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Organic food consumption is a complex process that makes it difficult for organic food businesses to develop appropriate marketing strategies. This study thus adopted the stimuli–organism–response (S–O–R) model to create a comprehensive framework to understand consumers' organic food purchase decisions.

This study collected 592 valid samples in organic food chain stores and markets by random sampling method. Meanwhile, structural equation modelling was adopted to test hypotheses.

The research findings indicate that consumer preference for natural food was the most important factor for enhancing purchase intention, followed by health consciousness, health risk, attitude towards organic food and trust in labelling. Perceptions of nutritional value positively influenced attitudes towards organic food and trust in labelling, followed by perceptions of environmental effects; conversely, attitudes towards organic food labelling had the least effect on increasing trust in labelling. Attitudes towards organic food labelling was the most important factor influencing positive attitudes towards organic food, followed by consumer perception of environmental protection effects.

This study demonstrates the relative influence of different variables on organic food purchase intention. Compared with consumer attitude towards organic food and trust in labelling, consumers' individual health was the most important factor influencing their purchase intention. As health and naturalness are attractive factors for consumers, the organic food industry can emphasize health protection in their marketing strategies.

This paper investigates how individuals' decision-making approach and perceptions of a game's cognitive realism affect the performance of virtual businesses in a web-based simulation game.

Survey data are collected from 274 business simulation game users and is analysed using the fsQCA technique.

The study identifies three alternative pathways to high and low performance in a business simulation game. Results indicate that a flexible decision-making approach exists in all high performance pathway solutions. Where a game is perceived to be realistic, a more focused decision-making approach is associated with high performance. However, where perceived cognitive realism is absent, a less focused experimental decision-making approach is employed, which increases the chances to achieve low performance. Finally, perceived cognitive realism and an experimental decision-making approach are found to be mutually exclusive for achieving high performance.

Whilst the learning benefits of web-based simulation games are widely acknowledged, the complex interplay amongst factors affecting performance in games is under-researched. Limited research exists on how perceptions of a game's cognitive realism interact with user decision-making approaches to affect performance.

While there is a plethora of literature examining the antecedents affecting technology adoption decision, there have been limited investigations into the various stages of technologies adoption by hoteliers. This paper aims to examine two established theoretical paradigms jointly, facilitating an understanding of not only the antecedents affecting technology adoption but also the hoteliers' intensity of technology adoption.

The development of Davis's Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) will be explored, from its adaptation of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Following which, Roger's Diffusion of Innovation will be discussed and whether the concepts should jointly be explored so as to provide a more comprehensive elucidation of hoteliers' internet technologies adoption decisions.

The literature has corroborated that the TAM is effective in evaluating the concept of the user's perception of technology use by including the construct of internet applications' usefulness regardless of innovation intensity. Owing to the perpetual proliferation of internet technologies, the investigation of hoteliers' propensity to adopt internet technologies could be enhanced with the inclusion of the various levels of internet applications that are adopted. Rogers' diffusion of innovation paradigm helps to address this problem.

The concepts discussed here could help practitioners to become more aware of the factors that drive their internet technologies adoption. Academics could advance the paper's discussion of internet technologies adoption to other sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry.

The paper provides insight into the use of broader theories in understanding tourism and hospitality management phenomena. It is expected that academics would develop the discussed concepts further in order to create a wider awareness of how the industry responds to internet technologies at various stages.

The paper seeks to clarify the aesthetic and operational characteristics of UK boutique hotels so as to obtain a clearer definition of boutique hotels.

Since an official list of boutique hotels is not available, the study looked at 15 consortia recognised as operating bona fide boutique hotels by a few authoritative sources (e.g. Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the RAC). Web sites of each boutique hotel were scrutinised by content analysing vital operational characteristics and aesthetic features that were presented. A comparative analysis was then carried out with the findings and interviews obtained from four boutique hotel managers to establish the common characteristics of boutique hotels.

The paper describes the aesthetics and operational characteristics of UK boutique hotels, indicating what can be found in a boutique hotel. One of the many important findings of this study suggests that the majority of boutique hotels are not privately owned, contradicting previous studies.

The list of characteristics is not exhaustive, although the interest in UK boutique hotels is rather recent. The research method used in this study has not been used before, and it is therefore recommended that research on consumer perceptions of boutique hotels should help to augment and balance the findings of this study.

A meaningful and functional definition of boutique hotels will enable trade bodies and relevant associations to revise their grading systems, better serving the hotel industry, as well as business and leisure travellers.

This paper aims to give credibility to the sector so that not any hotel can claim to be boutique, as specific characteristics have to be fulfilled.

This paper presents a new indirect scaffold fabrication method for soft tissue based on rapid prototyping (RP) technique and preliminary characterization for collagen scaffolds.

This paper introduces the processing steps for indirect scaffold fabrication based on the inkjet printing technology. The scaffold morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The designs of the scaffolds are presented and discussed.

Theoretical studies on the inkjet printing process are presented. Previous research showed that the availability of biomaterial that can be processed on a commercial RP system is very limited. This is due mainly to the unfavorable machine processing parameters such as high working temperature and restrictions on the form of raw material input. The process described in this paper overcomes these problems while retaining the strength of RP techniques. Technical challenges of the process are presented as well.

Harnessing the ability of RP techniques to control the internal morphology of the scaffold, it is possible to couple the design of the scaffold with controlled cell‐culture condition to modulate the behavior of the cells. However, this is just initial work, further development will be needed.

This method enables the designer to manipulate the scaffold at three different length scales, namely the macroscopic scale, intermediate scale and the cellular scale.

The work presented in this paper focuses on important processing steps for indirect scaffold fabrication using thermal‐sensitive natural biomaterial. A mathematical model is proposed to estimate the height of a printed line.

Keberkesanan penyampaian sesuatu maklumat memerlukan individu, alat mahupun saluran yang unggul dan bersesuaian. Usaha ini haruslah dirancang dan dipertimbangkan dengan teliti oleh pihak tertentu agar setiap apa yang ingin disampaikan dan dilaksanakan itu dapat diberigakan dengan mudah dan berkesan. Dari itu, penggunaan bahasa retorik dilihat sebagai batu loncatan yang memberikan keyakinan dan tahap keberkesanan yang tinggi bagi sesebuah wacana yang disampaikan tersebut. Kewibawaan retorik sebagai seni yang mempengaruhi bukan sahaja berperanan untuk memperkukuhkan kekuasaan mahupun mempengaruhi fikiran dan emosi orang lain namun sebaliknya mampu menstimulasikan keseimbangan hubungan sosial yang terbentuk melalui sistem pemerintahan sesebuah negara. Melalui penyelidikan ini, setiap ciri khas retorik dapat diketengahkan dengan menghuraikan peranan dan fungsi-fungsi yang dimainkan oleh jenis-jenis retorik dalam penulisan sesebuah wacana. Hal ini khusus bagi mengilustrasikan idea, gagasan mahupun suatu fakta terhadap sesuatu pendekatan dengan cara yang kreatif dan terbaik. Di samping itu, keutamaan bagi penerapan bahasa retorik dalam perutusan kerajaan seharusnya dapat diperkasakan sewajarnya dengan menjadikannya sebagai anjakan paradigma ke arah perpaduan dan nilai kesaksamaan dalam masyarakat. Justeru, kajian ini memanfaatkan Teori Retorik Moden oleh Enos dan Brown (1993) sebagai landasan utama dalam menganalisis sejumlah 20 perutusan rasmi berkaitan jangkitan covid-19 di Negara Brunei Darussalam. Berdasarkan pemerhatian dan penganalisisan yang dijalankan, hanya empat jenis retorik yang diaplikasikan dalam wacana tersebut. Kesimpulan statistik merangkumi 34% teknik pendedahan, 30% teknik penerangan, 33% teknik pemujukan dan hanya 3% bagi teknik penghujahan. Dapatan penyelidikan ini membuktikan bahawa penggunaan bahasa retorik dalam perutusan rasmi kerajaan adalah amat penting dalam memperkukuhkan sistem pemerintahan negara serta mampu melestarikan cara hidup yang relevan dan berkualiti.

The effectiveness of delivering information requiresindividuals, tools or channels that are superior and appropriate. This effort must be planned and considered carefully so that everything that is to be conveyed and implemented can be conveyed easily and effectively. Therefore, the use of rhetorical language is regarded as a stepping stone that provides confidence and a higher level of effectiveness. `Rhetoric as an influential art not only plays a role in strengthening power or influencing the thoughts and emotions of others but also stimulate sthe balance of social relations. Through this research, each rhetorical feature is highlighted to discuss its role and functions in the discourse. Using Enos and Brown’s Modern Rhetorical Theory (1993), a total of 20 official conferences on the latest developments of the spread of covid-19 infection were discussed. Findings have shown that there were four main types of rhetoric, i.e. Statistical conclusions which include 34% of expository techniques, 30% of descriptive, 33% of persuasion and only 3% for argumentation techniques. This also implies that rhetoric language is very important in ensuring the dissemination of knowledge among the institution and people is effective and and transparent.

Islamic banking contributes significantly to the total assets of Malaysian banking sector. Yet, many argue that Islamic banking in Malaysia does not receive satisfactory support and participation from the public mainly due to poor awareness of its products and services and misconception about the Islamic banking system. It is timely to study consumers’ awareness of Islamic banking in the hopes of providing useful strategies for and assistance with marketing plans. This study is to explore consumer awareness towards Islamic banking products and services across a diverse set of demographic variables.

A quantitative approach was used in this study. A total of 1,000 questionnaires were distributed via convenience and snowballing sampling method to bank customers in a public university in Malaysia, and 817 responses from the survey were used for the analysis. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics were employed to answer objectives of this study.

The findings of this study are anticipated to provide a holistic and comprehensive marketing insight to improve and strengthen Islamic banking in Malaysia.

This study examines the role of demographics such age, gender, race/religion, education level, occupation and income level in trying to understand the issues of Islamic banks’ product awareness. It is well accepted that the consumer’s attitude or behaviour should be studied among others through understanding customers’ demographics.

This paper reports the mail survey results of the marketing practices of 158 Chinese small firms in Hong Kong. The findings suggest that broad small firm marketing principles, though specifically generated from the Western countries, may not be fully suitable for some specific socio‐cultural contexts, for example Chinese society in Hong Kong. Thus, care should be taken before making generalizations about marketing in Western situations and in assuming that marketing tools and techniques are equally applicable across all places. Socio‐cultural influences should be considered when attempting to understand marketing practices of Chinese small firms.

Previous research by Siu and Kirby has argued that the broad Western marketing principles are not necessarily fully applicable to, and suitable for, the Chinese socio‐cultural context. To examine this assertion, provides a comprehensive examination of the marketing practices of 18 Chinese small firms in the UK. In so doing, compares the findings with a similar study of 158 Chinese small firms in Hong Kong. The results suggest that the marketing practices of Chinese small firms in the UK are different from their counterparts in Hong Kong. The findings thus lend support to the notion that socio‐cultural values and macro‐economic structure are equally important in determining a firm’s marketing behaviour. Thus, care should be taken before assuming that marketing, as practised in Western situations, is equally applicable across all contexts.