Marketing and Smart Technologies Proceedings of ICMarkTech 2022, Volume 2 Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies 337
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La técnica del Web Scraping permite la extracción de contenido de varios sitios web, recabando información de interés para el usuario. El presente proyecto tiene como finalidad desarrollar un sitio web en la cual pueda almacenar información de los diferentes paquetes turísticos que son ofertados por las agencias de viaje que operan en la región de Puno utilizando la técnica del web Scraping. La población está conformada por 38 páginas web según inscritas en IPERÚ Puno. Para la elaboración del algoritmo de extracción se utilizó la metodología de desarrollo de software XP y para el contaste de la hipótesis se utilizó prueba de rangos con signo de Wilcoxon. Como resultado, el análisis de la estructura DOM permitió el desarrollo del algoritmo de extracción, haciendo uso de Python como lenguaje de programación, también se puso a prueba la eficiencia del algoritmo, el cual demostró ser eficiente en comparación con la el programa webscraper. Se determinó que la complejidad algorítmica es lineal. Del desempeño de nuestro sitio web según la puntuación global de PageSpeed Insights está en la categoría rápida (97 puntos). La evaluación del sitio web basado en la norma ISO 25000 proporcionó una valoración de 6.67/10 puntos como calidad total, considerado como nivel aceptable y grado satisfactorio. Se concluye que la implementación del sitio web facilita la búsqueda de diferentes paquetes turísticos.
Social media channels are frequently used by different audiovisual products when promoting content and generating conversations around their brands. In the case of fiction series broadcast by Netflix, the most widely used social media are Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. This research aims at stablishing what the characteristics are of the content that, published on the profiles of said platforms by the accounts of these fiction series, generate greater efficiency and virality. To do this, we analyze the eight publications with the highest number of total interactions in a sample of series profiles to determine which platform, formats, types of content, hashtags, emojis or appealed values, among other factors, obtain better results in terms of the different types of interaction: likes, comments, and shares. The main results point to Instagram as the most efficient social network, where images are the content with the highest number of interactions. On Facebook and Twitter, however, videos get the highest efficiency and virality. For the rest of the analysis categories, we will find differences between the three platforms.
With the evolution of technology and all the associated paradigms, the business reality had the need to adapt and incorporate all this evolution. Gamification strategies in social networks are used to optimize the use and involvement of users. Thus, in a business context, these strategies are used to increase user engagement in the company/brand's social networks with the aim of increasing and strengthening trust. This chapter's main objectives are to understand if internet users and social media users know the term gamification and if the associated strategies are perceptible in the social media context. Therefore, to better analyze the users' behavior regarding these strategies and their knowledge about gamification, an online survey was developed and applied. After the survey, it was possible to conclude that 16.3% of the respondents already knew the term gamification. Through the survey it was also possible to conclude that most respondents had already been in contact with gamification strategies, even if 90.6% did not adhere to them frequently.
Introducción. Las Pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMES) son aquellas empresas que se dedican a varias actividades en la provincia de Tungurahua, anualmente facturan varios miles de dólares por las ventas de sus bienes y servicios, este sector fue golpeado fuertemente por la pandemia, por tanto, se aplicaron varias estrategias de administración para que continúen funcionando. Objetivo. Determinar el impacto de la administración estratégica para el desarrollo de estrategias e implementarlas en los departamentos más vitales de cualquier organización. Metodología. La población consta de 381 empresas de bienes y servicios registradas en el Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos, para desarrollar la investigación fue necesario aplicar el método descriptivo por medio de una encuesta hacia el personal administrativo, para dar el nivel de confiabilidad fue necesario calcular el coeficiente de confiabilidad conocido como Alpha de Cronbach, a su vez se requirió elaborar un marco teórico para lo cual fue necesario aplicar el método bibliográfico para recolectar todas las definiciones detalladas en la presente investigación. Resultados. El 38% las empresas de la provincia de Tungurahua realizan un análisis FODA para desarrollar las estrategias las cuales se involucran con los departamentos de marketing, ventas, producción, administración, finanzas y producción, el 50% de estas empresas emplea indicadores para elaborar informes que permita medir la efectividad de las estrategias implementadas. La administración estratégica es vital para la implementación de estrategias y poder realizar las actividades acordes a la realidad sanitaria que afronta la provincia y mundo entero. Conclusión. La pandemia ocasionó que se busque la innovación en el método de funcionamiento de cualquier empresa, por tanto, fue necesario realizar los análisis y desarrollar estrategias en base al funcionamiento de cada departamento, evaluarlas por medio de indicadores y controlarlas por medio de datos estadísticos.
We examined the impact of firm-generated content on firm-related user-generated content. Researches have proven that firm-related user-generated content impacts firm revenue. Therefore, it is necessary to determine what factors stimulate the creation of firm-related user-generated content. Creating user-generated videos related to companies (e.g. E-sports) on Chinese online video platforms often includes the use of firm-generated videos as material. It may suggest that firm-generated content may play an essential role in influencing Internet users to create firm-related user-generated content. We collected a unique dataset using a Python web crawler and used the LSDV model for empirical analysis, including 2977 firm-generated videos and 49860 user-generated videos, to explore the impact of firm-generated video attributes on user-generated videos. The results show that some attributes of firm-generated video have a significant impact on user-generated video. The number of comments and coins on firm-generated videos positively affects user-generated videos, while the number of favorite on firm-generated videos negatively affects user-generated videos. We also found that the difference in how users feel about firm-generated videos affects the likelihood of users creating their original videos. User engagement and user brand identity in FGV positively impact stimulating user-generated videos. The authors suggest that companies can maximize the impact on user-generated content by targeting the creation of firm-generated content based on these video attributes. The authors also suggest that firms further investigate theories related to motivational factors, such as the impact of consumer engagement, brand identity, and perceived usefulness on user-generated content.
The main purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the pandemic on online shopping in the case of Kosovo. Cunningham (2019) states that online shopping is an e-commerce activity that involves buying items on a seller’s website through a credit or debit card and delivering the item to your home with online shopping, customers buy items from anywhere in the world through a digital platform. The data used are primary, collected through the online questionnaire and it was distributed using social media Facebook, Instagram, and Gmail to a random sample of 500 respondents from Kosovo. We have concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a positive impact on online shopping because, based on the results we have obtained, online shopping has increased during this period. Online shopping clearly shows that consumers’ attitudes and behaviors have changed rapidly, but the pandemic had not increased their confidence in online shopping. This is especially true for developed countries, where every store has its website from which to buy, and India seems to have adopted this trend very fast compared to Pakistan (Bashir, Mehboob, & Bhatti, 2015). The most demanded products besides food, and hygiene, there was a great demand for clothing, electronic and technological equipment, books, and others. Regardless of how many advantages we can have from online shopping, traditional shopping is still what Kosovar consumers prefer to practice. The paper also suggests some recommendations regarding online shopping in Kosovo
Adventure tourism as a form of sustainable tourism is a potential source of social, economic, and environmental development, and the more the tourism industry is exploited in a responsible manner, the greater the development of a country. The present research proposes the following objectives: (i) to identify the motivational dimensions of demand in an adventure destination, and (ii) to determine the motivational dimensions of demand that predict the return, recommendation, and saying positive things of the adventure destination as loyalty variables. The study was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic in Guayaquil, and the participants had visited the province of Santa Elena in Ecuador, an adventure tourism destination. This quantitative study used a sample of 318 valid questionnaires that were collected online and analyzed using factor analysis and the multiple regression enter method. The results show five motivational dimensions in adventure tourism: learning, social, biosecurity, relaxation, and competence mastery. The relaxation dimension is the most important and most influential predictor in return, recommendation, and saying positive things about the demand for adventure tourism. The results will contribute as management guides for DMOs and as sources of information for companies involved in the marketing and development of post-pandemic products. The study is also a contribution to the academic literature on adventure destinations.
Background: The last decade has seen a dramatic shift toward the study of fitness surveillance, thanks in part to the emergence of mobile health (mHealth) apps that allow users to track their health through a variety of data-driven insights. This study examines the adoption trends and community mediation of the mobile fitness application ‘FanFit’, a platform aimed at promoting physical activity among sports fans by creating a fitness app branded to their favourite team for health promotion. Objective: Our study looked at the impact of a specially designed mobile app (FanFit) as a digital health intervention for initiating and maintaining physical activity as part of football club membership. Our analysis indicates that app users will adopt healthier behaviours as a result of the app’s sense of fan community and behaviour change. Methods: The findings reported here are based on an implementation of the FanFit app and, in particular, on those who participated in a more in-depth study (n = 30). These participants were Rangers FC supporters with a mix of genders (n = 19 males and n = 11 females). Focus groups and interviews were conducted with participants to ascertain users’ perspectives on the most effective methods for nudging users toward adopting and maintaining a pattern of fitness behaviours. Results: The findings show that the user community was interested in fitness and wanted to live a ‘healthy lifestyle,’ which was augmented and fuelled by the app’s competitive architecture design. Furthermore, the data reveal a new fan-health discourse about a person’s developing wants, talents, and identities as embodied beings. Conclusions: We have developed and presented valid links between the use of sports club apps and health programmes. The app could be useful for sports programmes and club providers looking for mHealth applications that provide community support through fan discourse with opportunities for both male and female fans.
Public transportation users increase as the population grows. In Taipei, Taiwan, this tendency
is observed by analyzing historical data from the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and economy-
shared bicycle (known as YouBike) riders. While this trend exists, the Taipei City
government promotes green transportation by providing discounts to users who transfer from
MRT or bus to YouBike within a particular period. Therefore, this study focuses on
analyzing the patterns of users in order to identify possible clusters. Clusters of customers can
be considered fundamental and competitive factors for the Ministry of Transportation to
encourage the use of green transportation and promote a sustainable environment. Based on
big data smartcard information, this paper proposes the use of RFM and K-means clustering
algorithm to analyze and construct mode-switching traveller profiles on MRT and YouBike
riders. As a result, three distinct clusters of MRT-YouBike riders have been identified,
namely Potential, Vulnerable, and Loyal riders. There are also suggestions regarding the most
profitable groups, which customers to focus on, and to whom give special offers or
promotions to foster loyalty among transit travellers.
Keywords: Transit Traveller, RFM Model, K-Means Clustering, Mass Rapid Transit, and
YouBike
The present study about the pilgrimage to Mecca aims to: (i) identify the motivational dimensions of the demand for religious tourism, (ii) determine the segments of the demand for religious tourism, (iii) establish the relationship between the segments and socio-demographic aspects, and (iv) establish the relationship between tourist segments and their satisfaction and loyalty in the religious tourism destination of Mecca. The research was carried out on pilgrims who had visited Mecca who lived in Bahrain, a country located on the Persian Gulf, where most of its population is Muslim. The sample consisted of 350 surveys obtained online. A factor and K-means clusters analysis were used to reduce and group the data. The results show three motivational dimensions: religious, social and cultural, and shopping. Additionally, there were also three segments of demand: the “Multiple motives,” with high scores in all the motivational variables, the “Passive tourists” with low levels of motivation and the “Religious,” with motivations in variables related to religion. The “Multiple motives” and the “Religious” segments had high satisfaction and loyalty levels. The results will serve as guides for the management of religious destinations and contribute to the academic literature on this subject.
The incorporation of theories and methods from tourism research in recreational fisheries research is not common practice, despite many parallels between the two research fields. Adopting a tourism perspective could contribute to our understanding of angling tourists' attitudes and preferences and help identify the factors affecting the recruitment and retention of anglers. The concept of destination loyalty reflects a tourist's intention to revisit or recommend a destination, and provides a suitable avenue for studying (repeated) visits to a fishing destination. This study assessed the destination loyalty of angling tourists targeting Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and sea trout (Salmo trutta L.) at the Mörrum river in southern Sweden. A structural equation model validated positive relationships between the psychological dimensions of destination image, satisfaction, place attachment and destination loyalty. In addition, centrality of the angling activity to the anglers' life was identified as a precursor of place attachment and subsequent loyalty. Moreover, anglers with a high experience use history for fishing at Mörrum scored higher than other anglers on several of the indicators for image, satisfaction, place attachment and loyalty. These results show how applying a tourism perspective to traditional recreational fisheries research may help to explain angler loyalty to a recreational fishery, which ultimately contributes to the management of visitor numbers and experiences. The measurement model used in this study can inform future studies involving angling destination loyalty and contribute to creating a universal measurement scale for this construct and its antecedents. Finally, this study holds several implications for fishing destination marketing and management in terms of supporting diversification of the visiting angler population and the experiences the destination provides.
Management implications
The model presented in this study highlights the importance of destination image in promoting satisfaction, place attachment and ultimately destination loyalty in a fishing destination. Moreover, we discuss how understanding angler heterogeneity may inform selective marketing efforts and promote loyalty in a variety of anglers. Additionally, we suggest how improving catch and non-catch related destination attributes could enhance the quality of the fishing experience as a whole, which improves satisfaction and fosters place attachment.
Due to unprecedented innovation in information and communication technology, customers interact more with telecommunication service providers. Customer satisfaction is the extent of customer psychological sense and expectation towards a particular product or service. Satisfaction is a core to business success where corporates strive to fulfil them in the competitive market, where customers have more options. The lack of understanding of customer expectations created a gap between telecommunication companies operating in Kurdistan Region and subscribers. The current study intends to understand factors affecting customer satisfaction among telecommunication service companies in Kurdistan Region. It also identifies the customer’s critical factors concerning telecommunication services. Convenience sampling has been used to investigate the impacts of service quality, service attitude, value-added services, and price on customer satisfaction. The result revealed a significant and positive relationship between all independent variables except for the value-added services found to have a significant but reverse impact on customer satisfaction. The negative impacts of value-added services on customer satisfaction rely on the fact that roaming services, money transfer, reward points, and easy recharge are not concerns for customers compared to the price, quality of networks, and connectivity. The study signifies that nourishing customers by telecommunication companies in Kurdistan Region improve their market share and creates competitive value and uniqueness. This study highlights that competitive advantage and uniqueness offers more customer-oriented services to mobile subscribers and could be perceived as a precondition to the survival of operating firms. In return, the general public delivers cheaper and more reliable services with improved connectivity and internet service at a competitive price.
Studies of blockchain governance can be divided into analyses of the governance of blockchains (such as rules and power dynamics within a given network) and governance by blockchains (such as how blockchains can be implemented to improve self-governance of community-based peer production networks). Less emphasis has been placed on applications of distributed ledgers to public sector governance. Our review clarifies that the decentralization and distributive features that enable blockchains to link up loosely connected private organizations and public agencies to improve efficiency and transparency of government transactions. However, most blockchain applications lack clear advantages over the conventional digital recording of information. In addition, our review highlights that blockchain applications in public sector governance are potentially vast, though in most instances, the existing applications have not extended much beyond limited-scale pilots. We conclude with a call for the construction of indexes of public sector implementations of blockchains, as none yet exist, as well as for additional research to understand why governments have not deployed blockchains more widely.
The subject of this research are challenges in the application of cryptocurrencies in tourism, with focus on the Republic of Serbia. Тhe paper will present examination of the attitudes and opinions of the respondents in the tourist market of the Republic of Serbia about cryptocurrencies and their willingness to accept them in their work, business and travel. The methods used in the research are: hypothetical-deductive, structured (closed type) questions, dichotomic single choice questions; both nominal and interval measurement scales. Research should contribute to a better understanding of the functioning of digital currencies in the tourism sector and a closer understanding of the challenges and prospects for their application.
This study investigates the impact of attitude and trust on the behavioral intention of adopting artificial intelligence (AI)-based voice-assistant services through the integration of parasocial relationship theory (PSR) and human–computer interaction (HCI) theory. Employing a deductive approach, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed to assess the proposed model based on 295 participants by using a purposive sampling method. Findings revealed that the functional components significantly impacted users’ attitudes, while social attributes, such as social cognition and electronic word of mouth (e-WOM), were revealed to be critical constituents in driving users’ trust. Moreover, technology self-efficacy (TSE) showed a moderating impact on the relationship between trust and behavioral intention to use voice-assistant services. Based on the findings, the study provides robust and meaningful insights for managers and designers to foster trust and form a positive attitude among the users. Additionally, the outcome of the study adds to the body of research on AI-based technology adoption and interactions by investigating the antecedents of trust and attitudes towards voice-assistant services.
This paper aims to examine the differences between men and women in 7 segments related to financial inclusion: 1) owning an account with a financial institution; 2) savings at a financial institution; 3) borrowing from a financial institution; 4) owning a credit card, 5) using a mobile phone or the Internet to access an account; 6) using the Internet to pay bills or to buy something online; 7) making or receiving digital payments. The research is based on the Global Findex Database 2017. The sample comprises 144 countries worldwide. The authors applied the nonparametric Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test using a 95% confidence interval. The Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test showed statistically significant differences between men and women in all segments related to financial inclusion. Regarding this, policymakers of individual countries, especially Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Turkey, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and Bahrain, should develop financial inclusion strategies by focusing on measures to increase and improve women's financial inclusion, especially in the segments related to making or receiving digital payments and owning an account with a financial institution.
Since the beginning of 2020, governments around the world have taken measures to contain the novel COVID 19 pandemic. These measures have changed many aspects of public life. The introduction of mask requirement in points of sale and the call for social distancing raises the question of how these conditions affect the shopping behavior of consumers. As part of this study, a written online survey was carried out with students from the Schwäbisch Hall campus of Heilbronn University. The aim is to research the adapted purchasing behavior under the new situation towards increased online shopping as well as the inclusion of sustainability aspects in the purchase decision. In summary, it can be stated that consumers mainly order clothing, electronics and books online. Since the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic, more and more online purchases have been made across all product groups, with those articles that were previously in greater demand online recorded the greatest relative growth in the pandemic situation. The main reasons for this are the fact that shopping is simple and uncomplicated as a hybrid between the advantages of online trading and COVID 19 related measures. The willingness to support the local brick-and-mortar retailers who switched to online sales in the wake of the pandemic is only present to a limited extent. Key Words: Sustainability, COVID 19, retailer, costumer behavior, empirical study
Nowadays, communication through technological devices has become widespread, and thanks to it, in these times of pandemic, it has been possible to face labor, educational, social and recreational challenges, among others. Due to confinement, children and adolescents carry out many activities on the computer or mobile devices, including socialization, learning, entertainment. This activity, in some cases, has also led to negative behaviors, including cyberbullying among them, this being one of the main problems that affects their physical and mental health, generating episodes of anxiety and suffering. In this context, the article presents a methodology for the implementation and deployment of learning capsules with the purpose of preventing bullying and cyberbullying of children and adolescents. The study began with a systematic review of literature on Microlearning as well as existing practices and technologies on the market. The systematic review protocol considered the choice of four digital libraries for the search. The search method and selection of technological solutions was based on finding Apps and websites for parental control and early detection of cyberbullying. An evaluation of 16 technological solutions was carried out and some strategies were identified that will be useful to develop the learning capsules.
Children and teenagers widely use social media, and recent studies have shown that they spend the majority of their time daily on social media pages. This study aims to show the positive and negative impacts that social media has on the development of teenagers. This review brings together work from disparate fields which examines the relationship between social media and social capital, privacy, youth safety, psychological well-being, and educational achievement. We observed this phenomenon in Albania by interviewing teenagers between 11-16 years of age. Those selected were regular users of social media. The study shows that children and teenagers were positively affected as social media helped in increasing their communication abilities, getting information, developing their technical skills, and how they can effectively use this recent technology. On the other side, they are exposed to the risk of Facebook depression, cyberbullying, and online sexual harassment. In the conclusions part of this study, some suggestions were given for further studies.
Background
NTI Competence Center, in the direction “Technologies of Storage and Analysis of Big Data,” has significant background in the development of integral indexes: a) IQ Cities (to Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation), b) National Index of digital development of the subjects of the Russian Federation, c) Index of readiness of industries for the introduction of artificial intelligence, d) Index of innovative development for leading domestic companies, including in the sector of air transportation and oil production.
Objective
Today, innovative, scientific, and technical development is one of the key factors in maintaining the competitiveness of the railway industry in the transport services market. At the same time, innovative development is a complex and dynamically changing process, due to the high rates of development and implementation of new technologies on the level of commercial use in various tech companies. Therefore, it is advisable to use an assessment of the level of innovative development of a company in comparison with the market competitors. Today in the railway industry, there is a need to assess and constantly monitor the level of innovative development of companies. The relevance of building a single tool for assessing the level of innovative development of railway companies is due to the lack of unified and comprehensive methods for calculating such indexes in the industry and the necessary efficiency of innovative railway companies to increase their competitiveness in the transport services market.
Methods
The main research methods used were bibliometric analysis, qualitative methods of information analysis and quantitative methods for the development of integral indexes (methods for standardizing indicators, methods for assigning specific weights, methods for aggregating indicators). The data for the assessment of the indicators as in 2019 were collected using available sources of information (including official reports and strategic planning documents of railway companies, scientific literature from the Scopus/Web of Science databases) and the opinions of independent industry experts. There are three groups of indicators used to form an integral assessment:
- indicators for assessing the level of readiness of advanced innovative solutions and technologies (indicators are measured on a scale from 0 to 1 using the Technology Readiness Level scale, where 0 is no solution/ no supporting data; 0.5 is a solution at the development stage (TRL1-7), 0.75 is a solution at the approbation stage (TRL8), 1 is a solution at the production stage (TRL9).
- binary indicators for assessing the presence or absence of the use of advanced innovative solutions and technologies (indicators are measured on a scale from 0 to 1, where 0 is no relevant functional (specific characteristic/ capability), 0.5 is possible existence with consideration of indirect factors, 1 - confirmed existence).
- quantitative indicators for assessing the effectiveness and scope of innovation policy and the use of advanced innovative solutions and technologies (evaluated and ranked based on the minimum-maximum method).
To aggregate these groups of indicators at the subindex level, there was calculated a subindex of the average value of the indicators. All the weights of the indicators included in one subindex are the same.
Results
The scientific result of the research is the development of a unique method (structure of the indicators) for calculating the integral index of innovative development of railway companies based on the analysis of the best domestic and foreign practices and approaches to the formation of integral indexes. The method for calculating the index was successfully tested as a part of the assessment of the level of innovative development of the Russian Railways holding.
Conclusion
The main result of this work is integral index that has prospects in international practice as a tool for strategic planning of the activities of railway companies to improve efficiency and optimize work processes, as well as a tool for assessing the level of dynamics of the innovative development of the industry and increasing its competitiveness in comparison with other modes of transport.
With advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in convergence with blockchain technology, cities have been given the opportunity to improve their services, efficiently use resources, and, thus, become Smart Cities. The main properties of blockchain technology like decentralization, immutability, transparency, consensus, and robustness are qualities needed for Smart City. In this paper, we propose a digitalization strategy for the City of Osijek. Smart City digitalization strategy aims to solve problems of emerging urbanization, improve administration by reducing energy and water consumption, carbon emissions, pollution, and city waste management. To develop an information system based on blockchain technology, the administration structure and the current state of information systems are analyzed, and new solutions are presented.
In the paper we investigate consensus formation, from an economic perspective, in a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) based platform inspired by the Algorand blockchain. In particular, we consider PoS in relation to governance, focusing on two main issues. First we discuss alternative sampling schemes, which can be adopted to select voting committees and to define the number of votes of committee members. The selection probability is proportional to one’s stake and increases with it. Participation in governance allows users to affect the platform’s decisions as well as to obtain a reward. Then, based on such preliminary analysis, we introduce a microeconomic model to investigate the optimal stake size for a generic user. In the model we conceptualize an optimal stake, for a user, as striking the balance between having Algos immediately available for transactions and setting aside currency units to increase the probability of becoming a committee member. Our main findings suggest that the optimal stake can be quite sensitive to the user’s preferences and to the rules for selecting committees. We believe the findings may support policy decisions in PoS based platforms.
Virtual assistants are becoming significant in the area of voice commerce. Voice commerce creates an environment where orders and payments can be done through voice recognition, increasing its accessibility in comparison to other existing commercial transaction methods. Thus, the field is expected to grow into a promising industry. However, the full bloom of voice commerce depends on user acceptance, as well as technological improvement. This study develops a conceptual framework to describe factors influencing user acceptance to voice commerce, which are analyzed with the structural equation model by combining the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the model of innovation resistance (MIR). With accuracy, social presence, and interactivity of a virtual assistant, along with user attributes such as user innovativeness and experience, as variables, a survey of 151 Koreans in their 20s and 30s is conducted. Moreover, the impact of three factors, relative advantage, perceived ease of use, and perceived risk, on innovation acceptance and resistance is analyzed to find key variables that affect the resistance to and acceptance of voice commerce. These findings provide notable implications to companies currently using voice commerce platforms and guidance to an emerging commercial trading system.
The aim of the research is to gain an understanding of consumer behavior in developing countries in the electronic environment. For this purpose, the four constructs of the PREVEINCOSA scale were analyzed: purchase intention as the dependent variable and trust, perceived value, and satisfaction as the determining variables of the former. For this purpose, by means of convenience sampling, an online questionnaire was shared with citizens in Mexico, Peru, and Colombia. A total of 330 questionnaires were collected from people who knew or had bought clothes in an online shop of the small company. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to validate the model and test the hypotheses. The results indicate that trust and satisfaction directly and positively influence value perception and online purchase intention and that value perception directly and positively influences online purchase intention of the small business consumer in Mexico, Peru, and Colombia. These results may be useful for the small fashion business sector in developing countries since it is observed that the online sales channel is not yet developed, which makes it necessary to develop strategies to reach customers in a more effective way. On the other hand, given the importance of this sector for the economy of developing countries, this study can be useful to governments who can establish public policies to provide training and technical assistance to benefit the development and competitiveness of this sector.
Online retailers are providing customized logistics service to meet heterogeneous customer demand. However, the value of customized logistics service is not clear. We study conceptually and empirically how customized logistics service influences online customer post-purchase behavior, specifically e-satisfaction and e-loyalty. Primary data on customized logistics service were collected from an online field study involving direct observation. Secondary data on e-satisfaction and e-loyalty were collected from Bizrate.com. We used hierarchical multiple regression analyses and constrained nonlinear regression for empirical analysis. The results indicate that customized logistics service contributes significantly to e-satisfaction and, in turn, to e-loyalty. Furthermore, shipping rates significantly moderate the indirect effect of customized logistics service on e-loyalty through e-satisfaction. This research contributes to the understanding of the nature and consequences of customized logistics service in online retailing. Our findings underscore the effect of customized logistics service on e-satisfaction and e-loyalty, and the critical moderation effects of shipping rate on these relationships. Results from this study hold implications for the way online service operations managers employ logistics service strategy.
Recognized as complex and relational, researchers endorse a systems/social-ecological framework in examining bullying and cyberbullying. According to this framework, bullying and cyberbullying are examined across the nested social contexts in which youth live—encompassing individual features; relationships including family, peers, and educators; and ecological conditions such as digital technology. Qualitative inquiry of bullying and cyberbullying provides a research methodology capable of bringing to the fore salient discourses such as dominant social norms and otherwise invisible nuances such as motivations and dilemmas, which might not be accessed through quantitative studies. Through use of a longitudinal and multi-perspective mixed methods study, the purpose of the current paper is to demonstrate the ways qualitative interviews contextualize quantitative findings and to present novel discussion of how qualitative interviews explain and enrich the quantitative findings. The following thematic areas emerged and are discussed: augmenting quantitative findings through qualitative interviews, contextualizing new or rapidly evolving areas of research, capturing nuances and complexity of perspectives, and providing moments for self-reflection and opportunities for learning.
The paper aims to investigate social commerce systems from a systems thinking perspective. It proposes to model the social commerce process and outlines how Following, Communicating, Purchasing, and Sharing are systematically connected with each other in the social commerce process. The paper describes an exploratory review study using the systematic literature review method, including 384 social commerce research papers, which were published from 2011 to 2021. The data are refined by documentary analysis, including Study Selection Criteria and Quality Assessment processes. The paper systematically develops a conceptual framework for understanding social commerce. Previous research on social commerce mainly focuses on one or more particular key success factors (such as trust) in social commerce, and a few of them investigate social commerce as an integral business system. This review provides a more comprehensive basis for future social commerce research.
Objective - This study aims to assess students' financial literacy levels using digital financial literacy (DFL), the most recent element. Methodology – Students who are based in Selangor, Malaysia, were chosen for this study as they recorded a high rate of youth bankruptcy. Convenience sampling was used to distribute the questionnaires among the students between March and August of 2021, where a total of 184 responses were retrieved. Findings and Novelty – The results indicated that students possessed advanced financial knowledge and confidence. Despite the extensive experience in completing online financial transactions, the students lack digital financial knowledge and an understanding of the risks associated with digital financial services. Therefore, including DFL in financial education is essential to ensuring future generations' financial well-being. This study also adds to the limited literature on financial digital literacy and serves as an eye-opener to policymakers on its importance in financial education. Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Financial literacy, financial confidence, Digital financial literacy, Digital financial knowledge, Students JEL Classification: I22, M29, O16
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have ushered in a new era of consumer electronic (CE) devices: the voice-based CE devices (VCED’s). A striking feature that separates these from other CE devices are their anthropomorphic capabilities. While current CE research has given a strong focus on improving various technical and security aspects of the VCED’s, not much efforts have been given to explore their diffusion and acceptance in the society. However, if the CE community is to progress then there is an urgent need to view these systems from a sociotechnical perspective and take the user perceptions into account for further product development. In this work we propose a novel research framework by incorporating Human Computer Interaction (HCI) theories and Para Social Relationship Theory for exploring the effect of trust on the behavioral intention of users towards VCED’s, keeping in mind their human-like attributes. Data is analyzed using a Structural Equation Modelling approach from 675 users of VCED devices from two Asian countries. Results show that the functional aspects of performance and effort expectancy, and social aspects of presence and cognition affect the trust factor. Privacy concerns do not affect trust. Overall, the results suggest that users treat VCED’s as social objects employing social rules while interaction that indicates a dual nature of anthropomorphic systems. Suitable suggestions are provided for CE researchers for future research.
Purpose
This paper examines what the use of an augmented reality (AR) makeup mirror means to consumers, focusing on experiential consumption and the extended self.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors employed a multimethod approach involving netnography and semi-structured interviews with participants in India and the UK ( n = 30).
Findings
Two main themes emerged from the data: (1) the importance of imagination and fantasy and (2) the (in)authenticity of the self and the surrounding “reality.”
Research limitations/implications
This research focuses on AR magic makeup mirror. The authors call for further research on different AR contexts.
Practical implications
The authors provide service managers with insights on addressing gaps between the perceived service (i.e. AR contexts and the makeup consumption journey) and the conceived service (i.e. fantasies and the extended self).
Originality/value
The authors examine the lived fantasy experiences of AR experiential consumption. In addition, the authors reveal a novel understanding of the extended self as temporarily re-envisioned through the AR mirror.
The truth is that competitivity has gained a strong growth in business, and it is important that companies pay attention to the practice of their relational marketing strategies. Technology, innovation, and digital have been transforming the way society operates in the market. Organizations must look for current opportunities in order to add value of their business and negotiation process and of course in the way they act and interact with the target. This way, the current research demonstrates the importance of CRM in relational marketing practices, particularly in non-profit organizations. Regarding the methodology, a case study was developed using a qualitative methodology through semi-structured interviews in a convenience sample, with the aim of retaining the opinion fundraising and marketing responsible department between the different organizations under study. The main result of this exploratory study appears to prove the importance of using CRM for the good practice of relational marketing strategies in order to attract, retain, and build trust with their stakeholders.
In the IoT-based economy, a large number of subjects (companies, public bodies, or private citizens) are willing to buy data or services offered by subjects that provide, operate, or host IoT devices. To support economic transactions in this setting, and to pave the way for the implementation of decentralized algorithmic governance powered by smart contracts, the adoption of the blockchain has been proposed both in scientific literature and in actual projects. The blockchain technology promises a decentralized payment system independent of (and possibly cheaper than) conventional electronic payment systems. However, there are a number of aspects that need to be considered for an effective IoT–blockchain integration. In this review paper, we start from a number of real IoT projects and applications that (may) take advantage of blockchain technology to support economic transactions. We provide a reasoned review of several architectural choices in light of typical requirements of those applications and discuss their impact on transaction throughput, latency, costs, limits on ecosystem growth, and so on. We also provide a survey of additional financial tools that a blockchain can potentially bring to an IoT ecosystem, with their architectural impact. In the end, we observe that there are very few examples of IoT projects that fully exploit the potential of the blockchain. We conclude with a discussion of open problems and future research directions to make blockchain adoption easier and more effective for supporting an IoT economy.
Research on digital influencers’ role in marketing strategies under ongoing development. This study explores the role of digital influencer marketing on consumer purchase intention in fashion products. The goal is to investigate the direct and indirect relationships of trustworthiness, expertise, content quality, similarity, para-social interaction, and attitude towards sponsored posts on purchase intention. A mixed-method approach was conducted combining interviews with five digital influencers and a consumer-based survey with a sample of 206 fashion consumers, among them 96.1% were women and 51.5% were between 18 and 31 years old. Results indicate that blog content quality and para-social interaction positively influence purchase intention in fashion brands. Additionally, blog content quality plays a mediating role between trustworthiness and purchase intention. Moreover, consumers’ attitude towards sponsored posts influences directly and positively purchase intention and mediates the relationship between trustworthiness and purchase intention. Consumers’ attitude towards sponsored posts was also found to mediate the relationship between expertise and purchase intention. This study highlights the digital influencers’ marketing characteristics, which affect the fashion consumer purchase intention, enriching the research in this area and providing recommendations for further investigation. The results also highlight the importance of aligning communication strategies of fashion brands with influencers’ lifestyle.
This research contributes to the knowledge of individuals called hybrid entrepreneurs who combine primary paid employment with secondary self-employment activity. We work with a dataset of 30 countries participating in the 2017 European Union Labour Force Survey. We conduct a multivariate analysis of individual and family-related characteristics of hybrid entrepreneurs. Our results highlight that hybrid entrepreneurs are a specific subgroup of the population of self-employed individuals. While the hybrid entrepreneurs are also a relatively heterogeneous group themselves, we show that most of them do business in the agricultural sector and live in rural areas. Their business activities seem to be on average younger than those being run by primarily self-employed individuals. This likely reflects the temporary nature of many hybrid entrepreneurship endeavours. Interestingly hybrid entrepreneurs have, on average, higher levels of education, but this finding relates mainly to those being involved in non-agricultural activities. Women are less likely to pursue hybrid entrepreneurship, which is even less likely to have caring responsibilities for children. Future research should provide more longitudinal insights into the family-kids related aspects of hybrid entrepreneurship.
El objetivo de esta investigación fue estudiar las transformaciones en el modo de trabajo y en las rutinas periodísticas de los periodistas de los principales medios de prensa digitales en Chile y Colombia. Se investigó cómo las rutinas periodísticas se modificaron forzosamente debido a las restricciones impuestas por la pandemia de Covid-19 y qué desafíos laborales propios de la profesión debieron enfrentar los periodistas de esos medios. Se eligieron los seis portales de noticias más leídos en cada país según el ranking de Alexa.com. Se realizaron doce entrevistas semiestructuradas a editores y directores de medios de prensa digitales para hacer un estudio comparativo. Los principales resultados muestran que las rutinas periodísticas se adaptaron frente a la contingencia. Algunas cambiaron notablemente, como el acceso a las fuentes y la relación con los entrevistados, el teletrabajo y el uso de tecnologías para recoger y producir noticias. Otras se fortalecieron, como la reunión de pauta o consejo de redacción y la relación del editor con su equipo de trabajo. Se concluye que los medios han jugado un papel fundamental durante la pandemia informando a la ciudadanía respecto de las medidas sanitarias y contrarrestando las fake news diseminadas por las redes sociales. En cierto modo, el periodismo ha vuelto a crecer en credibilidad y confianza y se han fortalecido las rutinas clásicas del periodismo.
The Internet has become a constant presence in citizens' lives, and this has led to great changes in what is concerned with their way to buy products. The pos-sibility of buying all the kinds of items online is particularly useful because there is no need to leave the comfort of their houses. In this study we intend to understand which are the aspects that influence the consumers to buy computer equipment and telecommunications in virtual stores. After a literature review in order to know the actual paradigm of the theme, and with the aim to deter-mine the users’ opinion, a survey was developed, which was distributed by email and within the social networks. Then the data was processed with SPSS, and it was obtained three main categories: Conditions and Image, Products and Deliveries, and finally Website design/ usability.
La investigación comprende y analiza la situación actual de las estrategias de marketing en las pequeñas y medianas empresas (pymes), pues se ha evidenciado que están diseñadas de manera empírica, es decir, sin un sustento técnico que garantice el éxito de la planificación para su desarrollo y sostenibilidad. Asimismo, el estudio profundiza en la realidad de estas organizaciones, y en las tendencias y perspectivas del marketing que se ajusten a sus necesidades para hacerlas más competitivas y se posicionen en el mercado. En este sentido, el objetivo de este artículo es analizar las tendencias y perspectivas del marketing en las pymes de la ciudad de Ambato. Para ello, se aplicó una metodología cualitativa, que permitió contextualizar e indagar información natural, holística y flexible. Los resultados se enmarcan en la determinación de la planificación estratégica de las pymes en la ciudad que fue el objeto de estudio. Se tuvo la finalidad de mejorar el funcionamiento, consolidar su marca y lograr digitalizar en el futuro los negocios más allá del tamaño que tengan. Todo esto contribuye a su propio posicionamiento mediante la optimización de los recursos, la mejora de la tecnología, y la posibilidad de aplicar estrategias más eficientes que las hagan crecer y expandirse.
Voice assistants have emerged as a new form of technology that can identify human speech and respond accordingly via synthesized voices and this family of technologies has helped people accomplish various requirements in their daily lives. However, despite the numerous benefits of AI-based assistants, consumers' concerns about their privacy have increased. Nevertheless, only a few studies focus on the brand loyalty of customers, which influences the intention of consumers to persist in using voice assistants. Furthermore, the impact of brand credibility on the overall perceived value receives little attention. Therefore, this study attempted to identify the mechanism through which the users of voice assistants might develop reuse intention and loyalty toward a specific service provider brand and analyze how brand credibility can influence the overall perceived value of voice assistants. The study drew on the uses & gratification theory, signaling theory, and prospect theory to develop the conceptual model and its underlying hypotheses. Using purposive sampling and an online survey, data were collected from 426 Chinese users of AliGenie, Alibaba's intelligent personal assistant. Data and the hypothesized model were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings from quantitative analysis identified the perceived privacy risk as the most significant factor and obstacle influencing consumers' overall perceived value toward the usage of voice assistants. Furthermore, findings indicate that brand credibility moderates the existing relationship between the perceived privacy risk and the overall perceived value, a high brand credibility results in a much lower association between the perceived privacy risk and overall perceived value. Furthermore, the findings discovered a significant and positive relationship between brand loyalty and individuals' continued usage of voice assistants.
Entrepreneurial effort is a process-related phenomenon, where individuals or teams organize and launch a venture to capitalize on identified opportunities. Using role theory as a guide, this study develops a new, theory-based construct associated with hybrid entrepreneurship, which we term as work-to-venture conflict (WVC). WVC reflects how the hybrid entrepreneurship process can create conflict between wage employment and venture-launch roles over time. Using a repeated-measures data collection over 26 weeks using a sample of hybrid entrepreneurs, this study uses growth modeling to test the dynamic nature of WVC and its relationships to wage-related outcomes. We find support for our hypothesized relationships that (a) an increase in startup effort over time for hybrid entrepreneurs is related to increased work-to-venture role conflict, which results in (b) a decrease in job satisfaction and increase in turnover intentions regarding their wage employment. Theoretical contributions and practical considerations associated with these findings are provided.
The study examined the factors that influence fan bond creation with a football club on social media. The aim of this work is to show what football fans are guided by when deciding to observe a given club on social media and thus create bonds with it. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of information acquisition, entertainment, pass time, fanship, and social interaction on creating a bond between fan and football club in social media. The study tested six hypotheses, all supported by the results. The partial least square method of structural equation modelling is employed to test the proposed research model. The study utilizes an online survey to obtain data from 202 Polish football fans. Results showed that the best predictor of creating a bond with a club is social interaction, followed by entertainment and information acquisition.
Although voice commerce using voice assistants (VA) in shopping is burgeoning, little is known about the effect of the manner of interaction with VAs in shopping. To fill this gap, this study applied the concept of message interactivity by investigating the key factors that influence intention to use VAs embedded in smart speakers for online shopping. Specifically, we analyzed consumers’ responses to the adoption of VAs with the mediating variable, such as social presence and performance risk as well as the moderating variable, machine heuristic using a lab experiment (N = 62). Our results showed that individuals who experienced contingent conversations with Alexa reported greater feelings of social presence, and less perceptions of performance risk. Moreover, these social presence and performance risk mediated the effect of message interactivity on perceived usefulness, which in turn, predicted the intention to use a VA for an online commerce platform. These results also suggested that voice commerce platforms can increase the positive impact of message interactivity by amplifying machine heuristic.
Though place attachment has been recognized as a key factor to promote the loyalty of tourists and contribute to the sustainable development of destinations, there is still insufficient evidence to prove the positive impact of local attachment on tourist loyalty. This study mainly focuses on quantifying the effects of place attachment on tourist loyalty and examines the underlying factors that may explain the inconsistent phenomena among previous empirical studies. We systematically screen previous related studies, and 56 independent studies are finally included. A comprehensive framework on place attachment and tourist loyalty is summarized and 22 different hypotheses are put forward from these 56 studies. The results obtained by the meta-analysis method reveal that: first, place attachment and its dimensions are positively related to tourist loyalty, which includes tourist behavior loyalty, attitude loyalty and composite loyalty. Second, the moderating effect of gender on the association of place dependence and revisit intention has been confirmed, while the moderating role of tourist cultural background and place attachment measurement scales is insignificant. Third, place identity has the strongest influence on tourist loyalty among other place attachment dimensions. Finally, the theoretical implication for tourism researchers and practical suggestions for destination managers are provided based on meta-analysis.
Storytelling is a common tactic used by marketers to connect with consumers and persuade through narrative transportation. While researchers have explored how narrative transportation can be generated through many different mediums, little research has investigated how narrative transportation can be achieved through a single image, such as those used for print ads and billboards. This research examines how single-image, picture-based ads with high levels of depicted movement can prompt consumers to empathize with characters in the ad, activate their imagination, and experience narrative transportation leading to more positive attitudes toward that ad. In addition, when ads incorporate a design tactic that requires inductive inference, such as showing products as humanized, narrative transportation can be generated even in the absence of depicted movement. This research adds to the narrative transportation literature by providing depicted movement and humanization as specific tactics advertisers can use in a single image to persuade through narrative transportation.
The rail sector has a significant impact on European industry, hence it is important that it follows current innovative trends if it wants to stay competitive. To this end, the railway sector has to adapt to the new digital revolution that is sweeping the sector, but especially the small and medium-sized companies that are part of it, and Workplace Innovation will play a key role in this process. During the RailActivation project it has been seen that SMEs have difficulties when it comes to developing and applying innovation, but due to their size SMEs can gain the advantage of implementing innovation more quickly. The RailActivation project aimed to help SMEs from the railway sector and provide solutions to the problems faced by companies when adapting to this new revolution, by creating an organisational mechanism that would help companies in the process of adopting Workplace Innovation. To address the aforementioned challenges, this paper develops the research model for the railway industry, based on the concept of Workplace Innovation and the needs of SMEs. In addition, a general overview of the Innovation Way methodology applied during the workshops of the RailActivation project is presented, as well as the general and specific results obtained in the companies where the Pilot Scheme was applied.
Associative business structures (business associations) and non-associative business structures (those without any formal or juridical associative agreement) provide platforms to share knowledge, gain insights and collaborate. One additional benefit to participate in these structures is the opportunity for business development. In some cases, and especially for SME, they provide important market opportunities and access to relevant stakeholders. A literature review aimed to identify the concepts described about associative and non-associative business structures in the context of the digital age and digital transformation. The most often referenced concepts (business networks/business relationships, the diversity of actors in a network/business ecosystems, innovative networks, and stakeholder networks/business associations) and not yet prominent concepts (digital associations/digital networks, digital ecosystems/digital environment and digital entrepreneurship, e-markets/e-business environment and e-clusters/e-hubs/digital innovation hubs) provide input and ideas of how associative business structures could be supportive and relevant on the SME business development journey in the digital era.
This work aims to explore the nature of sociocultural trend-related reports, considering their objectives and contents. These strategic objects are intelligence tools that guide social and business actors. After understanding their nature, we explore an adaptable structure that can guide the development of future trend-related reports from an academic and/or a business perspective. To inform our proposal, we articulated the results of a literary review and of a content analysis performed on a sample of reports that illustrate the contents and structures of these works. The resulting outline has an adaptable scheme that can work for different types of reports according to specific intelligence needs, informing decisions and contextualizing major sociocultural patterns and changes.
It is common for brands’ video ads to include recognisable characters from their customers. Through the notoriety of these characters’ brands stay in the minds of their customers. These characters do not always participate in the ads with the focus on monetary profit and their levels of altruism are forgotten. The impact of these characters’ altruism on the narrative transportation of marketing advertisements has been little studied. Thus, this research aimed to study the effects of endorser altruism on advertising design and narrative transportation. To this goal, it was collected data from a sample of 286 individuals through a self-administered questionnaire. Through structural equation modelling, it was demonstrated that altruism endorser has positive effects on advertising design and narrative transportation. Thus, marketing managers can obtain advantages by including characters with high altruism in their advertisements.KeywordsEndorser altruismAdvertising designNarrative transportation