From dataset to qualitative comparative analysis (QCA)—Challenges and tricky points: A research note on contrarian case analysis and data calibration

This research note provides technical aspects of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) for scholars seeking to better understanding the potentiality of the method. The note answers a few frequently asked questions about contrarian case analysis and data calibration and show how to implement these two relevant steps technically and appropriately. This study provides useful details and technical explanations on why and how to turn case data by using contrarian case analysis and how to calibrate data into fuzzy sets

"THE ROLE OF GREEN EXPERIENTIAL QUALITY, SATISFACTION, AND AUTHENTICITY ON TOURISTS PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL INTENTION"

This research investigates the impact of green experiential quality, experiential satisfaction, and perceived authenticity on tourists’ pro-environmental behavior. Based on an extension of the service quality framework, experiential quality related to green practices represents an extension that goes beyond the tourists’ evaluation of the functional attributes provided by the hospitality sector and the hotel suppliers. In fact, it reflects the tourists’ affective response to their desired socio-psychological benefits linked to the ability of the hospitality offering to consider the specific consumers’ sustainable needs. The preliminary findings are based on 300 green hotel customers and data are analyzed through a moderated-mediated analysis conducted via PROCESS macro for SPSS. Our results confirm the role of green experiential quality in driving the tourist towards pro-environmental behavior during the tourism experience. It does so via the mediation role played by the consequent experiential satisfaction deriving from the hotel green practices quality. Surprisingly, our findings found no support for the moderating role of authenticity in fostering the relationship between green quality and perceived satisfaction. Our study suggests valuable insights for both managers and scholars related to the antecedents of pro-environmental behavior deriving from hotel green practices

Supply chain management for circular economy: conceptual framework and research agenda

Circular economy (CE) initiatives are taking hold across both developed and developing nations. Central to these initiatives is the reconfiguration of core supply chain management (SCM) processes that underlie current production and consumption patterns. This conceptual article provides a detailed discussion of how supply chain processes can support the successful implementation of CE. The article highlights areas of convergence in hopes of sparking collaboration among scholars and practitioners in SCM, CE, and related fields

The challenge of remanufactured products: the role of returns policy and channel structure to reduce consumers' perceived risk

While remanufactured products represent an increasingly researched phenomenon in the literature, not much is known about consumers' understanding and acceptance of such products. This study explores this issue in the context of the theory of perceived risk (TPR), investigating return policy leniency and distribution channel choice as potential factors to foster remanufactured products' sales

After-sales service as a driver for word-of-mouth and customer satisfaction: insights from the automotive industry

This study aims to study the effect of the after-sales service experience and its quality on overall customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth (WOM) within the automotive industry. Based on the additional marketing mix elements required for service marketing (people, process and physical evidence, respectively), we investigated the effects of after-sales service experience quality on both satisfaction and WOM. Data were collected through a survey of 210 customers in the automotive industry. Respondents were asked to evaluate several items related to their after-sales service experience for car maintenance services provided by authorised dealers. Data were analysed using a linear regression model and R software. The results showed evidence of a relationship between satisfaction and the desire to recommend, and supported the fact that after-sales service satisfaction represents an antecedent of consumer satisfaction and WOM. However, not all elements of the aftersales experience had a significant impact on the two output dimensions (satisfaction and WOM). This might lead managers to consider which of the main elements of the aftersales service consumers consider more when evaluating their satisfaction with the dealer and what elements they are more willing to talk to other people about. This study contributes to enriching the existing knowledge regarding after-sales experiences and the impact of this phase of the consumer\u2019s decision process on their overall satisfaction and the related WOM

Green Logistics in Italy: New challenge for sustainable development

Balancing economic and environmental performance has become increasingly important for organizations facing competitive, regulatory, and community pressures (Shultz and Holbrook, 1999). The term sustainability has begun to appear in the literature of business disciplines and companies also are starting to adopt this (Aref et al. 2005; Sarkis, 2002; Hill, 2001; Norman and MacDonald, 2004; Carter, 2008).The term logistics within the field of supply chain management has been widely defined (Bowersox, 1986; Christopher, 1998; Signori, 2004; Frankel et all, 2008. Furthermore, scholars studied logistics as an environmental and social issue, from the development of environmental logistics strategies (Murphy et al., 1996) to the improvement of fuel efficiency and emissions reduction from transportation equipment (McKinnon et al., 1993; Stock, 1978) including research about safety in motor carrier, rail, and airline industries (Weener and Wheeler, 1992; Crum et al., 1995; Cantor et al., 2006).It is well known that freight transport increases the amount of pollution, traffic congestion, gas emissions and energy consumption. However, Poist (1989) maintains that logistics is especially well positioned to contribute to environmental and ecological control in terms of packaging issues, pollution control, and energy and resource conservation (Murphy, 1996; Stock, 1998, Siviero 2005). Green logistics is largely studied in the literature in the international context; yet very little research exists to know better what the role of green logistics in sustainable issues in Italy.This article analyzes the state of art of green logistics in Italy, which still constitutes an unexplored field. We developed a conceptual paper in which we defined green logistics as the sum of three aspects: reverse logistics, with particular regards to recycling, source reduction, reuse of materials, waste disposal, refurbishing, repair and remanufacturing (Jahre, 1995; Stock, 1998; Russo, 2008); city logistics in order to understand how the razionalization of urban freight transport is essential for sustainable economic growth (Taniguchi, Van der Heijden, 2000; Maggi 2003) and the intelligent distribution (Onofri,1997; Ottimo and Vona, 2001), in which the selection of transport modes with low impact, intermodality and freight villages have been considered.To summarize, this lack of consideration of green logistics in Italy lead to the following research questions:1. What are the main pillars of green Logistics in Italy?2. What are the drivers of Green Logistics in Italy?3. What is the link between Green Logistics and sustainability in Italy?In Italy we noticed that the most effective approach is top-down, where green practices are imposed by norms/law or restriction. However, there are a few cases where the willingness to be greener comes from the single firm, where the entrepreneurial culture has been changing and turning into a more sustainable way; not just for following a government restriction or norm but from inside the company or from a customer request.Reverse logistics from the environmental perspective supports environmentally sound practices such as recycling, remanufacturing, reuse and recall. The basic principle is that the lengthening of a product\u2019s or material\u2019s life typically has environmental benefits. City logistics as well as the Intelligent Distribution System are still in an experimental phase of environmental policies of Italy except for a few cases. Further improvements can be done: the possible solutions can be onerous and radical, such as night urban freight transport, UDC (Urban Distribution Centre), pick up and delivery points, new freight transport systems; or less onerous such as time regulations (loading time/ access time), controlling transport load factors, parking fees, night deliveries, vehicle weight and size regulations, road pricing (Taniguchi, 2000). This article analyzes the state of art of green logistics in Italy, which still constitutes an unexplored field. Thus we defined green logistics as the sum of three aspects linked with logistics: reverse logistics, city logistics and intelligent distribution

Consumer\u2019s e-signals Prism analysis: impact and implications for corporate communication strategy

Purpose of the paper: Based on a conceptual framework of the updated communication process analysis, this paper seeks to test and validate new requirements and tools for brand audits in online contexts (C-Radar and Prism Analysis Table). Methodology: This study was realized through the analysis of textual discourse in several social media, adopting an automated sentiment software crawler which downloaded texts converted them into quantitative data. The sample was related to 50 global brands of eight industries by collecting information from 19236 messages and measuring three main variables: Brand Noise, Valence and Value. Findings: The study empirically enriches the state of the art related to communication audit by including and analysing the external messages and stimuli of online contexts. Limitation: Although we worked to reduce limitations, some biased errors remain due to the data collection software (misinterpretation of key words, coexistence of persons/slangs/common words similar to the brand name). Another limitation, timing of the one-shot observation, has been compensated by the large sample. Managerial implication: Through this approach, firms will understand whether to integrate e-signals within companies\u2019 communication strategies how to intervene (if needed), and how to influence the new stimuli message. Originality of the paper: The research suggests a model for communication process analysis, including the main external consumers\u2019 messages and the tracking and understanding of the valence and noise of these messages. In addition, it allows the evaluation of their impact on corporate communication strategies related to social network environments

Innovation and the circular economy: A systematic literature review

The circular economy emerged as an alternative model to the linear system, which now appears to be reaching its physical limitations. To transition to a circular economy, companies must not only be aware of but also engage in more sustainable practices. For such a transition, companies must rethink and innovate their business models and the ways they propose value to their clients while simultaneously considering environmental and social facets. This systematic literature review sought to map out from the company perspective the key topics interrelated with innovation and the circular economy, describing the internal and external factors to consider in such transition processes. Key lines of research were identified, and suggestions for future research and for facilitating movement toward a circular economy are provided. This work contributes to deepening the literature by identifying the priority areas concerning the circular economy and encouraging future research that meets international standards of excellence.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prospective Observational Study of Pazopanib in Patients with Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma (PRINCIPAL Study)

Background: Real-world data are essential to accurately assessing efficacy and toxicity of approved agents in everyday practice. PRINCIPAL, a prospective, observational study, was designed to confirm the real-world safety and efficacy of pazopanib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Subjects, Materials, and Methods: Patients with clear cell advanced/metastatic RCC and a clinical decision to initiate pazopanib treatment within 30 days of enrollment were eligible. Primary objectives included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), relative dose intensity (RDI) and its effect on treatment outcomes, change in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and safety. We also compared characteristics and outcomes of clinical-trial-eligible (CTE) patients, defined using COMPARZ trial eligibility criteria, with those of non-clinical-trial-eligible (NCTE) patients. Secondary study objectives were to evaluate clinical efficacy, safety, and RDI in patient subgroups. Results: Six hundred fifty-seven patients were enrolled and received ≥1 dose of pazopanib. Median PFS and OS were 10.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.2–12.0) and 29.9 months (95% CI, 24.7 to not reached), respectively, and the ORR was 30.3%. HRQoL showed no or little deterioration over time. Treatment-related serious adverse events (AEs) and AEs of special interest occurred in 64 (9.7%), and 399 (60.7%) patients, respectively. More patients were classified NCTE than CTE (85.2% vs. 14.8%). Efficacy of pazopanib was similar between the two groups. Conclusion: PRINCIPAL confirms the efficacy and safety of pazopanib in patients with advanced/metastatic RCC in a real-world clinical setting. Implications for Practice: PRINCIPAL is the largest (n = 657) prospective, observational study of pazopanib in patients with advanced/metastatic renal cell carcinoma, to the authors’ knowledge. Consistent with clinical trial results that often contain specific patient types, the PRINCIPAL study demonstrated that the effectiveness and safety of pazopanib is similarly safe and effective in patients with advanced kidney cancer in a real-world clinical setting. The PRINCIPAL study showed that patients with advanced kidney cancer who are treated with first-line pazopanib generally do not show disease progression for approximately 10 months and generally survive for nearly 30 months