scholarly journals Exploring visitors’ experience using strategic experiential modules (SEMs): the case of Zoo Negara, Kuala Lumpur

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 234-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghazali Musa ◽  
Izzah Mohammad ◽  
Thinaranjeney Thirumoorthi ◽  
Sedigheh Moghavvemi ◽  
Azilah Kasim

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of visitors using the strategic experiential modules (SEMs). Design/methodology/approach – In this study, the authors analysed a total of 37 essays written by University of Malaya students who visited the attraction on 23 November 2013. The aim is to explore what constitutes the elements within the SEMs, pertaining to the students’ visit. The results are potentially useful for future Zoo Negara marketing communication initiatives, as well as for the management to remedy the shortfalls which have hindered Zoo Negara from operating as a self-sustaining attraction. Findings – The results confirmed the applicability of all five dimensions of the modules, which include both positive and negative elements. Of the five dimensions, THINK and SENSE were the most frequently expressed. Originality/value – Though this study offers no theoretical contribution, it does demonstrate the applicability of the Schmitt theory on SEMs and the usefulness of such an application from the managerial perspective.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tala Abuhussein ◽  
Tamer Koburtay

PurposeDrawing on the “5Ms” gender cognizant framework, this study seeks to investigate how money, motherhood, management, the market and the macro/meso environment dimensions of the 5Ms may influence women's entrepreneurship in Jordan. A related aim is to offer in-depth insights and a fresh understanding of potential factors not included in the original 5Ms model.Design/methodology/approachThe study takes a qualitative-inductive approach, using semi-structured interviews with 14 women entrepreneurs from various industries in Jordan.FindingsThe paper highlights the positive (or adverse) impact of the 5Ms factors (motherhood, macro/meso environment, the market, management and money) on women entrepreneurs in Jordan and introduces new emerging factors. The paper concludes with an extended view of the 5Ms model.Practical implicationsThis study may help develop greater sensitivity and understanding about some of the adverse gender practices faced by women entrepreneurs. Policymakers in Jordan and other Arab countries may consider empowering women entrepreneurs in terms of offering more financial funds and facilities, social support, and managerial empowerment.Originality/valueThe study creates more sensitivity and awareness about the current dynamics, opportunities and impediments that affect women entrepreneurs; thus, it contributes to the extant literature by suggesting new propositions and a novel framework. This study extends Brush et al.'s (2009) 5Ms gendered framework by adding three important factors (Mental health, Maturity and Maintainability). The empirical update and contextual extension of Brush et al.'s (2009) 5Ms model highlight a theoretical contribution.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naval Garg ◽  
B.K. Punia ◽  
Vanshikha Kakkar ◽  
Sarika Kumari

Purpose Most of the studies in the field of homesickness are confined to students; this study aims to explore the feeling of homesickness among working professionals. Also, it tends to examine individual differences in the experience of homesickness across employees of different gender, ages, experience, family type, etc. The study also aspires to compare homesickness among military and civil employees. Design/methodology/approach The study explores five dimensions of homesickness, namely, missing family, missing friend, rumination about home, feeling lonely and adjustment problems. The collected data is subjected to reliability, validity and confirmatory factor analysis. Further, t-test and analysis of variance are used to explore homesickness differences across soldiers and corporate employees. Findings The study reveals that homesickness is significantly higher for employees in the male, unmarried, nuclear family, above the age of 45 years, and below the graduation category. Also, defense people experience more homesickness than civilian employees. Originality/value This study is one of the pioneer studies that compare homesickness among defense and civilian employees. Also, variables such as type of family, the experience of employees and marital status have hardly been explored in the literature of homesickness.


2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Hazilah Abd Manaf ◽  
Husnayati Hussin ◽  
Puteri Nemie Jahn Kassim ◽  
Rokiah Alavi ◽  
Zainurin Dahari

Purpose – The study seeks to explore the perception of international patients on Malaysia as a medical tourism destination country, as well as overall patient satisfaction, perceived value and future intention for repeat treatment and services. Design/methodology/approach – Self-administered questionnaire was the main method of data collection. The survey covered major private hospitals in medical tourists’ states in the country, namely, Penang, Melaka, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. Convenience sampling was used due to the condition of patients as respondents. Findings – Indonesian patients formed the largest majority of international patients in the country. Five dimensions of medical tourism in Malaysia was identified, namely, hospital and staff, country factor, combining tourism and health services, cost saving and insurance and unavailability of treatment. Of these, hospital and staff was found to be the most important factor for the patients. Perception of value, overall satisfaction and intention for future treatment was also found to be high. This indicates that Malaysia is on the right footing in this burgeoning industry. Practical implications – Findings from the study will enable policy-makers to better position Malaysia as a medical tourist destination country. Originality/value – Medical tourism is a recent phenomenon and very little empirical research has been carried out at the patient level. This study is one of the first few studies which seek to explore medical tourism from the perspective of the patients themselves.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueling Liang

Purpose Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging paradigm that draws academia and industry attention in the past few years. The purpose of this paper is to review the current research on IoT in library operation, and report the future trends and research challenges as well. Design/methodology/approach To conduct this research, the literature on IoT and its application in libraries was retrieved from major databases such as Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, Scopus and Inspec for the period between 2010 and 2018. Findings This study identifies IoT potential impact on libraries, and excavates some valuable literature on IoT and its application in libraries from managerial perspective, especially focuses on library service innovation in IoT era. Originality/value The IoT application in libraries is a new subject. This study provides an overview of IoT application in libraries. The findings of this study contribute to the research on IoT and its role in library management.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Shen

Purpose This study aims to find how can fashion micro-influencers and their electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) messages increase consumer engagement on social media, focusing on micro-influencers’ influence, typology, eWOM content and consumer engagement. Design/methodology/approach A total of 20,000 microblogs were collected from Irish fashion micro-influencers and analyzed through keyword classification and content analysis in NVivo. The determinants of eWOM persuasiveness for consumer engagement on social media were investigated based on Sussman and Siegal’s information adoption model. Findings The study finds that among the four types of micro-influencers, market mavens and their eWOM messages have the highest impact on consumer engagement on social media, and it presents a repetitive and persuasive eWOM model of market mavens to increase consumer participation. Also, the study discovers that micro-influencers’ occasion-related microblogs have an increasing impact on consumer interactions whereas microblogs with brands have a decreasing engagement with consumers on social media. Originality/value This study advances prior studies on the relationship between influencers’ eWOM messages and consumer participation on social media by the development of a persuasive eWOM model of micro-influencers to increase consumer engagement and fill in the lack of relevant literature. Also, findings provide actionable insights for marketing communication practitioners to persuade consumers to participate in eWOM communications and establish strong consumer-brand relationships on social media.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-344
Author(s):  
Jean-Claude Mutiganda ◽  
Giuseppe Grossi ◽  
Lars Hassel

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the role of communication in shaping the mechanisms of accountability routines. Design/methodology/approach Conceptual elements of the theory of communicative action and the literature on routines were used to conduct a field study in two hospital districts in Finland, from 2009 to 2015. Data were based on interviews, document analysis, observed meetings and repeated contact with key informants. Findings The findings explain how accountability routines take different forms – weak or strong – in different organisations and at different hierarchical levels. Differences depend on the generative structures and mechanisms of the communicative process – relational and normative – used to give and ask information to and from organisation members involved in accountability relationships. An explorative finding is that discourse-based communication plays an important role in bridging the gap between weak and strong accountability routines. The main theoretical contribution is to conceptualise and show the role of communicative rationalities in shaping the mechanisms of accountability routines. Practical implications The implication for practitioners and policymakers is to show to what extent the organisation policies and communicative rationalities used in accountability have potential to improve or not to improve the practices of accountability routines. Mutual understanding, motivation and capacity of organisation members to do as expected and agreed upon without pressure improve accountability routines. Originality/value The value of this study is to explain how accountability routines take different forms in practice (weak or strong) in different organisations and at different hierarchical levels, depending on the generative structures of the communicative process used in practicing accountability routines.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Hieu Hanh Truong

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to look into the mechanism in which customers involve themselves in omni-channel retail setting and use its advantages.Design/methodology/approachVia an empirical analysis through surveying customers, this paper assesses and confirms the drivers of omni-channel shopping intention within the context of fashion retailing sector in Danang.FindingsThe findings highlight the significance of customer perception of research shopping (including showrooming and webrooming) behaviours, compatibility and risk to their intention towards omni-channel shopping, implying profound understanding of designing effective omni-channel retailing strategy.Originality/valueFrom a theoretical perspective, comprehending customer perception of the omni-channel concept has emerged as an important theme in recent literature as well as in practitioners' reports. Hence, the meaningful contribution of this study is the involvement in the attractive steam of study. From a managerial perspective, this study could offer guidance to retailers or managers about developing a successful omni-channel strategy from a customer point of view.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 605-622
Author(s):  
Valérie Hémar-Nicolas ◽  
Pascale Ezan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of what well-being means to children in the food context and to formulate recommendations about the way food retailers may take actions to promote children’s food well-being (FWB). Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study based on a child-centric perspective is conducted with 25 French children aged 6–11 years. The data collection and analysis use both verbal and graphic data methods including focus groups and drawings in order to help children express their feelings and thoughts. Findings The findings put forward that according to children, the concept of FWB relies on five dimensions: sensory taste, health, commensality, empowerment and altruistic behaviours. Their discourses suggest that food practices contributes to objective, hedonic, eudaemonic and social well-being on the short and long term. Practical implications Based on children’s intrinsic needs for pleasure and empowerment, our recommendations highlight how food retailers might rethink their own-label offering, retail environment and communication to take into account young consumers’ FWB. Originality/value Drawing upon the concept of FWB and positive psychology, the authors do not only examine children’s food representations through a nutritional lens, but enlarge the scope to show how physical, emotional, psychological and social factors, involved in food context, contribute to different aspects of well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kokho Jason Sit ◽  
Giovanni Pino ◽  
Marco Pichierri

PurposeThe present study examines the dimensions that are meaningful to define the perceived authenticity of online-only brands (OOBs) (i.e. retail brands that trade exclusively online) from a consumer's perspective. Past frameworks of perceived authenticity exist in the branding literature but consistently focus on contexts beyond e-commerce settings like OOBs.Design/methodology/approachWe employed a mixed-method research design, consisting of quasi-qualitative and quantitative studies with online customers, to establish the dimensions meaningful for the perceived authenticity of OOBs. Our work has theory testing and building components.FindingsWe identify five dimensions that are meaningful to define consumers' perceived authenticity of OOBs. They are “honesty”, “connection”, “continuity”, “craftsmanship” and “accessibility”. Representing by multiple factors, “craftsmanship” serves as the most meaningful dimension followed by “accessibility”. Often being considered incompatible with perceived authenticity, we find accessibility particularly relevant to the context of OOBs. It describes the “convenient” and “affordable” aspects of OOBs, which typically serve as unique selling propositions.Originality/valueOur work confirms the utility of established dimensions to define consumers' perceived authenticity of OOBs. This highlights that consumers hold some consistent authenticity image between non-online and online brands. Our work also reveals the accessibility dimension being neglected by the branding literature, suggesting a more up-to-date perspective is needed when studying consumers' perceived authenticity of OOBs.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Holtström ◽  
Helén Anderson

Purpose This study aims to contribute with an extended framework on synergy realisation in acquisitions. The study conceptualises synergy realisation after acquisitions, in interaction with other companies in a business network and that synergy can be the result of both intended and not intended actions. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a company involved in acquisitions, being both the acquirer and the acquired. The data for analysis were collected through semi-structured interviews with managers involved in the described acquisition processes. The semi-structured interviews were guided by overarching themes to cover relevant areas of the described acquisitions. Findings This study develops a framework in which synergy is used as a concept in business networks. The framework offers a more dynamic perspective on acquisition processes and extends the view of acquisition performance beyond more financial and company internal aspects of acquisition processes. Further, the findings show that related companies such as customers and suppliers, play important roles in synergy realisation. Practical implications From a managerial perspective, the study shows the importance of understanding the underlying forces of integration processes. Originality/value The concept of synergy used in this study not only includes the companies integrated in an acquisition but also their business networks. Including the integrated companies and their business networks provides a more dynamic perspective from which to plan and realise synergy.


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