The study of Polish consumer's online brand-related activities

The development of new online trends, particularly the Web 2.0, has caused a social engagement growth of Internet users and, as a result, further development of social networking channels and other different types of interactive platforms. The Internet encourages consumers to interact with web sites, and through them with other users. It also enables them to create content on any subject, as for instance, associated with brands and products. Consequently, generating a valuable source of information and research area for organizations. This study aims to identify the involvement of Polish Internet users with consumer's online brand related activities (COBRA). Concerning this issue, the authors investigated a total of 2253 Internet users in an exploratory study revealing the intensity of their participation in 31 activities ranging from low to high engagement. It turned out that Polish consumers are more willing to engage into activities belonging to the consuming COBRA type, rather than to the ones pertinent to the creating COBRA type. Rozwój nowych trendów w internecie, w szczególności web 2.0, spowodował wzrost społecznego zaangażowania internautów oraz rozwój kanałów społecznościowych, a tym samym różnego typu platform interaktywnych. Między innymi dzięki temu internet wciąż jest atrakcyjny dla organizacji i zachęca internautów do interakcji z witrynami, a za ich pośrednictwem z innymi użytkownikami sieci. Umożliwia im tworzenie treści o różnej tematyce, na przykład związanej z markami produktów. Zrealizowane badanie ma na celu poznanie aktywności online konsumentów dotyczącej marek w Polsce (COBRA – consumer’s online brand-related activities). W badaniu eksploracyjnym wzięło udział 2253 internautów. Posłużono się instrumentem badawczym złożonym z 31 przykładów aktywności konsumentów, które mają miejsce w internecie . Artykuł otwiera przegląd literatury na temat COBRA, następnie zaprezentowano przyjętą w badaniu metodę oraz dokonano analizy uzyskanych wyników. Opracowanie kończą wnioski wynikające z badania oraz implikacje dla pracy menedżerów marek. W artykule zawarto także sugestie odnoszące się do dalszych badań nad sieciową aktywnością konsumentów dotyczącą marek

Brand trust as a mediator between perceived risk and electronic word-of-mouth

The development of Internet and the access of consumers to social media influence their online engagement. This also reflects on how consumers write online opinions about brands and products. This survey objective was to research the influence of the perceived risk and brand trust on the consumers’ engagement with electronic word-of-mouth. The authors investigate the role of brand trust as a mediator in the relationship between perceived risk and eWOM. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyse data from 319 Polish consumers. The results indicated a negative influence of the perceived risk on consumes’ brand trust. A positive influence was detected from the perceived risk and brand trust on the consumers’ engagement with eWOM. Finally, brand trust was detected to negatively mediate the relationship between the perceived risk and eWOM

Antecedents and consequences of brand loyalty

The objective of this paper is to review, systematize, and summarize empirical research on the antecedents and consequences of brand loyalty. The literature review has identified five categories of antecedents to brand loyalty associated with consumer, brand, social, corporate and relational factors. The type of loyalty formed varies according to the combination of various antecedents, with premium loyalty being considered the most desirable. Apart from summarizing the literature on brand loyalty, this review has practical implications for marketing managers. Customer expectations at each stage of the customer decision process must be understood, and therefore combined with the various antecedents to incite premium loyalty. Managers must apply not just behavioural but also affective components in their marketing strategies to achieve optimal results

Literature review on conceptualisation of online consumer engagement

The purpose of the current study is to develop a literature review on “online consumer engagement” (OCE). Articles from 2006 to 2016 published in the market- ing journals and other related journals have been reviewed to summarise the OCE concept. Although there is not an agreed definition and conceptualisation of OCE, this study classified the concept as either behavioural or psychological within the dimensions of cognitive, emotional, and behavioural type. The objects of OCE also were grouped as engagement with a brand, online brand community, and multiple engagement objects to address the importance of interactive nature of “customer engagement” (CE), which allows customers to engage with multiple objects at the same time. Finally, this study provides the most updated review on the OCE concept in the context of online engagement

Laxer clinical criteria for gaming disorder may hinder future efforts to devise an efficient diagnostic approach: a tree-based model study

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has been recognized in May 2013 and can be evaluated using the criteria developed by American Psychiatric Association (APA). The present study investigated the role each IGD criteria plays in diagnosing disordered gaming. A total of 3377 participants (mean age 20 years, SD = 4.3 years) participated in the study. The data collected was scrutinized to detect patterns of IGD using Conditional Inference Tree (Ctree), a sophisticated machine algorithm. Participants provided basic sociodemographic information and completed the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF). The results identified classes of IGD-related symptoms, indicating that endorsing ‘withdrawal’ and ‘loss of control’ increases the probability of disordered gaming by 77.77% while endorsement of ‘withdrawal’, ‘loss of control’ and ‘negative consequences’ increases the probability of disordered gaming by 26.66%. Moreover, lack of endorsement of ‘withdrawal’ and endorsement of ‘preoccupation’ increases the likelihood of disordered gaming by 7.14%. Taken together, the results obtained illustrate that different IGD criteria can present with different clinical weighing as unique diagnostic roles in the development of disordered gaming can be evidenced by each criterion. Moreover, the present findings help inform future revisions of diagnostic manuals and helps enhancing the assessment of IGD in the future. Additional research and clinical implications are discussed

Exploring the role of social media use motives, psychological well-being, self-esteem, and affect in problematic social media use

Given recent advances in technology, connectivity, and the popularity of social media platforms, recent literature has devoted great attention to problematic Facebook use. However, exploring the potential predictors of problematic social media use beyond Facebook use has become paramount given the increasing popularity of multiple alternative platforms. In this study, a sample of 584 social media users (Mage = 32.28 years; 67.81% female) was recruited to complete an online survey assessing sociodemographic characteristics, patterns, and preferences of social media use, problematic social media use (PSMU), social media use motives, psychological well-being, self-esteem, and positive and negative affect. Results indicated that 6.68% (n = 39) of all respondents could be potentially classed as problematic users. Moreover, further analysis indicated that intrapersonal motive (β = 0.38), negative affect (β = 0.22), daily social media use (β = 0.18), surveillance motive (β = 0.12), and positive affect (β = −0.09) each predicted PSMU. These variables accounted for about 37% of the total variance in PSMU, with intrapersonal motive driving the greatest predictive contribution, over and above the effects of patterns of social media use and sociodemographic variables. These findings contribute to the increasing literature on PSMU. The results of this study are discussed in light of the existing literature on PSMU

Design of a Planting Module for an Automatic Device for Forest Regeneration

Forest regeneration by means of seedlings grown in container nurseries is usually performed manually with the use of the standard dibble bar or the tube dibble. Manual placement of a large number of seedlings in the soil requires a lot of work. Manual removal of the soil cover and digging the soil in spots with a diameter of 0.4 m requires, under average conditions, about 38 man-hours/ha, while planting with a dibble bar requires about 34 man-hours/ha. Additional work time is needed to carry seedlings over an area that is being afforested. At present, forestry does not have automatic planters that would enable the establishment of forest cultures. The aim of the paper is to present the concept of an autonomous robot and an innovative technology of performing forest regeneration and afforestation of former agricultural and reclaimed areas. The paper also presents the design solutions of the key working unit, which is a universal, openable dibble, cooperating with a three-toothed shaft to prepare a planting spot. The solution proposed enables continuous operation of the machine, i.e. without the need to stop the base vehicle

Mesoscale Atmospheric Transport of Ragweed Pollen Allergens from Infected to Uninfected Areas

Allergenic ragweed (Ambrosia spp.) pollen grains, after being released from anthers, can be dispersed by air masses far from their source. However, the action of air temperature,humidity and solar radiation on pollen grains in the atmosphere could impact on the ability of long distance transported (LDT) pollen to maintain allergenic potency. Here, we report that the major allergen of Ambrosia artemisiifolia pollen (Amb a 1) collected in ambient air during episodes of LDT still have immunoreactive properties. The amount of Amb a 1 found in LDT ragweed pollen grains was not constant and varied between episodes. In addition to allergens in pollen sized particles, we detected reactive Amb a 1 in subpollen sized respirable particles. These findings suggest that ragweed pollen grains have the potential to cause allergic reactions, not only in the heavily infested areas but, due to LDT episodes, also in the regions unaffected by ragweed populations

Preoperative quantification of aortic valve stenosis: comparison of 64-slice computed tomography with transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography and size of implanted prosthesis

Precise measurements of aortic complex diameters are essential for preoperative examinations of patients with aortic stenosis (AS) scheduled for aortic valve (AV) replacement. We aimed to prospectively compare the accuracy of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) measurements of the AV complex and to analyze the role of the multi-modality aortic annulus diameter (AAd) assessment in the selection of the optimal prosthesis to be implanted in patients surgically treated for degenerative AS. 20 patients (F/M: 3/17; age: 69 ± 6.5 years) with severe degenerative AS were enrolled into the study. TTE, TEE and MSCT including AV calcium score (AVCS) assessment were performed in all patients. The values of AAd obtained in the long AV complex axis (TTE, TEE, MSCT) and in multiplanar perpendicular imaging (MSCT) were compared to the size of implanted prosthesis. The mean AAd was 24 ± 3.6 mm using TTE, 26 ± 4.2 mm using TEE, and 26.9 ± 3.2 in MSCT (P = 0.04 vs. TTE). The mean diameter of the left ventricle out-flow tract in TTE (19.9 ± 2.7 mm) and TEE (19.5 ± 2.7 mm) were smaller than in MSCT (24.9 ± 3.3 mm, P < 0.001 for both). The mean size of implanted prosthesis (22.2 ± 2.3 mm) was significantly smaller than the mean AAd measured by TTE (P = 0.0039), TEE (P = 0.0004), and MSCT (P < 0.0001). The implanted prosthesis size correlated significantly to the AAd: r = 0.603, P = 0.005 for TTE, r = 0.592, P = 0.006 for TEE, and r = 0.791, P < 0.001 for MSCT. Obesity and extensive valve calcification (AV calcium score ≥ 3177Ag.U.) were identified as potent factors that caused a deterioration of both TTE and MSCT performance. The accuracy of AAd measurements in TEE was only limited by AV calcification. In multivariate regression analysis the mean value of the minimum and maximum AAd obtained in MSCT-multiplanar perpendicular imaging was an independent factor (r = 0.802, P < 0.0001) predicting the size of implanted prosthesis. In patients with AS echocardiography remains the main diagnostics tool in clinical practice. MSCT as a 3-dimentional modality allows for accurate measurement of entire AV complex and facilitates optimal matching of prosthesis size