Hospitality inside seniors’ homes ::the impact of trust and social presence through connected health technologies

Bringing hospitality inside seniors’ homes is an essential challenge. The objective of this paper is to focus on the impact of trust and social presence through connected health technologies on the quality of service perceived. We used SERVQUAL for measuring the quality of service delivered by home care companies. We also adapted SERVQUAL to our context by adding a new dimension called communication. As far as the methodology is concerned, we distributed our survey by post to 605 seniors. We targeted elderly people using connected health technologies (assistive alarm, telecare, sensors, etc.) at home and receiving health care at home. We received 213 questionnaires back. As we had several latent variables, we used partial least squares (PLS), a variance-based structural equation modeling method. The results show that the level of trust in these technologies impacts significantly almost all dimensions of SERVQUAL. In parallel, the perception of the social presence with the use of these technologies impacts positively the empathy and tangibles dimensions of SERVQUAL. These results are particularly relevant to stakeholders in the health industry in their quest to improve their products/services. A better understanding of the relation that the elderly have with connected health technologies is an essential prerequisite to supporting the development of new solutions capable of meeting the specific needs of our seniors

The impact of service tradability on the choice of entry mode ::the case of computer-related service firms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors influencing the choice of entry mode of computer-related (CR) service firms which are in a process of internationalization. The authors will focus on the characteristics of service defining its tradability. Design/methodology/approach – The objectives are achieved by first exploring the general drivers and the drivers specific to service firms via qualitative interviews and a literature review. Then, the model is tested empirically on CR service firms using structural equation modeling using partial least squares. Findings – Results show that the degree of tradability of the service influences the choice of entry mode. The higher the degree of tailor-made offer and face-to-face contact with the client, the more firms opt for an entry mode with high control, such as establishment abroad and/or joint-venture. Finally, firm size and international experience are also significant drivers behind the selection of entry mode. Research limitations/implications – As firms often choose several entry modes simultaneously, it is difficult to lead the research. Practical implications – In exports of digitalized and standardized services with little face-to-face contact, physical presence abroad is less important for success. It is more difficult to successfully market tailor-made services at the international level. Therefore, firms with limited capabilities should start exporting standardized services requiring limited face-to-face contact. Small firms wishing to become global players should preferably focus on exports of digitalized services and use internet, which is an attractive distribution channel. Moreover, when the confidentiality required for the service is an issue for the company, it is better to start with geographically near markets. Originality/value – In this research, service tradability came out as an original concept including service-specific characteristics leading to the selection of entry mode(s). The authors focussed on four characteristics of services which are on-line transmissibility, degree of confidentiality required, face-to- face contact, and finally the degree of customizabilit

Ethical issues linked to the interaction between human and robots in a service delivery context

The goal of this research is to focus on the ethical issues linked to the interaction between human and robots in a service delivery context. The originality of this research comes from that fact that potential users will have to define the importance of each ethical attribute on their overall intention to use the robot in the future. This method should allow us to uncover which ethical items are important for the customer’s intention to use a frontline service robot. Moreover, we focus our ethical issues applied to frontline service robots in order to have a more concrete ethical tool for this precise technology. In doing so, we do not intend to come up with generic principles that apply to all robots, but to uncover the ethical principles which are important specifically for the intention to use frontline service robots

Dopaminergic fiber protection and regeneration by Wlds protein and GDNF in rodent models of Parkinson disease

Parkinson disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The resulting failure of the nigrostriatal pathway leads to profound dopamine deficiency, causing bradykinesia, tremor, rigidity and postural imbalance. The current therapeutic options for this disabling disorder remain symptomatic and are devoid of any impact on the neurodegeneration process per se. The development of neuroprotective and regenerative strategies constitute therefore an important challenge, in order to halt and possibly reverse the loss of the nigrostriatal pathway in PD. In the present study, we have investigated two different approaches to protect or restore the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in rodent models of PD. In the first part, we examined the potential of a spontaneous dominant mutation in mice called slow Wallerian degeneration (Wlds) to confer protection of the dopaminergic pathway against the catecholaminergic toxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Interestingly, the Wlds fusion protein proved capable to provide functional preservation of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic terminals. The observed Wlds-mediated protection of dopaminergic axons might help to further elucidate the mechanisms leading to the loss of dopamine axons in PD and conduct to the development of new therapeutic modalities for this disorder. In the second approach, we assessed the protective and regenerative potential of the neurotrophic factor glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) delivered via capsules in a rat model of PD. GDNF delivery by encapsulated cells resulted in regeneration of dopaminergic fibers and behavioral improvement in a bilateral 6-OHDA model in the rat. Importantly, GDNF withdrawal did not affect the morphological and behavioral effects in our model. The sustainability of the striatal dopaminergic reinnervation and behavioral performances following GDNF washout has important implications. It suggests that GDNF needs to be delivered only transiently to allow prolonged functional regenerative effect, rendering the retrievable capsules attractive to achieve this purpose in PD patients. The promising potential of GDNF to protect and regenerate the nigrostriatal pathway has been hampered by several recent studies showing that long-term GDNF overexpression in the intact nigrostriatal pathway induces a downregulation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of dopamine. In the last part of this work, we aimed therefore at investigating the effect of GDNF on other enzymes of dopamine biosynthesis, using a lentiviral vector-mediated gene transfer technique, in order to overexpress GDNF in rat striatum. We showed that in addition to TH downregulation, long-term GDNF overexpression results in tetrahydrobiopterin upregulation, and importantly in dopamine decrease in the intact striatum of rats. In a clinical perspective, dose and treatment duration of the trophic factor will thus have to be established and optimized with the aim of achieving beneficial neuroprotective effects while circumventing undesirable pharmacologic effects on dopamine biosynthesis. The discovery of new protective molecules such as the Wlds protein, as well as a better understanding of cellular effects of the promising neurotrophic factor GDNF might lead to the establishment of neuroprotective and neuroregenerative strategies for PD in the close future

How can the hospitality industry help senior homes ? ::the usage of connected health technologies

The objective of this paper is to extend and apply the technology acceptance model (TAM) to connected healthcare technologies for the elderly. As far as the methodology is concerned, we distributed our survey by post. We targeted elderly people using connected health technologies (assistive alarm, telecare, sensors, etc.) at home and receiving health care at home. We received 213 questionnaires back. As we had several latent variables, we used partial least squares (PLS). The results show that the level of trust in these technologies impacts significantly the perception of usefulness and the degree of intrusiveness. In parallel, the degree of usefulness of these technologies impacts positively elderly people’s intention to accept their usage. Finally, one can claim that the perception of the social presence with the use of these technologies impacts positively the degree of perceived usefulness, trust, and intrusiveness

Are customers ready to accept revenue management practices in the restaurant industry?

Purpose : The purpose of this paper is to investigate the application of revenue management practices to the restaurant industry. The author wants to observe customers’ readiness to accept revenue management practices based on price variation, booking policy, table management, and control duration. The author also wants to measure the impact of these four practices on customer patronage intention. Design/methodology/approach : A survey was conducted with 251 respondents. As the author had several latent variables, partial least squares, a variance-based structural equation modeling method, was used. Findings : The author found that the majority of these practices are perceived unfair. The only two practices that are considered as fair are price variation between lunch/dinner, and cancellation in case of late. The most unfairly felt practice is the policy-related time spent at the table. The results also showed that the perceived fairness of these practices influences customer patronage intention. The author observed that price variation according to the lunch/dinner period, weekday/weekend period, and time of the day will influence the desire to frequent the restaurant. Booking policy will also impact customer patronage intention. The table management and control duration policies do not impact customer patronage intention, even if these practices are perceived unfair. Practical implications : Restaurant managers, desiring to apply revenue management practices, should be aware of the fact that practices linked to price variation will have a stronger influence on the customer intention to revisit the company than control duration practices. Moreover, restaurant managers must “educate” their clients by clearly communicating the advantages of these practices for the customers. Originality/value : Even if several studies focused on the fairness perceived of revenue management practices in hospitality industry, there is a lack of research about the impact of price variation and control duration on patronage intention, especially for the restaurant industry. This is the first time the author measured the concrete impact of price variation, booking policy, table management, and control duration on patronage intention. Moreover, the author integrated several new practices that have never been studied in the past such as the date of booking (e.g. 5 percent reduction if the booking was done four days in advance) or the fact of changing tables for dessert and coffee

Augmenting growth

Hospitality businesses can leverage AI technologies to great effect in various tasks, such as housekeeping, maintenance, reception, transportation, and room service, writes Reza Etemad-Sajadi