Mobile word of mouth (m-WOM): analysing its negative impact on webrooming in omnichannel retailing

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to analyse the influence of mobile word of mouth (m-WOM), received at the physical store, which “challenges” the consumer's preferences in a webrooming experience. The impacts of the social relationship between the sender and the receiver of the m-WOM and product category (electronics versus fashion accessories) are examined. Design/methodology/approach: An online experiment was carried out which manipulated the presence and type of challenging m-WOM, and product category, in a 3 × 2 between-subjects factorial design. The participants were 204 consumers recruited through a market research agency. Their perceptions about the helpfulness of the m-WOM, and their product preferences and choices, were analysed. Findings: Receiving in-store m-WOM was perceived as helpful by webroomers and affected their preferences and choices. For electronics online reviews posted by anonymous customers were more influential than friends' opinions, whereas the opposite was the case with fashion accessories. The trustworthiness and expertise of the m-WOM source may explain the effects of m-WOM. Practical implications: m-WOM entails challenges and opportunities for retailers in the omnichannel era. The findings suggest that allowing customers to access m-WOM may be beneficial; however, retailers must consider the type of m-WOM that may be most suitable for their businesses. Recommendations for referral and review sites are also offered. Originality/value: This study examines the impact of challenging m-WOM on shopping experiences, combining online, mobile and physical channels. The results revealed the importance of the information source and product category in the determination of consumers' perceptions of helpfulness, preferences and choice

First order phase transition in the anisotropic quantum orbital compass model

We investigate the anisotropic quantum orbital compass model on an infinite square lattice by means of the infinite projected entangled-pair state algorithm. For varying values of the $J_x$ and $J_z$ coupling constants of the model, we approximate the ground state and evaluate quantities such as its expected energy and local order parameters. We also compute adiabatic time evolutions of the ground state, and show that several ground states with different local properties coexist at $J_x = J_z$. All our calculations are fully consistent with a first order quantum phase transition at this point, thus corroborating previous numerical evidence. Our results also suggest that tensor network algorithms are particularly fitted to characterize first order quantum phase transitions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, major revision with new result

The impact of virtual, augmented and mixed reality technologies on the customer experience

The arrival of Virtual-Reality, Augmented-Reality, and Mixed-Reality technologies is shaping a new environment where physical and virtual objects are integrated at different levels. Due to the development of portable and embodied devices, together with highly interactive, physical-virtual connections, the customer experience landscape is evolving into new types of hybrid experiences. However, the boundaries between these new realities, technologies and experiences have not yet been clearly established by researchers and practitioners. This paper aims to offer a better understanding of these concepts and integrate technological (embodiment), psychological (presence), and behavioral (interactivity) perspectives to propose a new taxonomy of technologies, namely the “EPI Cube”. The cube allows academics and managers to classify all technologies, current and potential, which might support or empower customer experiences, but can also produce new experiences along the customer journey. The paper concludes with theoretical and managerial implications, as well as a future research agenda

Simulation of many-qubit quantum computation with matrix product states

Matrix product states provide a natural entanglement basis to represent a quantum register and operate quantum gates on it. This scheme can be materialized to simulate a quantum adiabatic algorithm solving hard instances of a NP-Complete problem. Errors inherent to truncations of the exact action of interacting gates are controlled by the size of the matrices in the representation. The property of finding the right solution for an instance and the expected value of the energy are found to be remarkably robust against these errors. As a symbolic example, we simulate the algorithm solving a 100-qubit hard instance, that is, finding the correct product state out of ~ 10^30 possibilities. Accumulated statistics for up to 60 qubits point at a slow growth of the average minimum time to solve hard instances with highly-truncated simulations of adiabatic quantum evolution.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, final versio

Links between ease of use, perceived usefulness and attitudes towards technology in older people in university: A structural equation modelling approach

Technological resources have the potential to improve the quality of life in a context in which social pressure for the use of these tools is increasing. In this sense, the adoption of technological resources by the elderly is a highly complex issue because numerous and varied factors are involved. Precisely for this reason, this study aims to analyze the effects that exist between a series of dimensions related to the perception of older people regarding the ease of use, the perceived usefulness of technological tools, attitudes towards technology and their intention to use them in everyday life. To do this, 415 adults (M = 66.27 years) enrolled in a program at the University of Experience in the Spanish context completed an online questionnaire. The application of a Structural Equations Model for data analysis highlights that the perceived ease of use of the technology has a positive effect on the perceived usefulness of these resources. Similarly, an indirect effect of the perceived usefulness of technology on the intention to use these resources is observed through the manifestation of positive attitudes towards the use of digital tools

Contextualizing gender issues and inclusive education: an analysis of the perceptions of primary education teachers

This study explores the experiences and perceptions of primary education teachers regarding the struggle for gender equality in schools located in an area in northern Spain. In addition, it analyses the measures carried out in classrooms and schools to achieve this objective that are influenced by social and cultural factors, and does so within a scenario consisting of an inclusive school that advocates equality as one of its fundamental ethical principles. The study is included in the paradigm of qualitative research, and eight teachers from three public schools were interviewed. The teachers expressed their broad dissatisfaction with the generally limited involvement of the schools and the educational community in promoting gender equality, which is influenced by different social and cultural dynamics. Lines of action are proposed that motivate teachers to take responsibility for their teaching practice in order to guarantee gender equality in a context of cultural diversity

Neuromarketing en Investigación de Mercados: Una Revisión Práctica sobre su Pasado, Presente y Futuro

El neuromarketing consiste en la aplicación de técnicas de neurociencia al marketing para comprender el comportamiento del consumidor. Actualmente el neuromarketing está teniendo un gran desarrollo, ya que complementan la visión de los métodos tradicionales de investigación comercial. El presente trabajo se estructura en dos partes: en primer lugar, se presenta una revisión sobre el concepto y la evolución del neuromarketing, con el objetivo de conocer el grado de alcance que esta nueva metodología de investigación de mercados tiene para el mundo académico y empresarial. Además, se exponen las principales técnicas y tecnologías de neuromarketing, y se realiza una revisión de trabajos publicados desde el inicio del siglo XXI. De este modo, se ofrece una visión actualizada y organizada de las principales investigaciones con técnicas de neuromarketing, identificando cuatro grandes campos de aplicación: toma de decisiones, marca, emociones y publicidad. La segunda parte del trabajo, de carácter empírico, presenta los resultados de una investigación cualitativa con el objetivo de explorar el conocimiento, percepción, y expectativas de futuro del neuromarketing desde el ámbito empresarial (entrevista en profundidad a un profesional experto) y desde el punto de vista del consumidor (dos grupos de discusión con consumidores de diferentes rangos de edad). El debate ético que plantea el uso de las tecnologías de neuromarketing también es analizado. Finalmente, y ante la dificultad realizar un estudio cuantitativo utilizando tecnologías de neuromarketing, se tratará de replicar y extender a otro contexto los resultados de uno de los experimentos más famosos y difundidos en neuromarketing, mediante el uso de técnicas de comunicación. Con todo ello, se pretende ofrecer una visión general sobre el neuromarketing y su importancia para empresas, académicos y consumidores

Digital competence of university teachers of social and legal sciences from a gender perspective

Higher Education institutions must respond to the major challenges posed by the technological transformations of recent years. For this, one of the key aspects is that the teachers working in them are trained to incorporate these technologies in teaching–learning processes, which requires them to be digitally competent. To analyse how gender relates to the level of competence of teachers, the types of ICT tools that they use, and their attitudes towards their implementation in teaching– learning processes, this quantitative research was carried out with the participation of 121 university teachers from the Autonomous Community of Aragon, all of them from the area of Social and Legal Sciences. The results show a differentiated profile between men and women in terms of their attitudes, beliefs, and self-perception regarding their management skills and effectiveness. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Geometric entanglement from matrix product state representations

An efficient scheme to compute the geometric entanglement per lattice site for quantum many-body systems on a periodic finite-size chain is proposed in the context of a tensor network algorithm based on the matrix product state representations. It is systematically tested for three prototypical critical quantum spin chains, which belong to the same Ising universality class. The simulation results lend strong support to the previous claim [Q.-Q. Shi, R. Or\'{u}s, J. O. Fj{\ae}restad, and H.-Q. Zhou, New J. Phys \textbf{12}, 025008 (2010); J.-M. St\'{e}phan, G. Misguich, and F. Alet, Phys. Rev. B \textbf{82}, 180406R (2010)] that the leading finite-size correction to the geometric entanglement per lattice site is universal, with its remarkable connection to the celebrated Affleck-Ludwig boundary entropy corresponding to a conformally invariant boundary condition.Comment: 4+ pages, 3 figure

Sistemas de ayuda entre iguales con poblaciones de niños del espectro autista en escuelas inclusivas. Una revisión sistemática

As a result of inclusion-oriented policies, in recent years a growing interest in all children learn together in schools is detected. Concretizing for the population of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, this approach has led a rejection of more individualized to let emerge an educational inclusive perspective, emphasizing the importance of peer influence with typical development (TD) in their social and communicative skills. The pedagogic use of peer support systems involves teaching a series of strategies and guidelines to children without difficulties in order to facilitate the social interaction of children wits ASD. In this way, in this systematic review it appears the systematic analysis of 11 empirical studies using support and peer assistance with children with ASD in inclusive school settings. After data extraction, certain differences are found in the type of training given to children with TD and in activities implemented with peers with ASD, depending on educational stage where they are and the place where the intervention is implemented. For both educational stages (elementary and primary), role-playing and modeling are the two most commonly adopted procedures to training peers who are going to implement later the peer support system with children with TEA. At the time of implementing these interventions, the type of activity par excellence used in the kindergarten stage, is the game, while more complex activities such as reinforcing communicative attempts and attracting attention, are introduced in primary