Understanding Frontline Employees’ Work Attitude and Behavior: Combining the Theory of Implicit-beliefs and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model

Despite vast research regarding the JD-R model, little is known about the roles of personal resources within it. Therefore, a nomological model that builds on the JD-R model and integrates implicit-belief (from the theory of implicit-beliefs) as a personal resource is proposed to understand frontline employees’ (FLEs’) attitudes and behavior in the context of the hospitality and retail industries. Data are collected in two phases−a pilot test and a main test. A sample of 168 FLEs in the hospitality and retail industries are hired for the pilot test. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the pilot test confirms the dimensionalities of constructs and refines the measurement items. The main test uses 701 FLEs and performs confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). The CFA results confirm that the data fit a hypothesized measurement model. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is performed to estimate the relationships between antecedents (supervisor support, customer workload, and implicit-beliefs), mediators (engagement and burnout), and FLE job outcomes (service performance, satisfaction, and turnover intentions). Overall, the SEM analysis results support the hypothesized model. Specifically, findings demonstrate that (a) supervisor support affects engagement and burnout, and customer workload influences burnout, (b) engagement and burnout clearly influence job outcomes, and (c) the entity theory of implicit-beliefs determines FLE burnout and satisfaction. However, entity theory does not determine engagement, performance, and turnover intentions. These results advance understanding of how job demands and resources affect FLEs in the hospitality and retail industries, showing how supervisor support and customer workload influence engagement and burnout, how FLEs respond to burnout and engagement, and what type of role personal resources play concerning FLEs at work. This research contributes to the body of FLE research, in the context of hospitality and retail, by incorporating the theory of implicit-beliefs and various job outcome variables. It also shows the possible utility of the theory of implicit-beliefs, which has not previously been used to explain FLEs’ attitudes and behavior. The findings suggest that managers need to foster their interpersonal skills and design workflows to fit FLEs’ characteristics

The Effect of Presence on Consumers\u27 Responses to Virtual Mirror Technology

Virtual mirror, an increasingly popular application of augmented reality (AR), allows consumers to view their visages overlaid with product images on digital displays. This study investigates the effect of presence on consumers\u27 responses to AR- (versus virtual reality (VR-) based virtual mirror technology. Results show that AR-based presentation is more likely to induce presence than VR-based presentation, thereby leading to greater mental imagery, favorable virtual mirror attitude, and stronger purchase intentions. Implications for digital retailers in the fashion industry are discussed

An Investigation Into Hotel Employees\u27 Perception Of Green Practices

This study examined how employees of the hotel industry perceived green practices. Data was collected from 220 employees working in eight green certified hotels in Orlando. Research results revealed that performance levels of green practices implemented by hotels were lower than the importance levels of those same green practices as perceived by hotel employees. The results of the study illustrated that (1) the employees\u27 perception regarding green practices was not different than one of hoteliers in terms of importance and performance, and (2) employees weighted the green practices that were beneficial to them as more important than green practices that required their behavior change. Also, a positive correlation between organizational commitment and green practices detected in this study which suggests that hotel organizations may anticipate positive ramifications of green practices in relation to HR approach when they embrace green practices. Unfortunately, employees\u27 green perceptions at work were not generalized by their demographic characteristics, yet a number of considerable results were garnered from this study. These were (1) employees in operational departments were more green conscious than employees in other departments, (2) generation X was critical about green performance by the hotels, and (3) minorities showed more green concerns than other ethnicities. This study suggests that hotels need to spend more time and effort in communicating their green practice to employees. Training to improve green practices should be versatile and job-specific with strategies developed to motivate the employees to engage in green practices. Overall, this study proposes for hotels simply deploying green practices is not enough. They should carefully plan their green practices by training and motivating employees

Beyond slurry-cast supercapacitor electrodes: PAN/MWNT heteromat-mediated ultrahigh capacitance electrode sheets

Supercapacitors (SCs) have garnered considerable attention as an appealing power source for forthcoming smart energy era. An ultimate challenge facing the SCs is the acquisition of higher energy density without impairing their other electrochemical properties. Herein, we demonstrate a new class of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/multi-walled carbon tube (MWNT) heteromat-mediated ultrahigh capacitance electrode sheets as an unusual electrode architecture strategy to address the aforementioned issue. Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) is chosen as a model electrode material to explore the feasibility of the suggested concept. The heteromat V2O5 electrode sheets are produced through one-pot fabrication based on concurrent electrospraying (for V2O5 precursor/MWNT) and electrospinning (for PAN nanofiber) followed by calcination, leading to compact packing of V2O5 materials in intimate contact with MWNTs and PAN nanofibers. As a consequence, the heteromat V2O5 electrode sheets offer three-dimensionally bicontinuous electron (arising from MWNT networks)/ion (from spatially reticulated interstitial voids to be filled with liquid electrolytes) conduction pathways, thereby facilitating redox reaction kinetics of V2O5 materials. In addition, elimination of heavy metallic foil current collectors, in combination with the dense packing of V2O5 materials, significantly increases (electrode sheet-based) specific capacitances far beyond those accessible with conventional slurry-cast electrodes.ope

Impacts of gender, weather, and workplace differences in farm worker's gear

Background: The farmers cannot help working in outdoor conditions which have high humidity and solar radiation during the harvest period. Wearable items including clothing are the nearest environment of human body, and to understand the current state of them can be a way to set up an active prevention strategy against the health risk from heat stress in summertime agriculture. The aim of this study was to investigate the work wear and accessories which the elderly farmers used during agricultural working. Methods: One hundred twenty farmers (49 males and 71 females) working in nine separate sites on different days took part in this study. The average age of subjects was 61 years old. We examined the types of working posture, clothing, and items that the farmers used and/or wore. We also interviewed the farmers to know why they used such items while working. Results: The results of this study were as follows: (1) Farmers worked in the thermal environment which was over wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) reference value, and the farmers could suffer heat stress due to workload induced from wearing conventional long-sleeved shirts and long trousers which were 0.66 clo in average under this summertime working thermal condition. (2) The farmers tended to change the layer of upper clothing for adapting to weather condition. (3) The types of footwear used seemed to be related with facilities as well as weather, and farmers tended to wear lighter footwear when the weather is hotter or when they work in PVC greenhouse. The majority of elderly farmers wore loafers and rubber shoes which had indistinguishable thin soles. (4) The types of hats showed the difference between facilities as well as gender and only 31.7 % of all participants used long brims. (5) Korean elderly farmers did not use any active cooling item as agricultural auxiliary tools in summer harvesting time. Conclusions: Korean elderly farmers worked in poor surroundings which could threaten their health and safety and seemed not to adjust their workload and clothing during summer harvest season. Thus, it would be necessary to monitor individual responses in order to ensure that the risk of heat stress is preventedopen

Turbo Warrants under Hybrid Stochastic and Local Volatility

This paper considers the pricing of turbo warrants under a hybrid stochastic and local volatility model. The model consists of the constant elasticity of variance model incorporated by a fast fluctuating Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process for stochastic volatility. The sensitive structure of the turbo warrant price is revealed by asymptotic analysis and numerical computation based on the observation that the elasticity of variance controls leverage effects and plays an important role in characterizing various phases of volatile markets

Cell Labeling and Tracking Method without Distorted Signals by Phagocytosis of Macrophages

Cell labeling and tracking are important processes in understanding biologic mechanisms and the therapeutic effect of inoculated cells in vivo. Numerous attempts have been made to label and track inoculated cells in vivo; however, these methods have limitations as a result of their biological effects, including secondary phagocytosis of macrophages and genetic modification. Here, we investigated a new cell labeling and tracking strategy based on metabolic glycoengineering and bioorthogonal click chemistry. We first treated cells with tetra-acetylated N-azidoacetyl-D-mannosamine to generate unnatural sialic acids with azide groups on the surface of the target cells. The azide-labeled cells were then transplanted to mouse liver, and dibenzyl cyclooctyne-conjugated Cy5 (DBCO-Cy5) was intravenously injected into mice to chemically bind with the azide groups on the surface of the target cells in vivo for target cell visualization. Unnatural sialic acids with azide groups could be artificially induced on the surface of target cells by glycoengineering. We then tracked the azide groups on the surface of the cells by DBCO-Cy5 in vivo using bioorthogonal click chemistry. Importantly, labeling efficacy was enhanced and false signals by phagocytosis of macrophages were reduced. This strategy will be highly useful for cell labeling and tracking