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This study evaluates the impact of sales promotions that are featured in store flyers distributed by prominent retailers and their capacity to attract consumers to their establishments. A distinctive conceptual framework is introduced that scrutinizes the influence of ethically-minded consumer behavior, digital citizenship/literacy, and a retailer's orientation toward environmental sustainability and explicit ecological concerns. A quasi-experimental design was used to formulate four distinct scenarios from a possible set of eight, stemming from the combinations of three variables: 2 Retailer Positioning (green vs. without explicit ecological claims) × 2 Flyer Mediums (paper vs. digital) × 2 Discount Levels (5% discount vs. 30% discount). Through an online survey, a sample of 269 responses was garnered to gauge consumer reactions to these store flyers, evaluating their attitudes and receptiveness. The findings suggest that attitudes toward paper flyers were more favorable when presented by non-green retailers compared to their green counterparts. This can be attributed to a perceived inconsistency between a green brand positioning and the use of paper flyers. Furthermore, the propensity to transition to digital flyers was notably stronger for green retailers compared to non-green retailers, but this inclination was most pronounced when higher discounts were offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had increased population-level anxiety and had elicited panic buying behaviour across the world. The over-hoarding of toilet paper has received a lot of negative public attention. In this work, we used Twitter data to qualitatively analyse tweets related to panic buying of toilet paper during the crisis. Methods : A total of 255,171 tweets were collected. Of these 4081 met our inclusion criteria and 100 tweets were randomly selected to develop a coding scheme in the initial phase. Random samples of tweets in folds of 100 were then qualitatively analysed in the focused coding phase until saturation was met at 500 tweets analysed. Results : Five key themes emerged: (1) humour or sarcasm, (2) marketing or profiteering, (3) opinion and emotions, (4) personal experience, and (5) support or information. About half of the tweets carried negative sentiments, expressing anger or frustration towards the deficiency of toilet paper and the frantic situation of toilet paper hoarding, which were among the most influential tweets. Discussion : Panic buying of toilet paper was seen during the 2020 pandemic period with a mass amount of related content spread across social media. The spontaneous contagion of fear and panic through social media could fuel psychological reactions in midst of crises. The high level of negative social media posts regarding the toilet paper crisis acts as an emotional trigger of public anxiety and panic. Conclusions : Social media data can provide rapid infodemiology of public mental health. In a pandemic or crisis situation, real-time data could be monitored and content-analysed for authorities to promptly address public concerns.

Ecolabeled paper towels are manufactured using post-consumer recycled material and sold in markets using a recycle logo. Environmentally conscious consumers purchase these paper towels and thereby contribute to improving environmental quality. In this paper, we estimate the implicit value placed by consumers on ecolabeled paper towels using a hedonic price function and conduct an expenditure analysis using Heckman's selection model. Using the data set from the Internet-based grocery stores called as Peapod we find that some consumers recognize ecolabels on paper towels and place a substantial, positive price premium on them. The expenditure analysis indicates that for the preferred functional form, the demand for ecolabeled paper towels is inelastic for environmentally conscious consumers. The simulated results from the selection model indicate that a small subsidy for ecolabeled paper towels will not substantially change consumers' purchase decisions.

This study examined whether survey response rate differed based on the color of the paper the survey was printed on (blue vs green) and presence of a monetary incentive. A 4-page survey on eating disorders was mailed to Division 1A and 1AA college head athletic trainers (N=223) with half of the surveys on blue paper and half on green paper. Half of the athletic trainers (n = 111) received a $1.00 monetary incentive, and half (n = 112) received no monetary incentive. A total of 166 (71%) athletic trainers returned completed surveys. Response rates did not differ based on survey color but did differ based on presence of a monetary incentive. Athletic trainers who received a monetary incentive were significantly more likely than those who did not to return completed surveys (86% vs 63%, respectively).

The financial motivation to earn advertising revenue has been widely conjectured to be pivotal for the production of online misinformation 1-4 . Research aimed at mitigating misinformation has so far focused on interventions at the user level 5-8 , with little emphasis on how the supply of misinformation can itself be countered. Here we show how online misinformation is largely financed by advertising, examine how financing misinformation affects the companies involved, and outline interventions for reducing the financing of misinformation. First, we find that advertising on websites that publish misinformation is pervasive for companies across several industries and is amplified by digital advertising platforms that algorithmically distribute advertising across the web. Using an information-provision experiment 9 , we find that companies that advertise on websites that publish misinformation can face substantial backlash from their consumers. To examine why misinformation continues to be monetized despite the potential backlash for the advertisers involved, we survey decision-makers at companies. We find that most decision-makers are unaware that their companies' advertising appears on misinformation websites but have a strong preference to avoid doing so. Moreover, those who are unaware and uncertain about their company's role in financing misinformation increase their demand for a platform-based solution to reduce monetizing misinformation when informed about how platforms amplify advertising placement on misinformation websites. We identify low-cost, scalable information-based interventions to reduce the financial incentive to misinform and counter the supply of misinformation online., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Amidst the intensive cola war in the Indian market, Hector Beverages Private Limited introduced ethnic drink as a competitive strategy to attract Indian consumers. This move aims to attract Indian consumers by not only offering health benefits and nutritional value but also providing a sense of connection to the past and emotional satisfaction through old memories. Paper Boat, an ethnic and nostalgic beverage brand of Hector Beverages, has disrupted the Indian beverage industry, challenging market leaders to provide innovative and nutritional drinks. The case study highlights Paper Boat's innovative value proposition and nostalgia marketing campaigns, while also examining the competitive strategies of major players in the Indian beverage industry. The case study also raises important questions that Hector Beverages must consider remaining relevant in a changing market and retaining its competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1992, Dillon published his critical review of the empirical literature on reading from paper vs. screen. However, the debate concerning the equivalence of computer- and paper-based tasks continues, especially with the growing interest in online assessment. The current paper reviews the literature over the last 15 years and contrasts the results of these more recent studies with Dillon's findings. It is concluded that total equivalence is not possible to achieve, although developments in computer technology, more sophisticated comparative measures and more positive user attitudes have resulted in a continuing move towards achieving this goal. Many paper-based tasks used for assessment or evaluation have been transferred directly onto computers with little regard for any implications. This paper considers equivalence issues between the media by reviewing performance measures. While equivalence seems impossible, the importance of any differences appears specific to the task and required outcomes.

The authors used time-series data from 1975 to 2020 on combustible renewables and waste production and recycling. References 1 Ben Yahya T., Jamal N.M., Sundarakani B., Omain S.Z. The Effects of Data Security and Perceived Benefits on Mobile Phone Recycling Behaviour and the Recycling Intention Mediation Role. This Special Issue aimed to collect high-quality papers (original research articles or comprehensive review papers) published during 2022 on the subject of waste recycling. Waste Management Analyses Efficient waste management systems are crucial in order to match the high recycling goals set by European Union by 2030. [Extracted from the article]

The high uncertainty around the COVID‐19 pandemic elicited an unprecedented level of panic buying during the early months. Using the framework of stress and coping, the current study conceptualized and tested a theoretical model that predicts individuals' panic buying in two countries. A survey of US (n = 311) and Korean consumers (n = 347) revealed that negative emotions (loneliness and anxiety) contributed to panic buying, yet two important coping resources, resilience and social support, were effective in protecting consumers from engaging in a maladaptive coping strategy. The hypothesis that collectivism (vs. individualism) would make consumers rely on social (vs. personal) coping resources was partially supported. The results highlight the unique circumstance of the global pandemic in which social support works as both a resource for healthy coping and a source to increase negative emotions, and call for future investigation of the complex role of social support in the context of stress and coping theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inconsistencies among testing methods and results in previous research prompted this study that builds upon a systematic usability testing research framework to better understand how interface medium influences users' abilities to detect usability flaws in applications. Interface medium was tested to identify its effects on users' perceptions of usability and abilities to detect usability problems and severe usability problems. Results indicated that medium has no effect on users' abilities to detect usability problems or perceptions of usability. However, results did indicate an interaction between the medium and the tested application in which users were able to identify significantly more usability problems on a higher fidelity medium using a particular application. Results also indicated that as users' perceptions of an application's usability increases, the users are less able to detect usability problems in that application. Usability testing should begin early in the design process, even if low fidelity mediums will be used., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.)

The purposes of this study were to assess the comparability of scores obtained from computer and paper-and-pencil versions of the Iowa Tests of Educational Development and to evaluate examinees' attitudes about multiple aspects of test administration in the two modes. Findings supported the comparability of scores across administration modes with regard to scaling (means and standard deviations), internal consistency, and criterion- and construct-related validity. Overall, examinees preferred taking the computerized tests and valued many operational features of those tests. The least favorable attitudes were reported for the literary skills tests and their scrollable reading passages in particular.

Reference departments track patron interactions to illustrate the type and number of services provided as well as to tailor librarians' time and expertise to the interest and needs of their patrons. Until 2010 the Reference, Education, and Community Engagement Department at the Calder Memorial Library tracked statistics using a complicated system of paper tic sheets and two Excel™ spreadsheets. After considering different electronic systems, the department decided to employ an electronic form created with SurveyMonkey™ to track patron interactions. After the system had been in place for three months, the authors administered a satisfaction and use survey to collect faculty and staff feedback on the new system. Seven months later the authors undertook usability testing to collect further evaluative data on the electronic form. The patron interaction form continues to be used to collect statistics, provide data for annual reviews, and recognize the contributions of all faculty and staff at the library.

This study explored the viewing distance and screen angle for electronic paper (E-Paper) displays under various light sources, ambient illuminations, and character sizes. Data analysis showed that the mean viewing distance and screen angle were 495 mm and 123.7 degrees. The mean viewing distances for Kolin Chlorestic Liquid Crystal display was 500 mm, significantly longer than Sony electronic ink display, 491 mm. Screen angle for Kolin was 127.4 degrees, significantly greater than that of Sony, 120.0 degrees. Various light sources revealed no significant effect on viewing distances; nevertheless, they showed significant effect on screen angles. The screen angle for sunlight lamp (D65) was similar to that of fluorescent lamp (TL84), but greater than that of tungsten lamp (F). Ambient illumination and E-paper type had significant effects on viewing distance and screen angle. The higher the ambient illumination was, the longer the viewing distance and the lesser the screen angle. Character size had significant effect on viewing distances: the larger the character size, the longer the viewing distance. The results of this study indicated that the viewing distance for E-Paper was similar to that of visual display terminal (VDT) at around 500 mm, but greater than normal paper at about 360 mm. The mean screen angle was around 123.7 degrees, which in terms of viewing angle is 29.5 degrees below horizontal eye level. This result is similar to the general suggested viewing angle between 20 degrees and 50 degrees below the horizontal line of sight.

The objective of this paper is to show the added value of using tools such as eyetracking, galvanic skin response, facial coding and others in the field of market research and user experience research. We will present 3 case studies in which these tools have been used successfully. We will give an overview of the background, the objectives, methods and results and how the neuro-tools provided additional insights into consumer behaviour, which would otherwise not have been possible. In this paper we will specifically show cases from packaging design, advertising research and user experience research thus only covering a small part of possible application areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online medical information, when presented to clinicians, must be well-organized and intuitive to use, so that the clinicians can conduct their daily work efficiently and without error. It is essential to actively seek to produce good user interfaces that are acceptable to the user. This paper describes the methodology used to develop a simplified heuristic evaluation (HE) suitable for the evaluation of screen shots of Web pages, the development of an HE instrument used to conduct the evaluation, and the results of the evaluation of the aforementioned screen shots. In addition, this paper presents examples of the process of categorizing problems identified by the HE and the technological solutions identified to resolve these problems. Four usability experts reviewed 18 paper-based screen shots and made a total of 108 comments. Each expert completed the task in about an hour. We were able to implement solutions to approximately 70% of the violations. Our study found that a heuristic evaluation using paper-based screen shots of a user interface was expeditious, inexpensive, and straightforward to implement.

Surging environmental issues confiscate stakeholders' attention due to growing competition. Sustainable performance in this regard is viewed as a suitable tool because it not only gauges firm's financial performance but also covers social and environmental areas. However, sustainable performance cannot be achieved without creating sustainable business advantage. Green supply chain practices are known to be implemented in terms of sustainability as they are cross-looped as well as cross-organizational. The practices help in the reduction of environmental impact of business activities without compromising on quality, performance, cost, and energy usage efficiency. The reason encourages the authors to explore the role of selected green supply chain factors, customer preference, and leadership factors in shaping sustainable business advantage. The study has examined the association by adopting the quantitative research method. The researcher has gathered data from 530 employees in the purchasing department, logistics, import/export officers, and packing staff. The data was analyzed statistically by employing SPSS for preliminary analysis and AMOS for testing the structural model and the hypotheses of the study. Using confirmatory factors analysis and structural equational modeling, the researcher has analyzed the study's measurement model and the hypotheses of the study. The findings of the research have depicted that there is a significant positive impact of lean management and green product design with sustainable business advantage. Moreover, there exists a mediation of customer preferences and leadership factors between green product design and sustainable business advantage. The study has a few limitations as well and uses a quantitative method; therefore, the study has recommended that future researchers utilize qualitative or mixed methods. The study has several theoretical and practical implications., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A practical framework for program administrators seeking to improve the effectiveness of their incident reporting and investigation procedures and practices was provided. Too often, these systems, which are designed by outside parties, are viewed by program administrators as instruments of risk exposure rather than viable tools for risk management and quality improvement. Program administrators were encouraged to take control of their incident-reporting systems by transforming them into viable consumer-centered quality assurance tools to meet the quality improvement needs of their own program. Specific performance indicators for effective systems were proposed, including consumer-centeredness; accountable reporting; thorough fact-finding; and prompt identification and implementation of corrective actions, fairness, and cost-effectiveness.

This study investigated the impact of efficiency, reliability, responsiveness, safety, and security on customer satisfaction with sustainable e-banking. The study used a quantitative methodology, with data collected from customers of commercial banks in South Punjab, Pakistan. A Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect cross-sectional data. A sample of 350 was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for testing descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression results. The study's results revealed that efficiency, reliability, responsiveness, safety, and security significantly impacted customer satisfaction with e-banking services. Efficiency and reliability were the most crucial factors influencing customer satisfaction, followed by safety, security, and responsiveness. The research findings have important implications for commercial banks, as they highlight the critical role of these factors in the development of sustainable e-banking practices. Overall, the study provides valuable insights for commercial banks seeking to improve their e-banking services and ensure customer satisfaction. Commercial banks can enhance their competitiveness and achieve sustainable growth in the highly competitive e-banking sector by prioritizing efficiency, reliability, responsiveness, and safety and security., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The relevance of several characteristics for the acceptability of steamed East Africa bananas (matooke) was assessed using consumer-preferred characteristics, the overall liking scores, check-all-that-apply (CATA) and the Just About Right scale. The study was conducted in rural and urban locations in three banana growing regions of Uganda. Two landraces and two hybrids were processed into matooke. Twelve trained panellists evaluated color, taste and texture sensory characteristics., Results: Consumers scored matooke from landraces as the most liked. The CATA test showed that the most important characteristics were: smooth mouthfeel, soft to the touch, not sticky, moldable, deep yellow color, attractive, good matooke taste and smell. Principal component analysis confirmed that most of the preferred sensory characteristics were associated with the local genotypes, whereas the less preferred characteristics were associated with hybrids. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive correlations between the consumer assessed characteristics, hardness by touch, softness to touch and yellowness, as well as quantitative laboratory characteristics (moldable, hardness by touch, softness and yellowness) of the steamed matooke. Color assessed by consumers was strongly correlated with the laboratory-assessed color indicators., Conclusion: The strong associations observed between laboratory-assessed and consumer-based characteristics (moldable by touch and yellowness) suggest the possibility of predicting consumer characteristics using quantitative laboratory sensory assessments. Matooke taste as assessed by consumer panel is strongly associated with smooth texture and deep yellow color, which were the characteristics associated with landraces in the laboratory sensory assessment. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)