Shopping Preference: A Comparative Study of American and Taiwanese Perceptions

With a growing number of households turning towards the Internet and the world of e-commerce to shop, invest, make payments, and do online banking, it is crucial for online businesses to understand why some consumers prefer online shopping and some prefer shopping at a physical store. It is also important to investigate further whether their shopping preference is influenced by culture. This study aims at comparing the shopping preference between the consumers in the U.S. and in Taiwan. Three hundred and seventy-two (372) Americans and three hundred twenty- six (326) Taiwanese participated in this study. Five factors of shopping perception, including perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, past online shopping experience, perceived security, and perceived uncertainty, were measured and compared between the two groups. The research findings may be used by online businesses to help recognize the factors that influence shopping preference of these two nationalities. The results should help online businesses gain an understanding of these factors and thus direct their efforts to develop features that satisfy the needs of their target customers and alter their business model to promote factors that have a positive influence on consumer adoption of online shopping

Vertical Integration in the Taiwan Aquaculture Industry

The study aims to improve the distribution channels in the Taiwan aquaculture industry through a better vertical integration. This study is derived from a need to improve the distribution performance of agricultural-based industries in response to increasing food demands in Asia and elsewhere. Based on a four-by-eight matrix derived from both a value chain and a service profit chain, thirty different strategies are developed. This development is based on key success factors and strategies for vertical integration interviewed and cited in the literatures. The findings are identified by applying the Gray Relational Analysis (GRA). For this study, the key success factors for aquaculture wholesale markets include the communication, integration and cohesion of opinion within the wholesale market; government support; andmutual trust between members of the vertical integration scheme. The suitable vertical integration strategies are an improved safety and hygiene inspection of aquaculture products, accuracy of aquaculture product categorization, and precision in product weighing.aquaculture industry, grey relational analysis (GRA), channels integration

To Recycle e-Waste or Not: Understanding Consumers' Intention from the Lens of Behavioral Theories

The study was conducted to explore and understand factors that determine consumers' intention to recycle e-waste from the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT). A cross-sectional survey was designed and data was collected from 339 respondents who used an extensive number of electronic devices. The findings suggest positive attitudes towards recycling; social norms and perceived behavioral control are significant to the intention to recycle e-waste. In addition, attitude is explained by two determinants; reasons for recycling and environmental value. Finally, environmental value is also significant in explaining reasons for and reasons against recycling. The study is important for theoretical and managerial implications in describing consumers' acceptance of e-waste recycling by considering the values that promote the act, and the risks that prohibit them from acting positively. Likewise, the findings would help in building an impactful environmental protection regulation for the sustainability agenda

Integrating SWOT analysis into the FMEA methodology to improve corrective action decision making

Improving the method for selecting risk-based competing improvement strategies has equal importance with failure risk quantification in the FMEA methodology. Nevertheless, there are few studies which focus on this issue. Furthermore, the influence of factors relating to the business environment which may support or derail improvement efforts is not considered in previous studies. In order to address these limitations, a model is proposed in which the impact of environmental factors is considered by integrating SWOT analysis into the FMEA method in order to support the appraisal of competing risk-based improvement efforts. The impact of SWOT variables is deployed using a decision support model based upon the benefit, cost, opportunity, risk and organisational readiness index (BCOR2) approach in order for the FMEA team to select from competing corrective actions. A case example from industry is provided in which the proposed model is applied. This example illustrates that this new model contributes successfully to good practice by identifying the most appropriate corrective action option to take and improves upon the decisions provided by existing developments of the FMEA methodolog

Top Taiwanese and Turkish companies and their engagement with corporate ethics

The objective of this paper is to describe and compare the current, emerging Taiwanese and Turkish interest in corporate ethical engagement. This paper is based upon a survey amongst the top companies operating in Taiwan and Turkey. There are major differences between the top Taiwanese and Turkish companies, where the Turkish companies appear to be more ethically engaged than the Taiwanese companies which came as a surprise to the researchers as Taiwan is a more substantially developed economy than Turkey and one may have assumed therefore more engaged with ethical practices.<br /

Examination of the codes of ethics artefacts in top Taiwanese companies

This study examines the use of codes of ethics artefacts among top companies in Taiwan. This research reports on the responses of those top Taiwanese companies that possessed a code of ethics. The empirical findings are compared to the findings of previous research. Top Taiwanese companies appear not to be drastically different from top companies in other countries in terms of the areas examined. Several similarities have been revealed. This study provides valuable insights into a previously unexplored corporate territory in terms of codes of ethics artefacts. Furthermore, it provides a seed and guidance for further research in other corporate cultures worldwide. Two parts of interest to business practices may be distinguished in terms of corporate codes of ethics artefacts, namely a regulatory one and one that supports staff. It also provides a valuable point of reference to previous research of corporate codes of ethics artefacts.<br /

Lung Epithelial TRPA1 Mediates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Lung Inflammation in Bronchial Epithelial Cells and Mice

Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 was originally thought to be the sole pattern recognition receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), a Ca2+-permeant channel, has been suggested as a non-TLR receptor membrane-bound sensor of LPS. We recently reported that TRPA1 is expressed in lung epithelial cells (LECs) and mediates lung inflammation induced by cigarette smoke. However, the role of TRPA1 in LPS-induced lung inflammation has not been conclusively defined, and its underlying cellular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, our in vitro results showed that LPS sequentially produced a cascade of events, including the elevation of intracellular Ca2+, the activation of NADPH oxidase, increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/nuclear factor-kB (NF-κB) signaling, and the induction of IL-8. The increase in intracellular Ca2+ was inhibited by HC030031 (a TRPA1 antagonist) but was unaffected by TAK-242 (a TLR-4 inhibitor). The activation of NADPH oxidase was prevented by its inhibitor apocynin, EGTA (an extracellular Ca2+ chelator), and HC030031. The increase in intracellular ROS was attenuated by apocynin, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC, a ROS scavenger), EGTA, and HC030031. The activation of the MAPK/NF-κB signaling was halted by NAC, EGTA, and HC030031. IL-8 induction was suppressed by HC030031 and TRPA1 siRNA, and further reduced by the combination of HC030031 and TAK-242. Our in vivo studies showed that trpa1–/– mice exhibited a reduced level of LPS-induced lung inflammation compared with wild-type mice as evidenced by the alleviations of increases in vascular permeability, inflammatory cell infiltration, inflammatory cytokine levels, oxidative stress, and MAPK signaling activation. Thus, in LECs, LPS may activate TRPA1 resulting in an increase in Ca2+ influx. The increased intracellular Ca2+ leads to NADPH oxidase activation, which causes an increase in intracellular ROS. The intracellular ROS activates the MAPK/NF-κB signaling resulting in IL-8 induction. This mechanism may possibly be at work to induce lung inflammation in mice