Students' experience with online simulation games: From computer anxiety to satisfaction

It is currently of great importance to analyse the experience of the application of new technologies in teaching. This research paper examines the personality traits of students and their environment, which may influence the experience of college students using online simulation games. Previous literature suggests that individuals may feel anxiety when using the computer, which may vary according to their perception of being able to control the situation, their perceived importance of the activities and any prior knowledge that they have. Therefore, the first objective of this research is to analyse the relationship between computer anxiety, locus of control and perceived importance of the computer activities. The second objective is to examine whether this relationship is moderated by knowledge. The third objective is to identify user clusters to examine which factors are most important to explain user satisfaction with online simulation games. Results showed that students experience greater computer anxiety when the situation is perceived as important and the locus of control is high, being these effects moderated by their previous knowledge. Moreover, a cluster analysis threw light on the existence of cluster of users whose satisfaction mainly depends on their game score. These results have implications for both academic and research purposes

Effects of internal brand knowledge dissemination on the employee

Purpose: This study aims to examine the internal brand knowledge dissemination process in the banking sector and its effects on employees. Specifically, it focuses on the key roles of employee identification with both the organization and with the customer as antecedents of behaviors supportive of the brand, i.e. employee citizenship behaviors and recommendation behaviors. Design/methodology/approach: An empirical study was carried out in a major Spanish bank. Data gathered from a survey of 315 employees were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Findings: The results showed that employees'' perceptions of brand value congruence are key in explaining their identification with both the organization and with the customer. However, the employees'' perceptions of the brand''s authenticity explained only their recommendations of the bank as a good place to work. Originality/value: These findings contribute to the advance in the current knowledge of the role of variables such as brand authenticity and employee–customer identification in internal brand management. From a managerial viewpoint, the results provide insights into the importance of employees'' perceptions and attitudes when it comes to brand knowledge dissemination. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

Effects of service experience on customer responses to a hotel chain

Purpose: This paper aims to analyse customer experience in a hotel and its impact on customer attitudes to both the individual hotel and the hotel chain. Specifically, the study focuses on the effects of service perceptions on emotions, satisfaction, attitude to hotel chain, intention to return, scepticism towards negative information and Word of Mouth (WOM). Design/methodology/approach: An empirical study was carried out on a sample of 300 individuals. Data were analysed through structural equation modelling. Findings: Service perceptions and emotions elicited by an individual hotel influence the customer response towards the hotel chain. Among all the outcomes considered, the strongest effects are found on WOM. Originality/value: This paper develops and empirically tests an original model that integrates the customer experience in an individual hotel and the customer response to the hotel chain. This model includes variables that have recently been considered in the literature, such as scepticism towards negative information, in combination with more traditional outcomes such as intention to return or WOM

Understanding how customers engage with social tourism websites

Purpose: This paper aims to analyse the effect of technology acceptance variables on customer attitude and customer engagement behaviours (CEB) with social tourism websites (STWs). Design/methodology/approach: An empirical study was carried out with 346 customers. A model was developed to analyse the relationships between CEB and their determinants. Partial least squares – structural equation modelling was used to test the model. Findings: Customers’ perceptions of enjoyment, ease of use, usefulness and trustworthiness positively influence their attitude towards STWs and their subsequent engagement behaviours [purchases, word of mouth (WOM) and referrals]. Originality/value: This study develops and empirically tests a model that analyses the impact of technology acceptance model variables on CEB, both transactional (customer purchases) and non-transactional (customer WOM, referrals and feedback), in the context of STWs

Lack of evidence for monosomy 1p36 in patients with Prader-Willi-like phenotype

Monosomy 1p36 is the most common subtelomeric microdeletion syndrome with an incidence rate estimated to be 1 in 5000 births. A hypothesis of a similarity between patients with 1p36 deletion and those with Prader-Willi syndrome and the existence of two different phenotypes for 1p36 microdeletion has been suggested. The main objective of the present study was to determine the existence of 1p36 microdeletion in a sample of patients with mental retardation, obesity and hyperphagia who tested negative by the methylation test for Prader-Willi syndrome. Sixteen patients (7 females, 9 males), 16-26 years old, were evaluated with high-resolution cytogenetic analysis at 550-850 band levels and with 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers located in the 1p36 region. All patients had normal cytogenetic and molecular results. The results obtained by high-resolution cytogenetic methodology were confirmed by the molecular analyses. We did not detect a 1p36 microdeletion in 16 subjects with the Prader-Willi-like phenotype, which reinforces that no correlation seems to exist between Prader-Willi-like phenotype and the 1p36 microdeletion syndrome