Trust and the intent to cooperate in energy performance contracting for public buildings in China

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiping Jiang ◽  
Xianbo Zhao

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the key factors in generating trust, and the effects of trust on the intention to cooperate in energy performance contracting (EPC), from the perspective of energy saving companies (ESCOs). Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was undertaken to collect the data from the experienced project managers in ESCOs. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. Findings The results revealed that competence, integrity, communication, reciprocity and contract had positive effects on calculative trust and relational trust. Both calculative trust and relational trust, in turn, were found to have positive effects on the intention to cooperate. Research limitations/implications The conclusions are derived from the Chinese cultural background and may apply to a certain geographical scope. In addition, this study focused on the perspective of ESCOs but did not consider that of facility owners. Practical implications This research would supply guidance for facility owners or users to cultivate trust from ESCOs and achieve cooperation in EPC. Originality/value Most of the existing studies have focused on the perspective of facility owners while few have attempted to investigate the perspective of ESCOs. This study contributes to the knowledge body relating to EPC by investigating the relationship between trust and the intention to cooperate from the perspective of ESCOs. In addition, most EPC studies recognized trust as a condition for the successful execution of EPC projects but failed to consider the role of trust in setting up the cooperation relationship prior to project execution.

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galina Biedenbach ◽  
Peter Hultén ◽  
Veronika Tarnovskaya

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of human capital and relational trust on business-to-business (B2B) brand equity.Design/methodology/approachData collection was conducted among the clients of one of the Big Four auditing firms in Sweden. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized effects.FindingsThe results demonstrate positive effects of human capital and relational trust on the core dimensions of brand equity. In the context of the professional services, human capital was found to have a stronger direct impact than relational trust on brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty.Practical implicationsThe study provides practical recommendations for marketing managers on how to consider the nature of B2B brand equity and its determinants in developing successful branding strategies. The findings indicate that although relational trust has a positive impact on brand equity, it draws on the clients’ positive perceptions of the service providers’ human capital. Thus, investments that generate positive perceptions of a service provider’s human capital will strengthen its competitive position. Leading to the creation of relational trust and having a strong impact on the dimensions of brand equity, human capital is a strategic asset that needs careful management.Originality/valueThe study advances extant knowledge on B2B brand equity by examining contextual conditions and factors that are critical for building strong brands in industrial markets. The study demonstrates that clients’ perceptions about the knowledge, skills and abilities of service providers are more important than relational trust for enhancing B2B brand equity.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junaidi Junaidi ◽  
Ready Wicaksono ◽  
Hamka Hamka

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether and how religiosity (e.g. extrinsic and intrinsic) influences the mediator variables (consumers’ commitment and materialism) in the Islamic bank consumers context. It also examines how the mediators should be influence consumers’ preferences. Design/methodology/approach In total, 658 Muslim people and Islamic bank consumers were recruited for a survey study and structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses. Findings The empirical results indicate that religiosity (e.g. extrinsic and intrinsic) has significant and positive effects on consumers’ commitment and materialism, whereas intrinsic religiosity has no significant effect on consumers’ commitment which subsequently influences consumers’ preference. Furthermore, mediator variables (e.g. consumers’ commitment and consumers’ materialism) have partial mediators between religiosity and consumers’ preferences. Research limitations/implications The current study was limited to Indonesian Muslim people; there is a future need to study consumers’ attitudes and engagement in religious products and services (e.g. Islamic brands). It is can help practitioners, regulators and researchers to observe the dynamic behavior to elaborate on the impact of religion and Islamic products on consumers’ preference. Practical implications The bank managers and regulators should enhance the information of products and services Islamic banks and the difference principle between conventional banks. Moreover, enlighten the consumers about the principle operation of Islamic banks from the perspective of marketing and religiosity. Originality/value This study contributes to consumers’ behavior literature and, specifically, for the decision-making process through developing and testing a model of religious determinants toward Islamic bank products, as well as offers new insights into the determinants of religion and consumers’ decision process toward Islamic banking.


2018 ◽  
Vol 118 (8) ◽  
pp. 1647-1670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wangyue Zhou ◽  
Zayyad Tsiga ◽  
Boying Li ◽  
Shuning Zheng ◽  
Shuli Jiang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify antecedents of e-finance continuance intention with Alibaba’s Yu’E Bao as an example. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire was used to collect the data (n=293), and partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis. Four e-finance features (perceived reputation, website quality, e-finance familiarity and situational normality) are introduced with trust acting as a moderator between the users’ satisfaction and continuance intention to use an e-finance platform. Findings The results find that website quality, familiarity and situational normality can influence perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU). PEOU and PU, together with reputation, are positively associated with confirmation which further leads to satisfaction. The positive effects that satisfaction and trust have on e-finance continuance intention are confirmed, and trust is found to be a significant moderator on the relationship between satisfaction and continuance intention. Practical implications The findings can be used to guide e-finance providers to improve their platform design and services to retain users. Originality/value This study combines the theory of trust, Technology Acceptance Model and Expectations Confirmation Theory to investigate the factors that influence the continuance intention in the context of e-finance in China.


2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 448-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sladjana Cabrilo ◽  
Aino Kianto ◽  
Bojana Milic

Purpose In investigating the linkage between intellectual capital (IC) and innovation, it is important not only to explore how IC as a whole is associated with organizations’ innovative performance but also to gain a deep understanding of the role of different IC components (groups of intangibles) in companies’ innovation performance, which is the purpose of this paper in the context of Serbian companies. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on survey data collected from 100 Serbian companies with at least 100 employees during 2014/2015. Six IC components were analyzed (human, structural, internal relational, external relational, renewal and entrepreneurial) in terms of their effect on innovation performance. Analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling and correlation analysis. Findings Findings demonstrate that renewal capital, internal relational capital and structural capital have statistically significant positive effects on overall innovative performance in Serbian companies. Practical implications The outcomes reveal potential and barriers within IC that are crucial to innovation performance in Serbian companies. In this way, this study enables a deeper understanding of intangible drivers of innovation and highlights possibilities to foster intangible innovation potential in Serbian companies. Originality/value As context (economic and cultural) has emerged as a relevant factor in researching IC, this study is original in investigating IC effect on innovation within the Serbian business environment. Additionally, the broad sexpartite taxonomy of IC contributes to a wider understanding of knowledge and its linkages to innovation.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuangao Chen ◽  
Ruyi Dai ◽  
Lu Wang ◽  
Shuiqing Yang ◽  
Yixiao Li ◽  
...  

PurposeThis study adopts self-determination theory and stimulus-organism-response framework to develop a model that explores the motivations of such donors by considering their self-determination needs and extrinsic and intrinsic motivations.Design/methodology/approachBased on online survey data collected from 436 crowdfunding donors in China, this study follows a structural equation modeling analysis to test hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicate that perceived ease of use, perceived self-efficacy and social connection have positive effects on the donation intentions of backers through a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations.Originality/valueThe findings shed light on various extrinsic and intrinsic motivations advancing knowledge of individual fund motivation in donation-based crowdfunding and provide guidelines for the development of donation-based crowdfunding theory and practice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-505
Author(s):  
Chi Nguyen Thi Khanh ◽  
Le Thai Phong

PurposeThis study examines the direct and indirect impact of environmental belief, nature-based destination image and time perspective on tourist attitude towards ecotourism.Design/methodology/approachData was collected through a structured questionnaire survey conducted in Vietnam. The dataset consists of 479 valid responses by Vietnamese tourists. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to test the causal relationships among time perspective, environmental belief, nature-based destination and ecotourism attitude. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is conducted to verify the reliability and validity of each latent construct, and to evaluate the discriminant validity, convergent validity, composition reliability and average variance extracted (AVE) for the latent constructs.FindingsThis study finds statistically significant and positive effects of time perspective, environmental belief and nature-based destination image on ecotourism attitude. The results also indicate that environmental belief is found to have statistically significant effects both direct and indirect on ecotourism attitude; its indirect effect is transmitted through nature-based destination image. Our findings demonstrate empirically that tourists are mainly attracted by natural environment sites and that tourists having environmental beliefs are likely to engage in ecotourism than other types of tourism by first influencing their attitude.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation is associated with our measurement method, which relies on respondents’ self-ratings of their activities. Second, our study is based on internal consistency assessments for establishing construct reliability and validity, which might be the problem of measurement misspecification in tourism research and hinder us to adequately capture the dynamic nature of the variables and the underlying relationships. Third, the survey is conducted in one specific ecotourism nation like Vietnam, and thus, the findings must also be explained in this case.Practical implicationsPolicymakers need to pay careful attention to the planning and conservation of local resources, as well as infrastructure, for ecotourism development. Moreover, the management of eco-site needs to maintain ecology properly, provide an authentic ecotourism experience to improve ecotourism destination. Otherwise, ecotourism operators should focus on marketing strategies to increase traditional and natural values and promote eco-friendly social standards for fostering demand.Originality/valueThis study examines an integrated model analyzing the impact of time perspective, environmental belief and nature-based destination on tourist attitude towards ecotourism. This study reveals the understanding of how individuals’ view towards belief in environment and location image, influences their attitude to engage in ecotourism. The study provides several implications for practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 1763-1784 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Busser ◽  
Lenna V. Shulga

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine consumer involvement with a popular US-based coffee-shop brand consumer-generated advertising (CGA) and its effect on brand loyalty and trust, to test the influence of antecedents: organizational transparency and brand authenticity on CGA involvement, and to analyze differences among customers and non-customers of the brand.Design/methodology/approachGrounded in the service-dominant logic and signaling theory, a scenario-based survey describing a contest to co-create a video commercial, as CGA, for a prominent US-based coffee-shop brand, yielded 492 responses from recent restaurant patrons. Structural equation modeling was used to test the effects of involvement in CGA on loyalty and trust. Multi-group comparison examined the differences between customers and non-customers of the brand.FindingsInvolvement in CGA had positive effects on loyalty and trust for both brand customers and non-customers. Transparency builds perceptions of brand authenticity; both authenticity and transparency significantly and positively affected trust, but only authenticity influenced loyalty. There was a stronger impact of involvement with CGA on loyalty for non-customers than brand customers. Non-customer perceptions of the brand’s authenticity influenced brand trust more significantly than customer perceptions.Practical implicationsCoffee-shop brand marketers should leverage online and physical brand exposure to involve both customers and non-customers in company-driven CGA, as a relationship management and marketing tool. Marketers should enhance transparency, which builds perceptions of brand authenticity, leading to greater CGA involvement.Originality/valueThis study contributes to hospitality research and literature, revealing that non-customers can be converted to brand customers through authenticity and indirect involvement with CGA, leading to long-term relational outcomes. The results identified consumers’ perception of organizational transparency is an antecedent of brand authenticity and established CGA contests as a relational marketing tool for hospitality brands.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Mansur ◽  
Bruno Felix

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how positive affectivity (PA) moderates the indirect effects of positive and negative career shocks – unplanned and often unexpected external events whose effects cannot be anticipated or countered – on thriving via career adaptability.Design/methodology/approachThe authors empirically tested the moderated mediation model with a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The study was performed with a valid sample of professionals who had experienced work-related career shocks.FindingsThe results indicated that career adaptability mediated the effects of positive and negative career shocks on thriving. In addition, the slope of the relationship between negative shocks and adaptability became positive for high levels of PA. The authors also found an indirect effect of negative career shocks on thriving at all levels of PA and importantly, when PA was high, the effects of negative shocks on thriving became positive.Practical implicationsIndividuals may use emotional reappraisal strategies to counter negative feelings that accompany negative events to mitigate the negative effects of such events. By strengthening their positivity, individuals facilitate their own perception of shocks, thereby minimizing the possibility of a decrease in adaptability resources.Originality/valueThis paper advances understanding of those mechanisms through which negative shocks lead to positive effects that can help individuals improve their career adaptability and thrive.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 194-211
Author(s):  
Nicolas Julian Seyler ◽  
Jan Mutl

Purpose Building performance does not only depend on its efficiency but also on the behaviors of its occupants. Occupant behaviors can more than offset technological efficiency gains so, that corporate real estate (CRE) managers have to go beyond sustainable buildings. CRE managers need to understand occupants to effectively reduce the environmental impact of their building portfolio. This paper aims to investigate the effects of environmental attitudes and mindfulness on occupant behaviors at home and at the office. Thereby, the authors address numerous calls for research regarding the drivers of more environmental real estate user behaviors. Design/methodology/approach The authors use partial least squares structural equation modeling based on self-report data obtained for a representative German sample. Findings The results show that environmental attitudes and mindfulness have both positive effects on occupant behaviors. However, the effects tend to be weaker in the office context. Research limitations/implications This study relies on self-reports as an indicator of actual behaviors. Besides, the findings are limited by the cross-sectional nature of the data. Practical implications Environmental education and mindfulness training may be an effective way to promote more environmental occupant behaviors and help CRE managers to further reduce the environmental impact of their building portfolio. Originality/value The paper contributes to prior research about the antecedents of environmental behaviors and provides evidence for the positive impact of environmental attitudes and mindfulness on occupant behaviors. The author provide a new approach for CRE managers, which may improve occupant behaviors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weisheng Chiu ◽  
Doyeon Won ◽  
Jung-sup Bae

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual model and to investigate the relationships among internal marketing, organizational commitment and job performance in sport and fitness services. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a questionnaire survey from 254 employees at each of 12 municipal sport centers in Taipei City and were analyzed primarily using structural equation modeling techniques. Findings The results indicated that internal marketing has positive effects on organizational commitment and job performance. Moreover, organizational commitment has a positive influence on job performance and plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between internal marketing and job performance. The findings identify the relationships among internal marketing, organizational commitment and job performance. Originality/value This study proposed and tested an empirical model linking internal marketing, organizational commitment and job performance in sport and fitness services. Moreover, this study further probed into the path of influence of internal marketing strategies on job performance of employees by including their organizational commitment in the mediating process. The findings of this study have insightful implications and emphasize the important role of internal marketing in the management of customer service in sports.


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