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1 – 10 of over 7000
Article
Publication date: 4 September 2017

Fang Liu, Jiacheng Zhou and Nu Yan

The purpose of this paper is to study the drop reliability of ball-grid array (BGA) solder joints affected by thermal cycling.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the drop reliability of ball-grid array (BGA) solder joints affected by thermal cycling.

Design/methodology/approach

The drop test was made with the two kinds of chip samples with the thermal cycling or not. Then, the dyeing process was taken by these samples. Finally, through observing the metallographic analysis results, the conclusions could be found.

Findings

It is observed that the solder joint cracks which were only subjected to drop loads without thermal cycling appeared near the BGA package pads. The solder joint cracks which were subjected to drop loads with thermal cycling appear near the printed circuit board pads.

Originality/value

This paper obtains the solder joint cracks picture with drop test under the thermal cycling.

Details

Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, vol. 29 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0954-0911

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 November 2023

Kenneth Fu Xian Ho, Fang Liu and Liudmila Tarabashkina

The effects of country-of-origin (COO) cues on product evaluations are well documented. However, research on the relative effects of COO compared to other geographical indicators…

Abstract

Purpose

The effects of country-of-origin (COO) cues on product evaluations are well documented. However, research on the relative effects of COO compared to other geographical indicators, such as region-of-origin (ROO), on food purchases is still limited. This study investigates how geographical origin labels influence consumers' perceptions of product value and authenticity of foreign food, as well as subsequent purchase intention (PI) and willingness to pay premium prices (WTPPP). The moderating role of health consciousness on these relationships is also examined due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a between-subjects experimental design conducted with 300 middle- and high-income Chinese consumers aged between 25 and 50 years. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling.

Findings

Whilst under both COO and ROO cues, all five product values positively influenced consumers' WTPPP, only functional, economic and novelty values influenced PI. The ROO cue performed significantly better than the COO cue in eliciting functional, economic and novelty value perceptions, which triggered stronger PI and willingness to pay a premium price. These relationships were mediated by product authenticity (PA) and moderated by consumers' health consciousness (HC).

Practical implications

Because food labels provide salient product information that facilitates consumers' evaluation of products, marketers should assess which product value perceptions they wish to enhance and then choose the appropriate geographical indicators for their labelling strategies.

Originality/value

This study identifies the effects of COO and ROO cues on product values, authenticity, PI and WTPPP. It also provides valuable insights into the role of HC on consumers' purchase decisions, which also aids in understanding the impact of global crises on food purchases.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 36 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 October 2018

Mingzhou Yu, Fang Liu, Julie Lee and Geoff Soutar

This study aims to understand the influence of negative publicity on brand image, brand attitude and brand purchase intention. Specifically, the study examines the role of…

8727

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to understand the influence of negative publicity on brand image, brand attitude and brand purchase intention. Specifically, the study examines the role of attribution (or brand blame) and information characteristics in Chinese consumers’ responses to negative publicity.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a quasi-experimental approach involving two negative publicity scenarios (mild and high severity) and a sample of 203 young and educated Chinese consumers. Partial least squares was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

A common assumption is that negative brand information has a negative influence on all aspects of a brand. However, this study finds that brand blame and information severity have differential effects on consumer evaluations of the affected brand. Specifically, brand blame negatively impacted attitudes and purchase intentions, but not brand image. In contrast, information severity negatively impacted brand image, but not attitudes or intentions. Further, the relations between brand image and brand attitudes and intentions depended on the level of information severity. In the mild-severity condition, brand image positively influenced attitudes and intentions, but not in the high-severity condition.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should examine consumer responses to negative publicity across different media and product categories. Cross-cultural studies should also be explored in the future.

Practical implications

When a brand encounters negative publicity, its marketer or brand manager should assess to what extent various brand equity components are influenced by negative publicity before adopting any cognitive-based or imagery-based communication strategies.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the limited and fragmented literature on consumer response to negative publicity by examining the impact of consumer’s attributions of blame to the brand under conditions of mild and severe negative information on a range of important brand-related outcomes. Specifically, the authors find that negative publicity has a different impact on brand image, brand attitudes and intentions to purchase. The authors suggest that brand managers use this information to guide their marketing communications.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 27 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 January 2024

Dila Maghrifani, Joanne Sneddon and Fang Liu

To understand differences in visitors' travel motivations, this study investigates the relations between personal values and travel motivations as well as the moderating effects…

Abstract

Purpose

To understand differences in visitors' travel motivations, this study investigates the relations between personal values and travel motivations as well as the moderating effects of visit experience, age and gender on values–motivations relations among Australian visitors visiting Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

The multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) was performed using Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) to assess the constructs' validity across groups (potential vs repeat visitors; younger vs older visitors; male vs female visitors). A group model comparison thus was run in the multigroup analysis to test whether any differences in values–motivations relationships were significant across the groups.

Findings

This study shows that travel motivations are associated with values in a systematic way, and values–motivations relations can vary by age, gender and visit experience. Specifically, self-enhancement values are associated with escape-seeking motivation and conservation values are associated with assurance-seeking motivations. Whilst, there is no associations found between openness to change values and novelty-seeking motivations and between self-transcendence values and interaction-seeking motivations. Further, values influence travel motivations for potential but not repeat visitors and for younger but not older visitors.

Research limitations/implications

Tailoring marketing strategies to align with visitors' personal values and travel motivations is crucial. Further, acknowledging the moderating influences of visit experience, gender and age in values–motivations relations enables destination marketers to create more effective and targeted approaches for diverse demographic groups in marketing, promotions and destination development.

Originality/value

This study for the first time provides a better explanation on how the travel motivations are formed in relation to values, age, gender and visit experience.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9792

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 6 December 2023

Dila Maghrifani, Fang Liu and Joanne Sneddon

This study aims to better understand tourists’ revisit intention from their perspectives of past and expected experience and to investigate whether the formation of revisit…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to better understand tourists’ revisit intention from their perspectives of past and expected experience and to investigate whether the formation of revisit intention differs between tourists from different nationalities.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of 250 Indonesian tourists who have visited Australia and 275 Australian tourists who have visited Indonesia. The data were analysed by conducting structural equation modelling and multi-group analysis with group comparisons.

Findings

Indonesian tourists’ intention to revisit Australia was influenced by past feeling experience and expected experience, while Australian tourists’ intention to revisit Indonesia was influenced by past feeling and relating experiences and expected experience. Both samples differ significantly in terms of relations between experiences and revisit intention. The relationship between past thinking experience and revisit intention was positive for Indonesians but negative for Australians. The relationship between past relating and expected experience was positive for Australians but negative for Indonesians. In addition, the influence of expected experience on revisit intention was stronger for Australian than Indonesian tourists.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study, for the first time, enriches tourism literature in understanding revisit intention by investigating revisit intention in relation to both past and expected experiences, along with examining nationality differences in the revisit intention formation.

Details

Consumer Behavior in Tourism and Hospitality, vol. 19 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2752-6666

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 May 2024

Kenneth Fu Xian Ho, Liudmila Tarabashkina and Fang Liu

Building on associative priming, anthropomorphism and biophilia theories, this study aims to explain that a natural–organic (that shows a natural object) and an anthropomorphised…

Abstract

Purpose

Building on associative priming, anthropomorphism and biophilia theories, this study aims to explain that a natural–organic (that shows a natural object) and an anthropomorphised natural–organic logo (that shows an anthropomorphised natural object) both act as primes and imbue specific product value perceptions, which subsequently influence willingness to pay a premium price when products have not been used by or are unfamiliar to consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

Two between-subjects experiments were conducted with different products (one with real, but unfamiliar to consumers brand and another with a fictitious brand). Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Experimental studies showed that natural–organic logos evoked stronger utilitarian (functional and economic) value perceptions, which triggered greater willingness to pay a premium price compared to anthropomorphised natural–organic logos. The effect of hedonic (emotional and novelty) values on willingness to pay a premium price was stronger when an anthropomorphised natural–organic logo was used.

Research limitations/implications

This research offers novel theoretical contributions highlighting the importance of careful logo design to imbue desired value perceptions when products have not been consumed or trialled.

Practical implications

Anthropomorphised natural–organic and natural–organic logos can provide different benefits to brand managers and can be used strategically to form desired value perceptions before products are consumed. Brands that wish to enhance premium pricing via hedonic values should consider using an anthropomorphised natural–organic logo. Natural–organic logos may be more suitable for brands that want to emphasise superior utilitarian values.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research provides the first empirical assessment of the differential effects of the two forms of natural–organic logos on value perceptions and willingness to pay premium price.

Details

Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0736-3761

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 May 2020

Jun Wen, Metin Kozak, Shaohua Yang and Fang Liu

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is projected to have adverse consequences on the global tourism and hospitality industry. This paper aims to examine how the…

27142

Abstract

Purpose

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is projected to have adverse consequences on the global tourism and hospitality industry. This paper aims to examine how the outbreak may alter Chinese tourists’ lifestyle choices, travel behaviour and tourism preferences in the short and long term.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on the synthesis of news broadcasted by several media outlets to be supported by an overview of the related literature on tourism marketing, tourism management and tourist behaviour. The authors’ experiences investigating trends in tourism and hospitality at the local and international level have also contributed to the study.

Findings

This paper predicts that COVID-19 will likely affect Chinese travellers’ consumption patterns, such as the growing popularity of free and independent travel, luxury trips and health and wellness tourism. New forms of tourism including slow tourism and smart tourism may also drive future tourism activities. Such changes are likely to force businesses to reconsider their service designs and distribution channels.

Research limitations/implications

While Chinese and other potential visitors rethink how they travel, professionals, too, should reflect upon how to bring positive or negative changes to the tourism industry following this pandemic. Subsequent research should also consider how to mitigate the effects of similar public health crises in the future.

Practical implications

Recommendations for industry practitioners and policymakers focus on tailoring travel arrangements to tourists’ backgrounds. The suggestions may help to alleviate outbreak-related stress, offer travellers newly enriching experiences and partially mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on the tourism and hospitality industry. These recommendations can also apply more broadly to global tourist markets.

Social implications

The COVID-19 outbreak has already brought significant impacts to nearly every society and industry. Tourism scholars and practitioners should carefully consider this tragedy and how it may inform industry and social practices. This and other public health crises represent sterling opportunities to view the industry holistically in terms of its effects on the environment, climate and travellers themselves.

Originality/value

This paper presumably represents a frontier study, critically examining the possible impacts of COVID-19 on Chinese travellers’ consumption patterns and how the tourism and hospitality industry may respond to such changes in the future.

摘要

预计2019年新型冠状病毒(COVID-19)爆发将对全球旅游和酒店业产生不利影响。本文预测, COVID-19可能会影响中国旅客的消费方式, 例如自由行, 豪华旅行以及健康与养生旅游的普及。包括慢速旅游和智能旅游在内的新型旅游形式也可能推动未来的旅游活动。这种变化可能促使企业重新考虑其服务设计和分销渠道。针对行业从业者和政策制定者的建议着重于根据游客的背景和需求量身定制旅行安排。我们的建议可能有助于减轻与疫情暴发导致的压力, 为旅行者提供全新的丰富体验, 并从一定程度减轻COVID-19对旅游业和酒店业的影响。这些建议还可以更广泛地应用于全球旅游市场。

关键词

COVID-19, 生活方式 旅游行为 灾后 集体主义倾向 中国

El extracto

El impacto del COVID-19 se prevé importante en la actividad turística global y en la industria de la hostelería. Este artículo predice que el COVID-19 afectará con probabilidad alta los patrones de consumo de los viajeros chinos, incluyendo los cada vez más populares viajes comprados directamente por los consumidores chinos, en el segmento del lujo, y el turismo de salud y belleza. Nuevas formas de turismo, incluyendo el slow tourism, y el turismo responsable pueden convertirse en importantes tendencias de futuro igualmente. Dichos cambios llevarán con cierta seguridad a la industria a reconsiderar y adaptar su oferta de servicios en este sector, en particular su diseño y los canales de distribución utilizados. Las recomendaciones para la industria y los responsables de la política turística se alinean con una mayor proximidad de la oferta a los gustos cambiantes del consumidor. Dichas acciones ayudarán a reducir fricciones y fallos en la definición del negocio turístico, ofreciendo a los viajeros nuevas y enriquecedoras experiencias, así como podrán mitigar en parte los efectos adversos estimados del COVID-19, los cuales son relevantes a día de hoy. Así mismo, dichas recomendaciones son aplicables de una manera más global a la industria del turismo y la hospitalidad en el mercado mundial.

Palabras-clave

COVID-19, Estilo de vida, Conducta del viajero, Post-desastre, Orientacion collectivista, China

Details

Tourism Review, vol. 76 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1660-5373

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 31 August 2022

Zelin Tong, Jingdan Feng and Fang Liu

Studies have shown that negative publicity adversely affects brand trust, but exactly how brand trust can be damaged remains poorly understood. This study aims to explore how…

5429

Abstract

Purpose

Studies have shown that negative publicity adversely affects brand trust, but exactly how brand trust can be damaged remains poorly understood. This study aims to explore how negative publicity influences image congruity and, subsequently, brand trust. In addition, the study also examined the effectiveness of two corporate strategies to repair both congruity and trust.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a valid sample of 522 Chinese consumers between the ages 20 and 50, this study adopted a quasi-experimental design involving two types of negative publicity (performance- and value-related) and two initial corporate repair strategies (compensation and public apology) intended to repair brand trust.

Findings

Negative publicity shaped brand trust through both functional congruity and self-congruity. Moreover, the type of negative publicity affected the role of image congruity in brand trust. The effectiveness of repair strategies further depended on the type of negative publicity.

Research limitations/implications

Mobile phones were an appropriate focal product for this research, but examining only one product category may limit findings’ generalizability. Negative emotions such as frustration or anger and their relationships with congruity can also be addressed in future work. Subsequent research can additionally consider more conditions to explore alternative routes of processing related to brand trust.

Practical implications

Brand trust is a vulnerable brand asset on which negative publicity can have seriously negative consequences. Marketers and brand managers should assess the extent to which negative publicity can damage image congruity and brand trust and come up with different repair strategies subsequently.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the limited and fragmented literature on consumers’ evaluations of negative information. Findings offer fresh insight into the impacts of negative publicity on image congruity and brand trust. The implications extend beyond negative publicity to other forms of negative information, such as rumors, fake news and negative word of mouth. Results also highlight the importance of adopting appropriate repair strategies to restore consumers’ trust in the event of negative publicity.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2022

Kenneth Fu Xian Ho, Fang Liu, Liudmila Tarabashkina and Thierry Volery

Extended from Hofstede’s cultural framework, this study investigated the differences between the Australian (representing the Western culture) and Chinese (representing the…

Abstract

Purpose

Extended from Hofstede’s cultural framework, this study investigated the differences between the Australian (representing the Western culture) and Chinese (representing the Eastern Culture) consumers in regard to their attention paid to product attribute cues presented on food labels and the degree of such attention controlling for an individual-level moderator of product involvement.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using face-to-face interviews with semi-structured questionnaires for both Australian and Chinese samples. The questionnaire data were analysed using factorial between-groups analysis of variance (ANOVA) to investigate the influence of culture and product involvement on the attention paid/degree of attention to product nature-related (e.g. brand name), product assurance-related (e.g. country-of-origin) and health-related attribute (e.g. nutritional panel) cues.

Findings

The findings revealed that Chinese consumers, as compared to Australian consumers, paid attention to more product-assurance cues (i.e. country of origin) and health-related cues (i.e. bioactivity indicators). The degrees of attention to these cues were also greater among Chinese consumers than for Australian consumers. Product involvement moderated the relationship between culture and attention towards product nature and product assurance-related cues.

Practical implications

Results from this study enable exporters to customize their labelling design by strategically including label information that is more salient to certain export markets.

Originality/value

This study offers a novel insight into the impact of culture on consumers’ attention to food product attributes and the interaction effects of product involvement on these relationships, hitherto underexplored.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 124 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2016

Sifeng Liu, Yingjie Yang, Naiming Xie and Jeffrey Forrest

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the progress in grey system research during 2000-2015, so as to present some important new concepts, models, methods and a new framework…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the progress in grey system research during 2000-2015, so as to present some important new concepts, models, methods and a new framework of grey system theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The new thinking, new models and new methods of grey system theory and their applications are presented in this paper. It includes algorithm rules of grey numbers based on the “kernel” and the degree of greyness of grey numbers, the concept of general grey numbers, the synthesis axiom of degree of greyness of grey numbers and their operations; the general form of buffer operators of grey sequence operators; the four basic models of grey model GM(1,1), such as even GM, original difference GM, even difference GM, discrete GM and the suitable sequence type of each basic model, and suitable range of most used grey forecasting models; the similarity degree of grey incidences, the closeness degree of grey incidences and the three-dimensional absolute degree of grey incidence of grey incidence analysis models; the grey cluster model based on center-point and end-point mixed triangular whitenization functions; the multi-attribute intelligent grey target decision model, the two stages decision model with grey synthetic measure of grey decision models; grey game models, grey input-output models of grey combined models; and the problems of robust stability for grey stochastic time-delay systems of neutral type, distributed-delay type and neutral distributed-delay type of grey control, etc. And the new framework of grey system theory is given as well.

Findings

The problems which remain for further studying are discussed at the end of each section. The reader could know the general picture of research and developing trend of grey system theory from this paper.

Practical implications

A lot of successful practical applications of the new models to solve various problems have been found in many different areas of natural science, social science and engineering, including spaceflight, civil aviation, information, metallurgy, machinery, petroleum, chemical industry, electrical power, electronics, light industries, energy resources, transportation, medicine, health, agriculture, forestry, geography, hydrology, seismology, meteorology, environment protection, architecture, behavioral science, management science, law, education, military science, etc. These practical applications have brought forward definite and noticeable social and economic benefits. It demonstrates a wide range of applicability of grey system theory, especially in the situation where the available information is incomplete and the collected data are inaccurate.

Originality/value

The reader is given a general picture of grey systems theory as a new model system and a new framework for studying problems where partial information is known; especially for uncertain systems with few data points and poor information. The problems remaining for further studying are identified at the end of each section.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 7000