The need for reassurance and modern food consumption

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 880-893
Author(s):  
Wejdene Yangui ◽  
Nibrass Hajtaïeb El Aoud
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Moderating Factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of the need for reassurance, while emphasizing the role of perceived traceability. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through individual interviews, and analyzed by thematic analysis. Findings – Results showed that the traceability of modern foods is low perceived by the consumers. This indirectly influences the need for reassurance toward the modern foods by reducing the confidence in these products and strengthening the feeling about the risk associated to their consumption. Research limitations/implications – The major limits of this paper concern the development of the research model through the means of an exploratory study. This can affect the possibility to generalize results since the described hypotheses are not quantitatively validated. Another limit is concerned by the non-investigation of moderating factors, which can be the object of future researches. Originality/value – This paper is one of the few efforts integrating the need for reassurance in a theoretical model of consumer behavior, and explaining its origins. This justifies the use of a qualitative methodology.

From campfire to coliseum: motivations for using social networks

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Castro Pires de Souza Chimenti ◽  
Marco Aurelio de Souza Rodrigues ◽  
Marcelo Guedes Carneiro ◽  
Roberta Dias Campos
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Collective Narrative

Purpose Through a literature review, a gap has been identified regarding the role of competition as a driver of social network (SN) usage. This study aims to design to address this gap, seeking motivators for SN usage based on how SN consumption may be related to users’ experience of competition. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of competition in social media usage. Design/methodology/approach The authors used an exploratory qualitative approach, conducting a set of focus groups with young social media users. Data was analyzed with software. Findings Two new drivers for SN use are proposed, namely, competition and collective narrative. Research limitations/implications This is an exploratory study, and it does not seek to generalize results or quantify causal relationships among variables. Practical implications This paper offers SN managers a deeper understanding of key growth drivers for these media. Social implications This research can help society understand and debate the impacts of SNs on users’ lives, providing insights into drivers of excessive usage. Originality/value This paper proposes the following two SN usage drivers yet to be described in the literature: competition and collective narrative.

scholarly journals Interfunctional coordination: the role of digitalization

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 404-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
José L. Ruiz-Alba ◽  
Rodrigo Guesalaga ◽  
Raquel Ayestarán ◽  
Javier Morales Mediano
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Executives ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
Negative Side Effects ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Integrated Study

Purpose This paper aims to investigate interfunctional coordination (IC) in a B2B context. More specifically, it explores the role of digitalization as a strategic driver for an effective IC. Design/methodology/approach Following a qualitative methodology, three studies have been integrated: Study 1 (focus group with 5 participants), Study 2 (31 in-depth interviews with top executives) and Study 3 (online focus group with 9 experts). Findings One finding is that digitalization is the main driver for IC and can be considered strategic. Other findings show that digitalization can enhance IC, but it was also found that digitalization can have negative side effects on IC. Originality/value This study contributes to the understanding of the importance of digitalization on IC and also contributes to the conceptualization of IC as a dynamic capability.

Exploring public sector planning for transformational government

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tendani Mawela ◽  
Hossana Twinomurinzi ◽  
Nixon Muganda Ochara
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Plans ◽  
Transformational Government ◽  
Developmental Transformation

Purpose This paper aims to understand the conceptualisation of the notion of transformational government that is emerging within the electronic government domain. It reviewed how transformational government is manifest in the policy and strategic commitments of government departments in South Africa. The study focused on understanding the role of public sector planning towards the attainment of transformational government. Design/methodology/approach The study is interpretive and qualitative in nature. It provides the outcomes of a deductive thematic analysis conducted on strategic documents of government departments to explore their alignment and support for transformational government. Findings The paper argues for the need for public sector planning that is focused on citizen benefit realisation. The results highlight the significance of strategic plans for developmental transformation. However, the planning instruments were found to have an inconsistent orientation towards transformational government. Originality/value The study is significant in light of the implications of public policy and the associated strategic plans for citizens. This paper also contributes to research on the nascent area of transformational government.

Assessing sonic affects in everyday life: looking for metacognition and metaemotion

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Paiva
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Ordinary People ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Everyday

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how material gathering and elicitation can induce metacognition and metaemotions in interviewees and its usefulness for the study of affective phenomena. Design/methodology/approach – The author will draw on the exploratory study on sound affects conducted with five individuals in Lisbon’s metropolitan area in order to discuss these aspects. After presenting the methodology, the author will address the concepts of metacognition and metaemotion. Afterwards, the author will explain how these occur during the gathering of data by ordinary people and the use of elicitation of materials during interviews. Findings – Metacognitive and metaemotional experiences can be triggered through material gathering and their elicitation during interviews with the purpose of identifying aspects of the everyday experience that are usually unnoticed. Furthermore, they are instrumental to obtain empirical data that illustrates subjects in their everyday lives as simultaneously affective-reactive and reflexive, meaning-making individuals. Originality/value – The interview has often been disregarded as a method for interpreting affective phenomena. However, the author argue that this method remains very useful to address the distinct interpretations that subjects make of themselves and their emplaced experiences, by calling for attention to the role of metacognition and metaemotions, an instrumental yet unrecognized tool for interpreting affective phenomena.

Expected benefits with using drone food delivery services: its impacts on attitude and behavioral intentions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinsoo Hwang ◽  
Jinkyung Jenny Kim
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Behavioral Intentions ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Food Delivery ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Delivery Services ◽  
Expected Benefits ◽  
First Time

Purpose This study aims to propose the effect of five sub-dimensions of the expected benefits, which include compatibility, social influence, convenience, function and emotion on attitude and behavioral intentions. Design/methodology/approach A research model including eight hypotheses was tested using 413 samples collected in South Korea. Findings The data analysis results indicated that the five sub-dimensions of expected benefits aid to enhance attitude, which plays an important role in the formation of behavioral intentions. Originality/value This study was designed to empirically identify the important role of expected benefits in the context of drone food delivery services for the first time.

scholarly journals Effects of team unlearning on employee creativity

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 531-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Makoto Matsuo
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Employee Creativity ◽  
Manufacturing Firm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Although unlearning is considered an essential step for creativity, little is known about the relationship between team unlearning and employee creativity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of individual reflection between team unlearning and employee creativity. Design/methodology/approach The research model was tested using multisource survey data from 164 employees in 28 teams at a manufacturing firm and a service firm. Findings The results of the multilevel analyses indicated that team unlearning had a positive influence on supervisor-rated employee creativity, fully mediated by individual reflection. Practical implications It should be noted that employee creativity is not automatically enhanced through team unlearning. Managers should encourage members to reflect on their work practices following team-unlearning exercises for the purpose of enhancing their creativity. Originality/value The findings contribute to the existing literature by demonstrating that reflective practices play significant roles in linking team unlearning with employee creativity. This study explored preceding literature examining employee creativity in terms of the unlearning process.

scholarly journals The outset of U-I R & D relationships: the specific case of biological sciences

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Linhares Pinheiro ◽  
José Carlos Pinho ◽  
Cândida Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Biological Sciences ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Investment ◽  
Personal Level ◽  
Relational Resources ◽  
University Industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to draw insights from the actors-resources-activities (ARA) model and social capital literature to identify relevant activities shared by university-industry (U-I) actors prior to R & D cooperation. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a qualitative methodology, a series of interviews were carried out with researchers from the biological sciences domain. Findings – This study found that, at the outset of U-I links, companies’ motivations are strongly organizational, while academics are motivated at a personal level. The interactions grow from low-risk activities to partnerships on complex tasks, and depend on relational resources framed within the ARA and social capital theories. Results showed that shared interests are present at the outset of U-I links and grow thereafter. Trust and commitment were not ubiquitous at the outset, but rather at later stages of the cooperation, as a result of the developed interdependencies. Research limitations/implications – The combination of the ARA model and social capital in U-I links highlighted the different relationship levels (individual vs organizational), the disparities between early and established ties, and the interplay between low- and high-investment activities underlying researchers’ relationships. Several managerial contributions are presented for universities to promote greater integration with industry partners. Originality/value – A new direction of research is presented towards lower levels of U-I cooperation, taking into account the relational resources and the activities shared in each level. This work distinguished the different actors’ motivations and clarified the role of trust and commitment at the outset of U-I links. This first assessment of Portuguese U-I interactions within the biological sciences provided valuable insights for both academics and practitioners.

Designing a memorable in-store customer shopping experience: practical evidence from sports equipment retailers

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Bonfanti ◽  
Georgia Yfantidou
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Shopping Experience ◽  
Retail Managers ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis study aims to detect the dimensions of the in-store customer shopping experience from the sports retailer perspective and to investigate how the role of sports equipment stores is changing.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study performs semi-structured interviews with retail managers of sports equipment stores.FindingsThis research reveals the importance of the dimensions of immersive design, sensorial ambient elements, social relationships, trialability and real experience sharing in designing a memorable in-store shopping experience in sports stores, and it highlights that the store's role in the sports context is transitioning from sales space to an interactive, immersive, engaging and convivial place. It proposes a model to design the in-store customer shopping experience effectively.Practical implicationsSports equipment managers can make their physical stores as experiential as possible by investing in expert, passionate personnel and technology in order to create a real in-store experience of the product and the sports practice.Originality/valueWhile sports equipment retailers acknowledge the importance of providing customers with a memorable shopping experience by creating an evocative environment and placing multiple touchpoints in stores, management scholars have paid limited attention to sports stores. This study explores the ways in which sports retail managers can design their stores effectively in experiential terms.

Students as change agents for campus sustainability in Malaysian universities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeeda Fatimah Mohamad ◽  
Mohd Zufri Mamat ◽  
Muhamad Faisal Muhamad Noor
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Change Agent ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Campus Sustainability ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The notion of students as change agents have widely been used in the campus sustainability literature, but very little has been done to unpack what it really means in practice. This paper aims to critically investigate university students’ perspectives on their role as a change agent for campus sustainability in the context of Malaysian universities. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were carried out with 21 students that have been categorized as change agents through selection criteria at three leading universities in the area of campus sustainability in Malaysia. The data collected from the interviews were analysed through content-based and thematic analysis. Findings Findings demonstrate that students are the backbone behind the implementation of campus sustainability activities. They play the multi-faceted role of leaders, supporters and ambassadors in initiating and driving campus sustainability. The results further suggest that support and freedom to act are the empowering factors that have driven these change agents in carrying out their initiatives. However, without a position, the students’ voices are not significant. Originality/value This study provides deeper evidence-based insights on the notion of students as change agents and how it can be operationalized in the context of campus sustainability.

Exploring SMEs’ qualitative growth and networking through formalization

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-415
Author(s):  
Matilde Milanesi ◽  
Simone Guercini ◽  
Annalisa Tunisini
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Industrial District ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Strategy ◽  
Individual Traits ◽  
Institutional Actors ◽  
Horizontal Network

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the role of networking through formalization, namely, the adoption of specific contractual forms, in triggering small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs’) qualitative growth. The paper adopts an approach to SMEs’ growth that stresses the multi-dimensionality nature of the concept, which includes not only size but also relationship and capability growth. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology is used, based on the study of cases of SMEs from an Italian fashion district, connected by a specific contractual form – the so-called “network contract” (NC) – promoted by the national government. Two cases of NCs are presented, a vertical and a horizontal network. Findings The paper highlighted the positive influence of NCs, intended as a managerial strategy not only aimed at collaboration, on the growth paths of SMEs but also stressed that the influence of NCs cannot be isolated, but acts virtuously together with other variables. Such variables include entrepreneurs’ and managers’ individual traits, the context – industrial district in the two cases under study – in which SMEs operate, the presence of an external actor that stimulates the adoption of NCs. Originality/value The focus on qualitative growth, which can be triggered by the formalization of business relationships through contractual forms, contributes to the debate on the nature and content of SMEs’ growth. The awareness of the variables that contribute to SMEs’ growth is crucial for both entrepreneurs and institutional actors who want to create the conditions to undertake paths of qualitative growth.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document