The effects of service quality and consumer-brand value congruity on hospitality brand loyalty

This research integrates the congruity and the social identity theories to better understand the consumer-brand relationships. A structural equation modelling approach was used to explore the drivers of brand loyalty in the context of upscale hotels. The findings suggest that the customers are increasingly engaging with the brands that reflect their identity and personal values. The consumer-brand value congruity and the hospitality businesses’ delivery of high service quality were found to be significant antecedents of consumer-brand identification and engagement. Moreover, we reported that consumer-brand identification is a precursor of consumer-brand engagement and brand loyalty. In conclusion, this contribution implies that luxury hotels ought to satisfy their customers’ needs for distinctiveness and self-enhancement whilst exceeding their expectations on service quality.peer-reviewe

The relevance of historical project lessons to contemporary business practice

Despite worldwide growth in project management there is a significant gap between research and practice. The discipline lacks a unified theory and established body of research. Bodies of knowledge reflect process and technique yet frequently neglect the political, social and ethical dimensions of project management.The theory of established academic disciplines evolves through history and by a study of their historical antecedents. The principal question of this thesis thus is concerned with the relevance of historical projects lessons to contemporary business practice and contemporary project management? The secondary question is concerned with the development of an approach to studying this. In addressing these questions the thesis examines some of the challenges with contemporary project management literature, and literature that discusses the relevance of historical project lessons including that from other disciplines such as management. The thesis describes the use of a qualitative approach, based upon an interpretivist epistemology as the basis for the use of case studies. In addition, it discusses the use of historiography and interdisciplinarity. It then examines the methods used and findings of nine publications and their contributions to the research questions. The findings of the thesis establish that project management has a deep history, and has been successfully used by developing cultures since the beginnings of civilization. They also establish that historical projects, when interpreted through a business/project management lens, can be understood by contemporary project managers and are of significant and meaningful value to contemporary business practice. The methodology to establish this is also described. Thus the thesis will contribute to both the project management body of knowledge, by broadening it out and augmenting contemporary case studies, and to addressing the theory–practice gaps within project management

Utilitarian motivations to engage with travel websites : an interactive technology adoption model

Purpose: This study aims to investigate perceptions about interactive travel websites. The researchers hypothesize that engaging content, the quality of information and source credibility has a significant effect on the consumers’ utilitarian motivations to continue using them in the future.Design/methodology/approach: A structured survey questionnaire was used to gather data from 1,287 online users, who were members of two popular social media groups. The methodology relied on a partial least squares (PLS) approach to analyze the causal relationships within an extended information adoption model.Findings: The findings reveal that the research participants perceive the utility of interactive travel websites and are willing to continue using them, particularly the responsive ones. The research participants suggest that these sites are easy-to-use, capture their attention, and offer them useful information on various tourism services. The results also indicate that they appreciate their source credibility (in terms of their trustworthiness and expertise of their curators) as well as their quality content.Research limitations/Implications: This study integrates key measures from the information adoption model (IAM) with a perceived interactivity construct, to better understand the individuals’ acceptance and use of interactive websites.Practical implications: This research implies that service businesses ought to have engaging websites that respond to consumer queries, in a timely manner. Hence, they should offer a seamless experience to their visitors to encourage loyal behaviors and revisit intentions to their online domains.Originality: To the best of our knowledge, there are no other studies that incorporated an interactive engagement construct with key constructs from IAM and from the technology acceptance model (TAM). This contribution underlines the importance of measuring the individuals’ perceptions about the engagement capabilities of interactive media when investigating information and/or technology adoption.peer-reviewe

Interactive engagement through travel and tourism social media groups : a social facilitation theory perspective

This research investigates perceptions about online content attractiveness, interactive engagement and real time conversation capabilities through travel and tourism social media groups. The study hypothesizes that these factors affect the social media subscribers’ attitudes toward the destinations’ social media groups, their intentions to revisit them, and could even influence their social facilitation behaviors. The data was gathered from 923 Facebook (Meta) subscribers who were members of travel and tourism groups. A partial least squares (PLS) approach was used to reveal the validity and reliability of the chosen constructs. The findings suggest that Facebook subscribers were drawn to those groups that featured aesthetically pleasing content and to the ones that facilitated their engagement. This contribution implies that today's marketers ought to embrace digital transformation processes that are disrupting social network services (SNSs). Content curators are expected to continuously present appealing content in their social media posts, to interact with their followers in a timely manner, and to encourage positive social facilitation behaviors through online and offline channels.peer-reviewe

Functionality and usability features of ubiquitous mobile technologies : the acceptance of interactive travel apps

Purpose: Customers are increasingly utilizing mobile applications (apps) to compare prices of travel and hospitality services and to purchase their itineraries, tours and stays. This study explores key factors influencing the individuals’ perceptions about the usefulness of travel apps and sheds light on the causal paths predicting the individuals’ dispositions to utilize them.Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative data was gathered from 1,320 subscribers of social media groups. They were analyzed through a composite-based partial least squares (PLS) approach.Findings: The results indicate that information quality, source credibility and the functionality of travel apps are significantly affecting the individuals’ perceptions about their usefulness as well as their intentions to use them. They also confirm that there are highly significant indirect effects within the proposed model.Practical implications: This study suggests that there is scope for the travel service providers to enhance the quality and functionality of their mobile apps, in order to improve their consumers’ perceptions about the utility of these ubiquitous service technologies.Theoretical implications: The study integrates information quality and source credibility factors with a functionality construct. It examines their effects on the technology acceptance model (TAM)’s perceived usefulness and behavioral intentions.Theoretical implications: The study integrates information quality and source credibility factors with a functionality construct. It examines their effects on the technology acceptance model (TAM)’s perceived usefulness and behavioral intentions.Originality: This contribution incorporates a functionality construct in an information technology adoption model to shed light on the individuals’ dispositions to avail themselves of online content and/or to adopt interactive innovations. In this case, it implies that certain functionality features of travel apps including their responsiveness and technical capabilities can trigger users to increase their engagement with these mobile technologies on a habitual basis.peer-reviewe

INCITS W1.1 Standards for Perceptual Evaluation of Text and Line Quality

INCITS W1.1 is a project chartered to develop an appearance-based image quality standard. This paper summarizes the work to date of the W1.1 Text and Line Quality ad hoc team, and describes the progress made in developing a Text Quality test pattern and an analysis procedure based on experience with previous perceptual rating experiments

Late gadolinium enhancement and adverse outcomes in a contemporary cohort of adult survivors of tetralogy of Fallot

Objective: Myocardial fibrosis has been associated with poorer outcomes in tetralogy of Fallot, however only a handful of studies have assessed its significance in the current era. Our aim was to quantify the amount of late gadolinium enhancement in both the LV and RV in a contemporary cohort of adults with surgically repaired tetralogy of Fallot, and assess the relationship with adverse clinical outcomes. Design: Single centre cohort study Setting: National tertiary referral center Patients: One hundred fourteen patients with surgically repaired tetralogy of Fallot with median age 29.5 years (range 17.5-64.2). Prospective follow-up for mean 2.4 years (SD 1.29). Interventions: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance was performed, and late gadolinium enhancement mass was estimated for the LV using the 5-SD remote myocardium method, and for the RV using a segmental scoring system. Cohort characterization was determined through the use of a computerized database. Outcome measures: Survival analysis from time of scan to first adverse event, defined as an episode of atrial arrhythmia, sustained ventricular arrhythmia, hospitalization with heart failure, or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator insertion. Results: Eleven patients experienced an adverse outcome in the follow-up period, although there were no deaths. LV late gadolinium enhancement was associated with adverse outcomes in a univariate model (P = .027). However, when adjusted for age at scan the significant variables included NYHA class (P = .006), peak oxygen uptake (P = .028), number of prior sternotomies (P = .044), and higher indexed RV and LV end diastolic volumes (P = .002 and P < .001), but not RV or LV late gadolinium enhancement. Conclusions: Formal quantification of late gadolinium enhancement is not currently as helpful in ascertaining prognosis compared to other, more easily assessed parameters in a contemporary cohort of tetralogy of Fallot survivors, however assessment particularly of the LV holds promise for the future

A Distinct Translation Initiation Mechanism Generates Cryptic Peptides for Immune Surveillance

MHC class I molecules present a comprehensive mixture of peptides on the cell surface for immune surveillance. The peptides represent the intracellular protein milieu produced by translation of endogenous mRNAs. Unexpectedly, the peptides are encoded not only in conventional AUG initiated translational reading frames but also in alternative cryptic reading frames. Here, we analyzed how ribosomes recognize and use cryptic initiation codons in the mRNA. We find that translation initiation complexes assemble at non-AUG codons but differ from canonical AUG initiation in response to specific inhibitors acting within the peptidyl transferase and decoding centers of the ribosome. Thus, cryptic translation at non-AUG start codons can utilize a distinct initiation mechanism which could be differentially regulated to provide peptides for immune surveillance