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Consumers are regularly confronted with contagious disease cues in the surrounding environment. Based on the stimulus–organism–response paradigm, this study examines a silver lining of contagious disease salience (CDS) by developing a novel perspective concerning how CDS affects two forms of minimalistic consumption—reduction and refinement—that are effective approaches to improving environmental sustainability. Across three studies, we demonstrate that CDS increases minimalistic consumption. Importantly, two distinct underlying mechanisms that drive the proposed effect are identified. That is, desirability for control mediates the effect of CDS on consumption reduction (i.e., consuming less), whereas contamination concern mediates the effect of CDS on consumption refinement (i.e., consuming better). The findings not only offer novel insights into the existing research but also provide practitioners with tools to predict consumer preferences in the context of pandemic threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) The development and utilization of the vast saline–alkali land worldwide is an important way to solve the worsening food crisis. Eriocheir sinensis, due to its strong osmotic regulation capability and its characteristics of being suitable for culturing in alkaline water, has become a potential aquaculture species in saline–alkali water. The brain and heart are the key tissues for signal transduction and energy supply under environmental stress. (2) This study is the first to explore the synergistic regulatory molecular mechanism by integrated analysis on cerebral ganglion proteomics and heart metabolomics of Eriocheir sinensis under alkalinity stress. (3) The results indicate that the cerebral ganglion and heart of E. sinensis were closely related in response to acute alkalinity stress. The differential regulatory pathways mainly involved regulation of energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and homeostasis maintenance. Importantly, alkalinity stress induced the regulation of antioxidants and further adjusted longevity and rhythm in the cerebral ganglion and heart, reflecting that the cerebral ganglion and heart may be the key tissues for the survival of Eriocheir sinensis under an alkalinity environment. (4) This study provides a theoretical reference for research on the regulation mechanism of E. sinensis under alkalinity condition and contributes to the development of aquaculture in saline–alkali water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering Chinese consumers' long-term orientation (LTO) cultural core values, this work puts forward a model to understand Chinese consumers' impulsive shopping behavior. It conducts an online survey using a convenient national sample by exploring the regulatory effects of hedonic shopping value (HSV), utilitarian shopping value (USV), long-term orientation and self-control on impulsive shopping behavior. The questionnaire survey was distributed online to consumers. The researchers collected a sample of 237 participants between 25 and 44 years old. Cronbach's alphas of LTO, HSV, and USV are 0.89, 0.86, and 0.89, showing high reliability. Using a structural equation model, the data analysis tested the path coefficients between variables. Theoretically, this work provides an alternative model to explain the effects of HSV, USV, and self-control on impulsive online shopping behavior. In addition, the results show a nested model indicating the relationship between HSV and USV. Finally, according to the research prospect, the conclusion is drawn that the regulatory role of HSV is a predictor of Chinese LTO consumers' impulsive behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an editorial focuses on the transition of "Transportation Journal" to Wiley publishing, marking the end of its long history with Penn State Press and the beginning of a new era. Topics include the journal's historical significance, improvements expected under Wiley, and cautions regarding the impact of metrics on academic freedom and publishing standards.

Social commerce (SC) is an upcoming trend that has changed the online shopping experience by allowing e‐retailers to develop long‐term relationships with customers and increase sales. Empowered by Web 3.0, SC offers many‐to‐many interactions, enhancing the quality and quantity of social interaction related to the seller–customer, information searches, and product/service delivery. The customer experience (CEX) has been well developed both in the online and offline contexts. However, limited attention has been paid to examining CEX in the SC setting. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of the literature to develop a conceptual framework exploring both the antecedents and consequences of CEX in the SC setting. In the process, we make three significant contributions to academia and practice. First, the study contributes to our understanding of CEX in the context of SC. Second, it proposes a conceptual framework by identifying antecedents of CEX and potential consequences using the consumer culture theory. Finally, it highlights a subject relevant to academia and practice while proposing recommendations for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrotourism involves a variety of activities carried out during the night, requiring a deeper knowledge about the cognitive and emotional process that the tourist has and that leads to a memorable experience and loyalty. This study explores how (i) astrotourism stimuli are associated with cognitive states, designed by knowledge and involvement, (ii) cognitive states increase emotional states, represented by hedonism and refreshment, and (ii) emotional states generate responses, such as recommendation and loyalty. This study contributes to extending the S (stimulus) -O (organism) -R (response) framework by integrating cognitive appraisal theory and incorporating stimuli, cognitive and emotional states not used in the previous research. Recommendations for astrotourism destination managers are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thriving at work is a positive psychological state that captures employees' joint experience of learning and vitality. Building on the socially embedded model of thriving , we first propose the positive relationship between leader‐member exchange (LMX) and retail employees' thriving at work. We then explore store spatial crowding as a contextual constraint on this relationship. To better reveal this contextual impact, we further contend that team negative affective tone mediates the cross‐level moderating effect of store spatial crowding on the LMX–thriving linkage. Using two‐wave survey data collected from retail employees and their store managers across 89 stores of a grocery retail chain, we found empirical evidence on our multilevel‐mediated moderation model. This study highlights the importance of considering wider contextual features as boundary conditions to thriving. Our results suggest theoretical modifications to the existing thriving model and offer implications on the practical interventions that retailing organizations can take to develop a thriving workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) for the Kashmir region located in the northwestern Himalayas has been performed to quantitatively estimate the probability of exceedance of various ground-shaking levels. An updated earthquake catalog composed of 7826 events was prepared by combining historical events (from 1250 BC) and instrumental events (1900–2020). Kijko's maximum likelihood technique yielded seismicity parameter b-value 0.92–1.05 and mmax ~ 7.98 for the entire Kashmir region. A comparison of three seismicity delustering methods has been presented based on the resulting seismicity parameters. PSHA computations were conducted using RCRISIS software based on a logic tree approach to account for the model uncertainties in attenuation models and epistemic uncertainties due to declustering methods. Seismic hazard maps at bedrock for four return periods of 475, 950, 2475, and 4950 years were prepared using peak ground accelerations (PGA) as well as short- (0.2 s) and long-period (1 s) spectral accelerations (Sa). Sensitivity analysis of the computed hazard revealed the substantial effect of attenuation relationships as well as declustering methods on the outcomes. Furthermore, hazard curves and uniform hazard response spectra at each of the 1228 grid points were developed. The southwestern, northwestern, and northern regions of the valley including Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, and Budgam were found to have the highest hazard as opposed to the central regions like Ganderbal and parts of Baramula. Kashmir region was divided into five zones (ZA-ZE) of high to low seismicity with mean PGA values of 0.175, 0.258, 0.379, 0.456, and 0.514 g, respectively, for the 2475-year return period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Recent advances in supply chain research point to the vital but often overlooked role of financial institutions, such as banks and financial markets, in the execution of supply chain activities. We extend this incipient research stream by drawing on information economics and Penrose's resource‐based view of the firm to theorize about how financial markets act as a source of information and influence exchange activities in the agricultural commodity supply chain. We test our hypotheses in the U.S. agricultural commodities context, specifically the U.S. rice industry, using a novel data set that combines financial market data with proprietary data on exchanges between farmers and customers. Time series econometric analyses reveal that information from financial markets influences exchanges between farmers and customers, but it has asymmetric effects depending on exchange dynamics and local market conditions. Overall, our analyses support our hypotheses and advance supply chain research by building theory about market‐based exchange dynamics and by broadening the scope of mechanisms through which financial institutions impact exchange activities. For practice, we offer quantitative insights that can be leveraged by farmers and purchasing managers. For policymakers, we offer timely guidance related to the provision of information and the 'real' implications of financial markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how touchpoints moderate the antecedents of customer satisfaction with service encounters by comparing online and in-store encounters. Construal level theory was used within the Touchpoint, Context, Qualities (TCQ) Framework (De Keyser et al., 2020) to integrate a comprehensive model of how touchpoints—websites or stores—influence the magnitude of customer responses to qualities of service encounters. A hierarchical linear model (HLM) was estimated using survey data describing the service encounters of 2.4 million customers with a global retailer. Online customers weighed cognitive and behavioral qualities more heavily than in-store customers, whereas they weighed emotional and sensorial qualities less heavily. Moreover, random effects in the HLM model indicated that each country and store would have unique clientele effects for specific qualities. Since each firm has limited resources, this research offers guidance on key qualities in designing satisfying service encounters for each touchpoint and how qualities should be standardized and customized in global omnichannel environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focal firms are struggling to improve their environmental performance for several reasons, including a scarcity of internal and external environmental resources. This study suggests that coopetition provides a boost to a focal firm's environmental performance. In particular, this research theorizes that a coopetitor firm's environmental performance has a spillover effect on a focal firm's environmental performance. This study also investigates the moderating role of a focal firm's financial slack, financial leverage, and inventory leanness on this relationship. The empirical analysis indicates that coopetitor firms' environmental performance significantly influences a focal firm's environmental performance. This relationship is weaker for firms with higher financial slack, and stronger for firms that have lower financial leverage and higher leanness. Collectively, these findings provide important managerial and research implications regarding the consequences of coopetition on a focal firm's environmental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of destination atmospheric cues – as representations of destination characteristics – on tourists' intention to engage in word-of-mouth (WOM) communication is examined, adopting a well-established retailing theoretical underpinning; the Stimuli-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model. In doing so, this research incorporates both affective and cognitive states and processes as Organism. Evidence from 1025 tourists who visited Lisbon, Portugal and 1002 who visited Athens, Greece offers support to the S-O-R model and at the same time (a) exemplifies the explanatory power of Organism in the relationship between destination atmospheric cues and WOM communication intention, (b) recognizes the key role of negative affect for both destinations, as well as of the positive affect for Athens only, and (c) highlights the procedural nature of the cognitive state of Organism. This research corroborates the value of examining tourists' behaviour through the lens of S-O-R and how both affective and cognitive elements of Organism contribute to decision-making in a procedural manner. Managerial implications for tourism destination marketers are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past empirical studies leave open the question of whether perceived crowding has a positive or a negative effect on shopping outcomes (Eroglu, Machleit, & Barr, 2005; Hui & Bateson, 1991). Based on the premise that shopping is a social phenomenon involving hedonic as well as utilitarian motivation, this study hypothesizes an inverted U-shaped relationship between perceived crowding and consumers' store patronage intentions. Additionally, past research considers the mediating role of emotions in the relationship between perceived crowding and shopping outcomes. In this research, the authors argue that consumers' cognitive evaluations of the store and its merchandise also mediate the perceived crowding−patronage intention relationship. Survey results of actual shoppers (n = 201) in a hypermarket in India demonstrate that there exists an optimal level of crowding that maximises consumers' store patronage intentions. The effect of perceived crowding on patronage intention is mediated by the emotional dimension of pleasure and store evaluation. Further, the effect of perceived crowding on emotions and evaluations appears to be moderated by consumers' optimal stimulation level. In particular, the inverted U-shaped relationship of perceived crowding with pleasure and merchandise evaluation is increasingly manifested with increases in optimal stimulation level. The results also reveal that the effect of pleasure on patronage intention is stronger for individuals who score high on hedonic motivation than for individuals who score low on hedonic motivation. The article provides potential research and managerial implications of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The risk created by government policymaking can be daunting, but little is known about the extent to which this risk is disruptive to business in general and to supply chain operations in particular. Because government is a powerful and omnipresent entity, scholars and executives alike could benefit from greater understanding of how firms react to risk emanating from the policymaking process. To help address this gap, we use resource dependence theory to develop hypotheses concerning the accumulation of inventory by firms to buffer against their exposure to potential policy changes and how such a link might be moderated by macro‐level and industry‐level factors. Data from 19,634 firm‐year observations reveal that firms accumulate more inventory as a buffer against policy risk under conditions of high policy uncertainty and high industry dynamism. Overall, our findings support the predictions of resource dependence theory and refine understanding of supply chain responses to macro‐level uncertainty by demonstrating the contingent influence of government policy. In doing so, our study provides a foundation for future research to explore the intersections between government actions and supply chain activities and offers insights for managers and policymakers about how to factor government into their decision calculi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product proliferation and changes in demand require that retailers regularly determine how items should be allocated to retail shelves. The existing shelf‐space literature mainly deals with regular retail shelves onto which customers only have a frontal perspective. This study provides a modeling and solution approach for two‐dimensional shelves, e.g., for meat, bread, fish, cheese, or clothes. These are categories that are kept on tilted shelves. Customers have a total perspective on these shelves and can observe units of one particular item horizontally and vertically instead of just seeing the foremost unit of an item, as is the case of regular shelves. We develop a decision model that optimizes the two‐dimensional shelf‐space assignment of items to a restricted, tilted shelf. We contribute to current literature by integrating the assortment decision and accounting for stochastic demand, space elasticity and substitution effects in the setting of such self types. To solve the model, we implement a specialized heuristic that is based on a genetic algorithm (GA). By comparing it to an exact approach and other benchmarks, we prove its efficiency and demonstrate that results are near‐optimal with an average solution quality of above 99% in terms of profit. Based on a numerical study with data from one of Germany's largest retailers, we were able to show within the scope of a case study that our approach can lead to an increase in profits of up to 15%. We demonstrate with further simulated data that integration of stochastic demand, substitution, and space elasticity results in up to 80% higher profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a review of the literature we introduce a conceptualization of shopping-life balance, defined as a state of balanced satisfaction between shopping life and other life domains. The new construct involves two dimensions: engagement in shopping life and minimal conflict between social roles in shopping life and roles in other life domains. We argue that engagement in shopping life contributes to satisfaction in shopping life, which in turn contributes to subjective well-being through a bottom-up process. However, engagement in shopping life can lead to role conflict, which causes dissatisfaction in other life domains (e.g., family life, social life, financial life), and in turn detracts from subjective well-being through a bottom-up process. Role conflict may also detract from shopping engagement, thereby reducing satisfaction in shopping life. In the context of this unifying framework we explain much of the research conducted in relation to both shopping engagement and role conflict—predictors or antecedents of shopping engagement and role conflict, namely personal, situational, institutional, and cultural factors involved in shopping-life balance. Research and policy implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) provides new opportunities for businesses to gain competitive advantages by enabling them to innovatively engage customers. Based on presence theory, this study aims to test the influences of two major components of presence, social presence and spatial presence, on users' perceptions of hedonic value, utilitarian value and engagement in the VR environment. An experiment was conducted on two conditions of a VR application (low vs. high social presence) to test the hypotheses proposed in the research model. The results reveal that social presence and spatial presence can improve the hedonic value of VR. However, inconsistent with previous studies, our findings reveal a negative relationship between spatial presence and engagement. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are subsequently discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To generate additional sales, marketers frequently cross-promote various kinds of related and unrelated product and service offers to their customers. This paper examines how offers of additional products in a cross-promotion context elicit the emotion of irritation in consumers, and subsequently, how such irritation might negatively influence consumers' attitudes toward the advertiser and the advertised focal brand as well as their intentions to purchase the brand. In addition, this paper examines the moderating effects of the consumer's need to evaluate. We hypothesize that additional offers of unrelated products lead to higher levels of irritation and that this effect is greater for consumers with a high need to evaluate (HNE) than consumers with a low need to evaluate (LNE) . In addition, we hypothesize that the emotion of irritation mediates the effects of additional product offers and the need to evaluate on attitudes and intentions. Empirical results support the proposed hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on how store environment cues influence consumers' store choice decision criteria, such as perceived merchandise value and shopping experience costs, is sparse. Especially absent is research on the simultaneous impact of multiple store environment cues. The authors propose a comprehensive store choice model that includes (1) three types of store environment cues (social, design, and ambient) as exogenous constructs, (2) various store choice criteria (including shopping experience costs that heretofore have not been included in store choice models) as mediating constructs, and (3) store patronage intentions as the endogenous construct. They then empirically examine the extent to which environmental cues influence consumers' assessments of a store on various store choice criteria and how those assessments, in turn, influence patronage intentions. The results of two different studies provide support for the model. The authors conclude by discussing the results to develop an agenda for additional research and explore managerial implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality devices create a high integration of technologies with human senses. However, few studies analyze how embodied technologies affect customer pre-experiences with a destination. Results from a lab experiment show that compared to desktop PC and mobile phones, VR head-mounted displays generate more immersive experiences, higher sensory stimulation, more engagement, and higher behavioral intentions toward the destination. Immersion and sensory stimulation mediate the effects of technological embodiment on engagement and behavioral intentions. Furthermore, active (versus passive) tourism content strengthens these effects. Our results stress the role of technological embodiment to generate effective pre-experiences with potential tourists' destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retail inventories have been consistently dropping, relative to sales, since the 1990s. Whether these lean inventory developments translate to better retailer operational performance is still an open question. We empirically examine associations between inventory leanness and operational efficiency for a sample of public US retailers from 2000 to 2013. Via a stochastic frontier analysis that accounts for retailer heterogeneity and time parameters, we find support for the hypothesis that operational efficiency has an inverted U‐shape relationship with inventory leanness, suggesting an optimal inventory leanness level beyond which retailer operational efficiency degrades. This relationship, however, is heavily moderated by firm size and demand uncertainty. The former reflects a retailer's abilities to exploit economies of scale and scope, whereas the latter reflects the unpredictability in a firm's operating environment. Our evidence suggests that when increasing inventory leanness, small retailers exhibit efficiency degradation, whereas larger retailers are likely to exhibit efficiency improvement, with diminishing returns. We also find that under high demand uncertainty, being less lean is associated with higher operational efficiency, regardless of firm size. The findings show that depending on firm size and demand uncertainty, retail managers should take special care when pursuing inventory leanness. As part of post hoc robustness tests, we assess how different retail categories vary in their operational efficiency scores and conduct interviews with retail executives who further ground our econometric investigation and point to more nuanced moderators for future studies. We conclude by discussing the implications of our industry model estimation for managers and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial presents a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) directed to us, as editors of the journal. It speaks to an assessment of the methods review element of the manuscript review process and the evolution witnessed in research methods employed in the journal. We illustrate the current state of research in JBL in terms of the methods used in accepted manuscripts, encouraging authors to employ the method(s) that best fit the research problem at hand. The purpose in bringing forward these observations is to crystallize our expectations of submissions, ensuring a more promising path to publication for authors while elevating the validity of findings presented in our work. We also introduce the articles appearing in this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, one of the most fundamental changes in computer‐mediated environments has been the evolution in the type of input devices from mouse devices to touch interfaces. In this paper, the authors conduct three experiments to examine the underlying connections between input device types and online shoppers' decision‐making processes in relation to affect‐driven information processing. The results show that shoppers who use a touch interface (vs. mouse) to view products demonstrate a significantly higher engagement with their shopping experience in a low‐involvement setting. Touch interface users are likely to have greater purchase intentions, as compared to mouse users, and this effect is mediated by positive affect induced by higher engagement. Using a touch interface (vs. mouse) also increases the likelihood that consumers will choose a hedonic over a utilitarian option and make an immediate purchase decision. These findings indicate that using a touch interface increases consumers' reliance on affect‐driven information processing and has a positive impact on purchase decision processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lean management (LM) has attracted the interest of scientists and practitioners since 1990, when Womack et al. (Womack, J.P., Jones, D.T. and Roos, D. (1990). The Machine that Changed the World. New York, NY: Rawson Associates) popularized the Japanese manufacturing approach aimed at eliminating waste to improve operational performance and customer satisfaction. Over the years, the lean concept has evolved becoming a managerial paradigm applicable to different sectors and processes with impressive results. This heterogeneity of implementations and settings makes the recent LM literature diverse and fragmented, and an extensive analysis of the latest contributions on this field is lacking. To address this gap, the authors propose a systematic literature review (SLR) of 240 articles published in 25 peer‐reviewed academic journals from January 2003 to December 2015. The purpose is to analyse the recent trends in this area and to provide a framework that organizes lean researched issues into mature, intermediate and nascent, based on their position in the research life cycle. Starting from the gaps that the SLR highlights, the authors suggest conducting lean research in the following directions: (a) grounding lean studies on existing managerial theories; (b) addressing service settings such as banking/finance, public sector and education; (c) exploring the role of national culture through cross‐country comparisons; (d) defining and conceptualizing ‘lean‐x’ processes; (e) understanding the relationships between lean and safety/environmental issues, and (f) unveiling the effects on social outcomes. Finally, the proposed framework helps scholars find issues not sufficiently explored that require theory‐building research (to move from nascent to intermediate) or theory‐testing research (to move from intermediate to mature). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marketers commonly adopt a theme to unify their design of an environment in which their products are displayed. A thematic display environment can be congruent with or unrelated to the concept of a product on display. The elaboration likelihood model and the knowledge activation literature suggest that conceptual congruence between the thematic display context and the product could affect product evaluation by a cue-based mechanism and an elaboration-based mechanism. First, the positive feeling associated with conceptual congruence serves as a peripheral cue, making product evaluation favorable. Second, the congruence provokes thoughts about the product's attributes, and these attribute-related thoughts affect product evaluation. Whether the evaluation is dominated by the affective cue or attribute thoughts depends on the consumer's shopping motivation (planned purchase vs. browsing), because the motivation affects the consumer's elaboration likelihood. The results of three experiments support these propositions. The results indicated that under planned purchase motivation, the congruence effect on purchase intention through attribute-related thoughts was observed. In contrast, under browsing, the congruence effect on purchase intention was dominated by a direct positive effect that reflected the influence of the affective cue. Implications of the findings for visual merchandising are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wine sales continue to climb in both offline and online settings in the U.S. market. With online sales having a great impact on offline sales, it is important to look at all sales modes in understanding how to better market to consumers across spectrums. What this study aims to do is to utilize a stimulus–organism–response model to better understand wine sales, when it comes to online impulse buying. This study is anticipated to add knowledge to the understanding of impulse buying of wine and is a first step at gaining a better understanding of impulse buying of wine in online settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sets out to explore the role of gender as a moderator of the relationship between web atmospheric cues and virtual visitor's attitudes. In a laboratory experiment, the web atmospherics of a museum website – conceived as high and low task relevant cues – are manipulated so as to assess their impact on attitude toward the website and attitude toward the brand. The findings indicate that low task relevant cues are associated not only with higher attitude toward the website but with more positive evaluations of the brand as well. Gender has a moderating effect on both relationships of interest: In the absence of low task relevant cues, males develop less favorable attitudes toward the site and the brand, while females' attitude remains consistent across both experimental conditions. The findings are interpreted from a Selectivity Hypothesis viewpoint, which attributes gender differences in cognitive evaluations, to differences in information processing style. The study underscores the value of web atmospherics for service branding, elucidating the benefits for webpage design. It also supports the relevance of the Selectivity Model in the Internet context and highlights its significance in the sphere of online attitude development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Originally adopted by the automotive manufacturers, lean management practices have since been applied to many other manufacturing industries. This study reviews the different theoretical perspectives on the leanness-performance relationship in the context of the motor carriage industry. Drawing on both the lean management in logistics and organizational slack literatures, we develop hypotheses addressing the link between asset leanness and financial performance. These hypotheses are empirically tested using a comprehensive panel data set of 1,172 firm-quarter observations from the U.S. publicly traded truckload motor carriers. Initially expecting an inverted U-shaped relationship between asset leanness and performance, findings indicated a U-shaped relationship, both for carriers' total assets and the subset of trailer assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effect of website stimuli on positive attitude and intentions to visit and recommend, through three emotional responses (pleasure, arousal and dominance). The model was tested regarding three island-related websites. Findings show the role of emotions as mediators between website quality attitude and intentions. Arousal and dominance are revealed to be more important in the formation of a positive attitude than pleasure. Visual appeal and ease of use, followed by information, seem to be the most important components in forming a perception of the islands' website quality. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual appeal is an important consideration in the design of interior service environments because attractiveness influences consumer behavior. Employing both an experiment and a field study, we show that visual complexity reduces a service environment’s attractiveness. Furthermore, we find that the complexity-attractiveness relationship is mediated by processing fluency and its instantaneous affective companion, pleasure. Our findings provide novel insights into the underlying process mechanism involved in channeling the effect of visual complexity on attractiveness. Furthermore, both studies confirm that customers’ field dependence moderates the complexity-fluency relationship and that shopping motivation (i.e., hedonic vs. utilitarian shopping goals) moderates the fluency-pleasure relationship. Our findings suggest that it is generally better to reduce the complexity of interior service environments. To achieve this, service firms should reduce the number of objects in the environment, enhance the visual organization and symmetry of their arrangement, and use fewer colors, textures, and materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effect of virtual atmospheric cues on emotions and word-of-mouth and also analyzes the differences between the perceptions of male and female participants relative to the online environment. Questionnaires were given to students in higher education and senior university students. The main findings suggest that pleasure is the most effective emotion to lead to a positive word-of-mouth for both genders. Women are more willing to say positive words to others than men. Women are also more influenced by the delight and pleasure, whereas men are influenced only by pleasure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the Stimuli-Organism-Response framework to examine how consumers’ reasons for shopping and website stimuli affect their attitudes toward online shopping, their ability to regulate their emotional purchases, and their repurchase intentions. Results from a survey of 416 qualified respondents were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results of the survey showed that (1) the hedonic shopping value has a positive effect on consumers’ attitudes toward online shopping and emotional purchases, (2) the utilitarian shopping value has a significant effect on consumers’ attitudes toward online shopping, (3) environmental stimuli positively influence consumers’ attitudes toward online shopping and emotional purchases, and (4) consumers’ attitudes toward online shopping positively affect their repurchase intention. However, there are no significant relationships between the utilitarian shopping value and emotional purchases or between emotional purchases and repurchase intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to propose and to test a model that illustrates the impact of technology anxiety on the intention to use a self-service technology (SST) in public. The study includes two context variables that are relevant in public settings: perceived crowding and perceived time pressure. Design/methodology/approach -- A cross-sectional survey was conducted to reflect individual perceptions and intentions when initially using a self-checkout. The proposed relationships and interaction effects were examined using structural equation modeling. Findings -- The analysis confirms the core relationships of the model (technology self-efficacy→technology anxiety→perceived ease of use→ intention to use) and yields three important results. First, technology anxiety has a direct negative effect on intention to use, which is greater than the indirect effect through the reduction of ease of use. Second, perceived crowding reinforces the negative effect of technology anxiety. Third, when perceived crowding coincides with perceived time pressure, technology anxiety almost completely inhibits the intention to use the SST in public. Research limitations/implications -- Technology anxiety is examined as the only antecedent of perceived ease of use. Practical implications -- Initial encounters to public self-service technologies should be provided in servicescapes that avoid or at least reduce perceptions of crowding and time pressure. Originality/value -- The approach highlights the impact of technology anxiety on the acceptance of self-service technologies used in public by considering two context variables that are salient in public settings: perceived crowding and perceived time pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Referral management for online retailers is a strategically important activity, as referrals offer a highly cost-effective method of customer acquisition. In fact, online customers mention referrals as the second-most common reason for choosing to shop at a particular retailer, second only to search engine suggestions. However, while online retailers are able to improve their visibility on search engines through focused keyword insertions, they are often unable to pinpoint the drivers of referral behavior among their customers. The current research examines the relationship between two key dimensions of online retailing: order fulfillment cycle times and referral behavior. Employing a theory of customer appraisal and empirically testing the ensuing model using structural equation modeling, we find that excellent order fulfillment is instrumental in generating referrals for the online retailer, even after factoring in product quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While a few researchers have started to chip away at the notion that retail density is always negative, extant studies do not empirically address the question of why some shoppers respond negatively to a specific level of density while others respond positively. We examine this issue by drawing upon field theory (Lewin ) to shed light on how shoppers vary in terms of deeper motives (McClelland ) to seek control or intimacy with others in retail mall settings, and whether these motives influence shopping orientations. Shopping orientation is then hypothesized to affect perceptions of crowding, and, in turn, subsequent affective responses to the mall shopping experience. Moreover, we examine whether individual differences (gender and age) can help retailers segment those with different shopping orientations and the motives that influence these orientations. We found that task and social shopping orientations were influenced by deeper motives for control and intimacy. The causal relationships between shopping motive, shopping orientation, and consumers' affective responses of stress and excitement were also discovered. Finally, we address theoretical and managerial implications of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the comparative effects of physical and social atmospherics in a hedonic service context. This article focuses on other customers as the social factors in the service environment and distinguishes three dimensions: density, appearance, and behaviour. The main purpose of this article is to highlight the relevance of other customers as the atmospheric factors of the servicescape. The findings of our empirical study suggest that in addition to the perceived physical properties, favourable perceptions of other customers – particularly, their behavioural patterns – exert a strong positive influence on favourable overall affective responses. These responses, in turn, have a positive impact on customers' on-site spending and positive word-of-mouth behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the context of an online apparel setting, this study examined the effects of amount of information and music on consumers’ affective states (i.e. pleasure and arousal) and cognitive states (i.e. perceived risk and attitude toward the site), which in turn may affect consumer shopping response (purchase intent). The moderating role of situational involvement with online shopping on the relationship between music/amount of information and affective/cognitive stateswas further examined. Results revealed significant effects for amount of information and music in relation to consumer situational involvement with online shopping. In addition, results revealed a significant effect for pleasure on perceived risk and attitude toward the site which in turn affected purchase intent. The findings of this study provide valuable managerial insights to online retailers by indicating the importance of the amount of information available on an apparel website. Additionally, this study is a springboard in determining the significant effect of music on affect and shopping responses on online shopping websites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research explores the role of Web site characteristics, such as animation and iconic navigation aids, in predicting consumers' self-reported intentions to revisit a retailer's Web site. An experimental study ( n = 339) shows that Web site characteristics do not affect revisit intentions directly but through the vividness of mental images that consumers hold of the Web site as a whole. Vivid mental Web site imagery is stimulated by animation and facilitated by individual tendencies to put faith in intuitive rather than rational thinking, while it does not relate to the use of icons in navigation. The implications of these findings for researchers, Web designers and marketers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attracting shoppers to stores and converting the incoming traffic into sales profitably are vital for the financial health of retailers. In this paper, we use proprietary data pertaining to an apparel retailer to study the relationship between store traffic, labor, and sales performance. We decompose sales volume into conversion rate (defined as the ratio of number of transactions to traffic) and basket value (defined as the ratio of sales volume to number of transactions) and analyze the impact of traffic on sales and its components. We find that store sales volume exhibits diminishing returns to scale with respect to traffic, and labor moderates the impact of traffic on sales. For example, we find that for values of traffic and labor corresponding to the mean, increasing average traffic per hour by one unit increases average sales volume per hour by $9.97. Further, we find that the marginal returns to traffic increases from $10.00 to $11.32 when labor increases by one standard deviation. In addition, we find that the conversion rate declines with increasing traffic and a lower conversion rate is associated with a decrease in future traffic growth. Our study underscores the importance of in-store operations in driving the financial performance of retailers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve differential performance in today's marketplace, supply chain decision makers must manage complex, multifaceted, and nuanced issues. To help decision makers, and advance the supply chain discipline, researchers need to consider how multidisciplinary and/or multimethod research can provide greater insight into today's and tomorrow's challenges and opportunities. We explore questions related to the supply chain-finance interface and global supply chain management to exemplify how multidisciplinary and multimethod research can increase the insight and influence of our research contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to develop a model of satisfaction in a retail shopping context, integrating the stimuli (S)-organism (O)-response (R) paradigm and satisfaction model. The study proposed two alternative models of satisfaction, which suggest that (1) satisfaction is created by emotional reaction to the mall and disconfirmation of the expectation separately (affect independent model) or (2) satisfaction comes from the emotions generated by disconfirmation of the expectation of the mall (affect-mediating model). The results support the affect independent model. Two retail attribute factors - Ambient and Variety - have direct influences on both affective and cognitive responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between five virtual experiential marketing (VEM) elements (sense, interaction, pleasure, flow, community relationship) and customer browse and purchase intentions and loyalty and the moderating effects between the VEM elements and customer intentions. To test the proposed model, a survey was conducted of customers who frequently visited two online games stores to simulate online shopping and experiential marketing. The results suggest that a business engaged in VEM should focus its web atmospherics on leveraging three of the VEM elements and facilitating the price and convenience motives of consumers to create an emotional attachment to browsing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While human crowding has been considered a driver of negative emotions, leading to unpleasant shopping experiences, other studies have found that it does not necessarily result in negative emotions but creates excitement in certain shopping contexts. To fill the research gap, this study investigates whether perceived competition mediates the relationships among human crowding, emotions, and hedonic shopping value. The authors tested the model with actual shoppers from fast fashion retailers in the United States. Results showed that when perceived human crowding is mediated through perceived shopping competition, it creates positive emotions and induces hedonic shopping value. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose - The aims of this paper are to establish: a typical women's apparel store environment as a realistic base for measuring the effects of changes; effective environmental stimuli levels; and the effect of repeated exposure on affect. Design/methodology/approach - A schema of typical stimuli is developed through literature, observing 212 stores, and surveying 39 women's fashion retail GMs. An experiment (n=489) establishes the set of stimuli and effective levels for creating affect for a women's fashion store. Shoppers (n=62) were repeatedly exposed to combinations of the two sets (industry standard and "ideal") to examine whether decay in affect occurs, and whether changes can mitigate this. Findings - Interactions between sensory stimuli have a significant effect on fashion shoppers' affect for a store. Fashion retailers are less differentiated in their use of sensory stimuli than they could be to achieve the responses they expect. Stagnation from repeated exposure can diminish affect for the store whereas small changes in stimuli levels can revitalise and increase affect. Research limitations/implications - A model of sensory stimuli-based relationships with shopper affect should incorporate interactions. Empirically, different stimuli can easily be added or substituted within a dimension to test its effect within a factorial design. A model of fashion store atmosphere is likely to require a mediating influence of repeated exposure. Practical implications - It is worthwhile getting the "correct" package of stimuli for a fashion store's atmosphere. This does not necessarily require wholesale changes; rather small changes in stimuli level can enhance a store. Originality/value - The paper presents the only study to use a holistic approach to store atmosphere and base effectiveness measures against the fashion industry norm, and consider the effect of repeated exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial, temporal, and social dimensions of wildfire risk are challenging U.S. federal land management agencies to meet societal needs while maintaining the health of the lands they manage. In this paper we present a quantitative, geospatial wildfire risk assessment tool, developed in response to demands for improved risk-based decision frameworks. The methodology leverages off recent and significant advancements in wildfire simulation models and geospatial data acquisition and management. The tool is intended to facilitate monitoring trends in wildfire risk over time and to develop information useful in prioritizing fuels treatments and mitigation measures. Wildfire risk assessment requires analyzing the likelihood of wildfire by intensity level, and the magnitude of potential beneficial and negative effects to valued resources from fire at different intensity levels. This effort is designed to support strategic planning by systematically portraying how fire likelihood and intensity influence risk to social, economic, and ecological values at the national scale. We present results for the continental United States, analyze high risk areas by geographic region, and examine how risk evaluations changes under different assumptions with sensitivity analysis. We conclude by discussing further potential uses of the tool and research needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical paper explores the antecedents and consequences of trust in the online retail context and examines the moderating role of consumers' familiarity with a Web site in the relationship between Web site quality and trust. Data were collected with an online questionnaire. The research highlights the importance of the Web site interface in consumer online behavior by systematically examining how different quality features affect consumer trust. A multidimensional view of Web site quality with the following dimensions is developed: Web site usability, security and privacy assurance, and product information quality. Trust is shown to lead to positive consequences, such as the formation of positive attitudes and behavioral intentions toward the Web site. The study also identifies the moderating role of Web site familiarity in the relationships between aspects of Web site quality and trust. The implications for e-retailers in terms of Web site design and marketing communications strategy are explored. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• While research on international joint ventures (IJVs) has intensified over the last few decades, numerous reviewers have criticized the field for lack of accumulation. We use meta-analytic techniques to quantitatively synthesize and evaluate agency theory and the behavioral perspective in their ability to explain IJV performance variance. Overall, we find support for these theories but moderator analyses unveil important effects of artifactual variables, and point to a unique character of IJVs in China. • Based on meta-analyses of 165 effect sizes from 61 independent samples and a total of 26,927 IJVs, the results offer overall support for a hypothesized path model grounded in agency theory and the behavioral perspective. However, only 19 percent of the variance in IJV performance is accounted for, indicating a need to explore other underexplored variables. We do not find evidence that hierarchical control is associated with partner conflict. Closer examination shows that for IJVs in China such control lowers partner conflict, while for IJVs in other countries it amplifies partner conflict. The effects of partner conflict on IJV performance are less harmful for Chinese joint ventures than for joint ventures in other countries. Furthermore, while objective measures of cultural distance show a weak positive effect on IJV performance, subjective measures show a negative effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the methodology and results of an attempt to assess influences on the emotional states of hotel guests. When consuming tourism products, tourists do not only expect professional services but also desire satisfying experiences. According to Pine and Gilmore (1998), goods and services must be ‘experientialized’ because customers seek for rewarding, memorable and pleasurable consumption experiences. Quality management research suggests that traditional service quality measures are insufficient in evaluating the satisfaction of the ‘new’ tourists with consumed services. In order to measure customer satisfaction, it is important to take into account factors concerning the psychological environment such as subjective personal reactions or feelings experienced by consumers. Thus, experience quality should be the starting point for developing models to assess emotions in tourism industry. After reviewing the latest literature in the field of service and experience measurement in leisure and tourism, the paper presents an experience model highlighting causalities measuring flow experience during the consumption of activities. The results show that the hotel setting has strong influence on the emotional state of the guests and that the staging of the service environment as well as the service process constitutes a crucial part of the hotel strategy. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]