they are valuable for hiding data since their visual impairment is low. From the saliency image, a cumulative maximum energy matrix is created; this matrix is used to generate horizontal seams that pass over the maximum energy path. By embedding the secret bits of information along the seams, a stego-image is created which contains the hidden message. In the stego-image, we ensure that the hidden data is invisible, with very small perceived image quality degradation. The same algorithms are used to reconstruct the hidden message from the stego-image. Experiments have been conducted using two types of images and two types of hidden data to evaluate the proposed technique. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has a high capacity and good invisibility, with a Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) of about 70, and a Structural SIMilarity index (SSIM) of about 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the intention to adopt the WhatsApp group as a source of business financing. The study incorporated anxiety, perceived content quality (PCQ), perceived system quality (PSQ), and image into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to forecast the adoption level in WhatsApp groups based on these variables. Employing a quantitative research approach, data was gathered through an online questionnaire from 362 respondents in Ghana. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis using Amos 27. Findings revealed positive effects of image, perceived content quality, and perceived ease of use on perceived usefulness. Additionally, the study identified that perceived system quality had a significant effect on perceived ease of use, while perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness had significant effects on attitude towards use. Also, perceived usefulness and attitude towards use had significant positive effects on behavioural intention. Finally, the study found that attitude toward use played a partial mediating role in the relationships between perceived usefulness and behavioural intention to use. This empirical paper is one of the first to have tested the TAM in the users' intention to adopt the WhatsApp group as a source of business financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the extent to which the perceived quality of institutional performance as an endogenous source of trust and political socialization as an exogenous source of trust determine the emergence of political trust among youth in ten Southeast European countries. It also sheds light on a relatively understudied factor in the formation of political trust: the relation towards the future of society, which is considered an exogenous source of trust. Endogenous origins, particularly satisfaction with democracy, dominate the formation of political trust, while exogenous aspects, presented as aspects of socialization, are less well represented, although still significant. This is especially true for interest in politics and, to some extent, societal optimism, which are important factors in the formation of political trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overall tourist satisfaction could lead to tourists' staying for extended periods of time at the hotels and to repeated visits. Thus, identifying influential factors that affect customer satisfaction is vital. The paper addresses the influence of service expectation, experiential quality, and perceived value on customers' satisfaction regarding the hotels in Siem Reap, Cambodia. A survey questionnaire is the data collection instrument. Structural equation modeling has been used for building the model to test direct effects, while the Sobel test has been employed to measure indirect effects. The results show that perceived value has a strong positive effect on customer satisfaction, while service expectation has a weak negative one. Experiential quality has no influence. Service expectation influences perceived value indirectly, and experiential quality acts as a mediator. However, experiential quality and perceived value do not play the role of serial mediators in the relationship between service expectation and customer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the relationship between local host-tourist interaction, perceived service quality (PSQ), relationship quality (RQ), memorable tourism experience (MTE), and revisit intention in ecotourism based on social exchange theory. A questionnaire was sent through an online survey to the Iranian tourists who had chosen local accommodations in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey during the 2019–2020 and included both domestic and international destinations. A total of 406 valid questionnaires were obtained, and the proposed research model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that hedonic and functional interactions have a positive impact on RQ and PSQ. On the other hand, RQ and PSQ contribute significantly to memorable experiences and revisit intention. Drawing on a large sample of eco lodging guests, this paper sheds light on the relationships between host-tourist interaction and RQ and PSQ for motivating behavioral intentions like visiting again and memorable experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In each country, the occurrence of energy poverty among resident households is usually related to low income and its unequal distribution. Like other manifestations of material deprivation, however, such a phenomenon is likely to be also correlated with some internal socio-political factors that allow its persistence by preventing effective solutions. In this paper, we build and analyse a dataset for European countries by assessing the role of the perceived quality of internal public governance on different measures of energy deprivation. Specifically, we rely on the Worldwide Governance Indicators provided by the World Bank and estimate an array of panel models. After controlling for income, income inequality, energy prices, and weather conditions, we find that high government effectiveness, good regulatory quality, widespread property rights, contract enforcement, and corruption control are significantly associated with lower energy poverty. In addition, we consider the policy implications of this broader perspective on energy deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to understand if service innovation (Helkkula et al., 2018), based on artificial intelligence (AI) systems, may guarantee healthcare service ecosystem (H-SES) well-being (Frow et al., 2019; Beirão et al., 2017), taking into account that many doubts relieved in terms of transparency may compromise the patients' perceived quality of health services provided through AI systems. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review on service innovation, detected in terms of value co-creation, and service ecosystem, investigated in terms of well-being, is drawn. To analyze the implications of service innovation on a H-SES well-being, through the technology acceptance degree and predisposition to use by actors, a case study based on TAM-model 3 determinants as categories is carried out. Findings: AI-based service innovation archetypes in healthcare may be considered as antecedents of the service ecosystem well-being conditions as long as they enable actors to co-create value. To make it possible, a patient-driven service innovation is necessary in order to mitigate the risks of its inactivity due to fears in terms of transparency. Originality/value: Service innovation and service ecosystem well-being may be studied in an integrated way, with a multidisciplinary approach, and are linked by value co-creation, because only thanks a patient-driven service innovation is possible to foster service ecosystem well-being in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Many firms are investing in digital services to improve customer experiences. Virtual service agents, or "e-service agents" ("e-agents") such as chatbots, are examples of these efforts. Chatbots are types of virtual-assistant software programs that interact with users through speech or text. This paper aims to investigate whether the perceived hedonic and utilitarian attributes of chatbots can influence customer satisfaction and, consequently, their relationships with brands. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through a questionnaire-based survey among a sample of Italian consumers. A convenience sampling technique was used. Data were then analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling to provide a prediction-oriented model assessment. The findings were then complemented with an importance–performance map analysis (IPMA) to gain more detailed insights and actionable guidelines for managers. Findings: The findings highlighted that the perceived hedonic and utilitarian attributes of chatbots positively influenced customer satisfaction and improved customer relationships with the brands. However, the IMPA highlighted that the performance levels of two most important attributes – system quality and experience with chatbot – could be improved resulting in additional improvements of customer satisfaction. Practical implications: This study suggests the importance of firms' investments in and adoption of e-agents to strengthen consumer–brand relationships and of considering both the hedonic and utilitarian attributes of their e-agents. Originality/value: This article attempts to enrich and consolidate the growing body of literature concerning the impacts of new technologies – and, specifically, chatbots – in service marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceived service quality is a well-researched concept in the marketing literature. Several measurement scales have been proposed, including for banking services, but most apply to the physical service environment. On the other hand, there is a lack of instruments available to measure the quality of banking services in a digital environment. Nowadays, especially pushed by the COVID-19 situation and sustainable development goals promoted by the United Nations, digitalization of services is a new normal. It is often perceived as a green banking practice and a prerequisite to contribute to the SDGs and environment per se. The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a perceived quality scale of e-banking services. The proposed measurement model was tested on a convenience sample of 335 respondents from Slovenia and Croatia via web-based questionnaires. Content validity, construct validity, dimensionality, and discriminant validity were assessed with EFA and CFA. The results prove that the instrument is appropriate for measuring the perceived quality of e-banking services. It measures six dimensions: efficiency, availability, contact, design, security, and fulfillment. Additional group analysis shows that the scale applies to different cultural contexts. The main limitation of the research is that the instrument measures only the perceived quality of e-banking services provided through online channels. The main theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the advent of the digital age has created many opportunities for marketers, it has made the behavior of consumers more complex, forcing them to explore new and innovative strategies. Buzz marketing is one of them. This study seeks to examine the impact of buzz marketing on purchase intention. The paper also investigates the mediating role of brand awareness in buzz marketing and purchase intention. The study is based on a sample of 155 social media users. Data collection was done using a well-structured questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS 21 and PLS-SEM. The results of the study reveal that buzz marketing has a positive and significant impact on purchase intention. The results also indicate that brand awareness mediates the relationship between buzz marketing and purchase intention. Marketers can use the results of the study to gain insights into consumer behavior and develop effective buzz marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, word of mouth and the Voice-of-Customers have largely left their physical and relational dimension to be replaced by online digital platforms where users can describe their experiences and share them openly. However, the increasing availability of user-generated content, related to the usage of products and services, poses several challenges for research. A key priority is to understand how to use these large amounts of accessible and low-cost data to improve the quality of products and/or services and, consequently, customer satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to show the potential of digital Voice-of-Customers (digital VoCs) as a source of information to monitor quality over time. The obtained insights may represent a first step towards developing quality tracking tools based on digital VoCs, thereby allowing the evolution of changes in perceived quality to be understood. Some examples accompany the description. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To stimulate tourism demand and promote internal circulation, government subsidy policies have been introduced in many places in recent years due to public health concerns. In this paper, we propose a mechanistic model of the impact of the perceived quality of government subsidies on the travel intentions of residents based on consumer perception. Data were collected from Wuhan, China for empirical analysis. The results of this study showed that the perceived quality of government subsidies influenced travel intentions through the perceived behavioral control of travel consumers. Government subsidies were more likely to promote perceived behavioral control among residents with higher public health concerns, and their willingness to travel was stronger. Predicted risks undermine the positive effect of the perceived quality of government subsidies on travel intentions. The analysis suggested that a precise implementation of subsidy policies can enhance the efficiency of effects. We are keen to help China's tourism market sustain growth in the post-COVID-19 period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Firms can now access users' digital histories due to advances in technology and deliver personalized recommendations through social network sites (SNS) such as Facebook that offers advanced targeting options and reliable conversion tracking. This paper aims to examine the effects of personalized advertisements on SNS on the relationship between consumers and brands, tests the impact of brand attachment and experience on brand equity through personalized SNS ads and investigates the influence of such ads on branded products and services. Design/methodology/approach: Two studies were conducted. Study 1 (n = 275) was a survey-based design that leveraged structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses, while Study 2 (n = 350) used experimental design to compare two groups who saw service brand ads versus those who saw product brand ads. Findings: Results showed that SNS ads supporting the brand had a significant positive impact on respondents' brand attachment and brand experience. In both studies, brand experience positively impacted all the elements of brand equity, while brand attachment was found to impact brand loyalty. Originality/value: The findings illustrate how personalized ads for brands appearing on SNS can change consumer perceptions, thus affecting the consumer–brand relationship. The results bode well for brands considering leveraging SNS in their marketing mix, particularly when the strategy behind the advertising is brand building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the analysis of consumer perception in the context of services provided by the Casa Ecologica Guesthouse. The study investigates how customers perceive the quality, sustainability, and overall experience offered by this ecologically oriented guesthouse. The obtained results provide a profound understanding of customer expectations and satisfaction, thus offering valuable perspectives for the continuous improvement of services within the ecological hospitality sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing data consumption of emerging video applications and users’ requirement for higher resolutions, up to 8K, a huge effort has been made in video compression technologies. Recently, versatile video coding (VVC) has been standardized by the moving picture expert group (MPEG), providing a significant improvement in compression performance over its predecessor high efficiency video coding (HEVC). In this paper, we provide a comparative subjective quality evaluation between VVC and HEVC standards for 8K resolution videos. In addition, we evaluate the perceived quality improvement offered by 8K over UHD 4K resolution. The compression performance of both VVC and HEVC standards has been conducted in random access (RA) coding configuration, using their respective reference software, VVC test model (VTM-11) and HEVC test model (HM-16.20). Objective measurements, using PSNR, MS-SSIM and VMAF metrics have shown that the bitrate gains offered by VVC over HEVC for 8K video content are around 31%, 26% and 35%, respectively. Subjectively, VVC offers an average of around 41% of bitrate reduction over HEVC for the same visual quality. A compression gain of 50% has been reached for some tested video sequences regarding a Student’s t-test analysis. In addition, for most tested scenes, a significant visual difference between uncompressed 4K and 8K has been noticed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With the popularity of mobile applications and increasing consumer awareness of application privacy, this paper aims to introduce a new construct of service-privacy fit (i.e. the perceived degree of match between the service of a mobile application and a privacy permission request) to predict consumers' mobile application adoption. Design/methodology/approach: Four experiments were carried out to test the hypothesized relationships. The first study investigated the direct impact of service-privacy fit on application adoption and the mediators of benefit expectancy and privacy concerns. The second, third and fourth studies further applied the moderated mediation model to analyze the moderating roles of benefit message type, regulatory focus type and privacy assurance. Findings: The results show that service-privacy fit influences application adoption not only directly but also indirectly via the mediators of benefit expectancy and privacy concerns. Furthermore, the findings confirm the moderators of benefit message type, regulatory focus type and privacy assurance. Originality/value: Drawn from the perspectives of task-technology fit and information boundary theory, this paper introduces a new construct of service-privacy fit as a determinant of application adoption. Grounded in privacy calculus theory, it further explains this relationship through mediating effects of benefit expectancy and privacy concerns. Furthermore, this paper proposes that benefit messages and privacy assurance are effective coping strategies to increase the benefit expectancy and reduce the privacy concerns of applications. Based on the perspective of regulatory fit theory, this study further shows that the effects of coping strategies rely on personal traits. The findings enrich the existing knowledge of mobile application adoption and application privacy, suggesting that practitioners should consider mobile consumers' perception of service-privacy fit when developing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the use of ICT tools in central government, what can explain the variation in the use of such tools and the effects of them on perceived coordination quality. The data base is a survey to civil servants in Norwegian central government. Structural and cultural perspectives are applied to understand the variation in scope and effects of ICT tools. The paper finds that ICT tools are widespread in central government, but government-to-government tools are more used than government-to-citizens tools. The predictors of ICT use are mainly structural features. Use of government-to-government tools have a significant effect on perceived coordination quality but also cultural features matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the mobile crowdsensing task assignment, under the premise that the data platform does not know the user's perceived quality or cost value, how to establish a suitable user recruitment mechanism is the critical issue that this article needs to solve. It is necessary to learn the user's perceived quality in the execution p. It also needs to try its best to ensure the efficiency and profit maximization of the mobile group intelligence perception platform. Therefore, this paper proposes a mobile crowdsensing user recruitment algorithm based on Combinatorial Multiarmed Bandit (CMAB) to solve the recruitment problem with known and unknown user costs. Firstly, the user recruitment process is modeled as a combined multiarm bandit model. Each rocker arm represents the selection of different users, and the income obtained represents the user's perceived quality. Secondly, it proposes the upper confidence bound (UCB) algorithm, which updates the user's perceptual quality according to the completion of the task. This algorithm sorts the users' perceived quality values from high to low, then selects the most significant ratio of perceived quality to recruitment costs under the budget condition, assigns tasks, and updates their perceived quality. Finally, this paper introduces the regret value to measure the efficiency of the user recruitment algorithm and conducts many experimental simulations based on real data sets to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the algorithm. The experimental results show that the recruitment algorithm with known user cost is close to the optimal algorithm, and the recruitment algorithm with unknown user cost is more than 75% of the optimal algorithm result, and the gap tends to decrease as the budget cost increases, compared with other comparisons. The algorithm is 25% higher, which proves that the proposed algorithm has good learning ability and can independently select high-quality users to realize task assignments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]