Application of Data Mining in Smart Grid Technology

Smart grid technology is a radical approach for improvisation in existing power grid. Some of the significant features of smart grid technology are bidirectional communication, AMI, SCADA, renewable integration, active consumer participation, distribution automation, and complete management of entire grid through wireless communication standards and technologies. Management of complex, hierarchical, and heterogeneous smart grid infrastructure requires data collection, storage, processing, analysis, retrieval, and communication for self-healing and complete automation. Data mining techniques can be an effective solution for smart grid operation and management. Data mining is a computational process for data analysis. Data scrutiny is unavoidable for unambiguous knowledge discovery as well as decision making practices. Data mining is inevitable for analysis of various statistics associated with power generation, distribution automation, data communications, billing, consumer participation, and fault diagnosis in smart power grid.

Consuming in a crisis: pandemic consumption across consumer segments and implications for brands

Purpose This paper aims to understand how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed consumers’ perceptions of outdoor consumption categories, such as retail shopping, eating out, public events and travel and how these perceptions may impact businesses in these domains in the long term. Further, this research aims to understand demographic effects on outdoor consumption inhibition during the current pandemic and discuss how businesses can use these insights to rebrand their offerings and evolve after the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Data collected by CivicScience, a survey-based consumer intelligence research platform, during April–July 2020 forms the basis of the preliminary analysis, where the chi-square test has been used to examine significant differences in consumer attitudes between different age groups, income groups and genders. Further, a social media analysis of conversations around outdoor consumption activities is undertaken to understand the rationale behind these demographics-based attitude differences. Findings Results lend varying degrees of support to the hypothesized consumer attitudes toward outdoor consumption activities during the Covid-19 pandemic. As the pandemic wore on, older (vs younger), female (vs male) consumers and lower (vs higher) income-group consumers had reportedly higher inhibition toward different outdoor activities. Older individuals were significantly less likely to shop, dine and attend public events than younger individuals. Lower-income consumers were significantly less likely to dine and travel than higher-income consumer consumers. Female consumers were significantly less likely to shop and travel than male consumers. Social media scan of conversations suggests that differences in perceived health and financial risks may have resulted in demographics-based differences in outdoor consumption activities. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to the literature by understanding demographic differences in consumer participation in outdoor activities. One limitation is that due to the time-sensitive nature of the pandemic research, further studies could not be conducted to understand the implications of other variables, beyond demographics that influence consumer behavior during a crisis. A future research direction is to understand how other psychological variables or traits, influence health and financial risk-taking behavior during a similar crisis. Originality/value The principal contribution of the present research is that it tests the risk-taking theory in the context of outdoor consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic. The present research has implications for businesses as they continue to evolve during and post Covid-19.

Aesthetic Work as Cultural Competence: Chasing Beauty in the Coproduction of Aesthetic Services

Prior research stresses the importance of consumer participation in service coproduction. We examine the coproduction of aesthetic services, which are services in which beauty is a critical outcome. Consumers face challenges communicating their aesthetic tastes because of technical constraints that are understood by service providers but that consumers do not fully understand. To fill this gap, consumers do aesthetic work in communities of practice. Service providers also face challenges, as they must coproduce with consumers whose aesthetic tastes are formed amid shifting social standards. In this qualitative study, we highlight aesthetic work as a different type of consumer work that involves developing cultural competence. We identify four types of aesthetic coproduction in which cultural competence is distributed differently within the service dyad: aesthetic codesigning, aesthetic consenting, aesthetic yielding, and aesthetic reigning. We explore the managerial implications that arise as consumers increasingly use online social resources that shape and increase aesthetic expectations. We examine the unintended consequences of aesthetic service coproduction in which providers’ technical and aesthetic expertise is difficult for consumers to understand often leading to disappointing outcomes.

Vanishing Boycott Impetus: Why and How Consumer Participation in a Boycott Decreases Over Time

Media reports that a company behaves in a socially nonresponsible manner frequently result in consumer participation in a boycott. As time goes by, however, the number of consumers participating in the boycott starts dwindling. Yet, little is known on why individual participation in a boycott declines and what type of consumer is more likely to stop boycotting earlier rather than later. Integrating research on drivers of individual boycott participation with multi-stage models and the hot/cool cognition system, suggests a “heat-up” phase in which boycott participation is fueled by expressive drivers, and a “cool-down” phase in which instrumental drivers become more influential. Using a diverse set of real contexts, four empirical studies provide evidence supporting a set of hypotheses on promotors and inhibitors of boycott participation over time. Study 1 provides initial evidence for the influence of expressive and instrumental drivers in a food services context. Extending the context to video streaming services, e-tailing, and peer-to-peer ridesharing, Study 2, Study 3, and Study 4 show that the reasons consumers stop/continue boycotting vary systematically across four distinct groups. Taken together, the findings help activists sustain boycott momentum and assist firms in dealing more effectively with boycotts.

Online Settlement of Cross-Border Disputes: Architecture of the Regulatory Environment for Consumer Disputes (European Union Experience)

The increasing complexity and digitalization of cross-border relations are an unconditional stimulus for the development and popularization of online dispute resolution mechanisms. The paper examines the European Union experience in regulating modern online mechanisms for resolving consumer disputes and attempts to determine the hierarchy of regulatory acts in relation to online resolution (settlement) of cross-border private law disputes. The author analyzes the features of the European approach to regulating the system of online resolution of crossborder disputes in order to determine the possible vector of development of national legislation as a condition necessary for building and ensuring the functioning of an effective system. The paper notes the advantages and disadvantages of the European system of online settlement of cross-border disputes with the participation of consumers. It concludes that it is necessary to resolve the issue of the applicability of the norms of existing treaties, adapt national legislation to the specifics of online dispute resolution, as well as ensure the possibility of considering cross-border disputes with consumer participation in accordance with standardized rules in order to simplify the dispute resolution procedure and build trust in the online system.

The dynamics of household food consumption patterns in various agroecosystems in Indonesia

Household food consumption patterns are influenced by income, price, individual tastes and beliefs, and socioeconomic aspects. Agricultural development has an impact on changing consumption patterns. The changes vary according to different ecosystems. The purpose of this study is to analyze the dynamics of household consumption patterns in various ecosystems and their implications for agricultural policies. This study used panel data from the National Farmers Panel period of 2007/2009-2016/2018 from the Indonesian Center for Agro Socio Economic and Policy Studies in four ecosystems, namely rice paddy fields, dry-land secondary crops, dry-land vegetable crops, and dry-land plantation crops. The discussion of consumption patterns is focused on energy and protein consumption, PPH score, and consumer participation rate. The results showed that during 2010-2018, energy and protein consumption increased, however, the pattern of change varies among households. The energy and protein consumption level are only about 77-86% from the level of recommendation ≥90%. Households’ consumption of protein in plantation ecosystem is lowest compared to other ecosystem. The level of household rice consumption was the highest, compared to other carbohydrate sources. PPH of agricultural households was lower than the national in the four agroecosystems. To increase the consumption of energy, protein and PPH scores of agricultural households in various agroecosystems in Indonesia, it is necessary to increase the availability and access of agricultural households to non-rice carbohydrate sources and protein source foods by optimizing the potential of local resources. Coordination and synchronization of food security improvement programs between central and local governments is important.

The integrity of the antimicrobial supply chain in Bangladesh: assessing the regulatory environment and contextual challenges

Poor-quality medicines lead to large individual, health systems and national economic losses. Most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) lack the robust regulatory quality assurance system necessary to contain the spread of poor-quality medicines. Innovations in regulatory systems strengthening are needed to protect public health. In this study, we assessed the integrity of the antimicrobial supply chain in Bangladesh and suggest innovations. We employed a qualitative methodology comprising a policy content analysis, and literature and database reviews. Bangladesh was chosen as a model LMIC because of its pharmaceuticals production capacity. Using a framework modified from the World Health Organization′s and the United States Pharmacopoeia′s, the Bangladesh National Drug Policy (BNDP) was evaluated for provisions on quality assurance mechanisms that match regulatory functions. Newspaper, peer-reviewed and post-marketing surveillance reports were used to assess the extent of poor-quality antimicrobials in circulation. There are provisions for quality assurance in the BNDP. Newspaper reports identified the circulation of substandard antimicrobials and reported on actions by the government to seize fraudulent/falsified and expired products. Only six peer-review studies testing antimicrobial product quality were identified; the three studies with the larger sample size (over 10 samples tested) reported results of out-of-specifications products. This assessment found evidence of regulatory actions against poor-quality antimicrobials as well as news reports and studies suggesting quality concerns, but no current rigorous assessment of the extent in Bangladesh. We suggest a multi-pronged approach to regulatory system strengthening comprising three strategies: community-based surveillance, task-shifting, and technology-enabled consumer participation.

Consumer Perceptions of Online Produce Purchases

In the Spring of 2021, a survey of college students’ perceptions and behaviors regarding grocery shopping methods, including online purchases of fresh produce, in the post-response to COVID-19 was conducted. The purpose of this research was to analyze the perceptions of online grocery shopping and identify specific factors that significantly influenced the grocery shopping experience. A sample of 203 responses was collected from undergraduate and graduate students within the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences (CALS) at the University of Florida. Participants perceived in-store grocery shopping as superior in terms of product quality, shopping experience, store loyalty, and hygiene while convenience was perceived as an advantage with online grocery shopping. Participants identified product quality and greater transparency regarding food handling as important concerns and factors when purchasing fresh produce online. Although COVID-19 pandemic caused students to explore various online grocery services, it had limited effect on their purchasing of fresh produce. The implications for this study are far reaching, applicable to industry retailers interested in consumer willingness to pay for online grocery options and in identifying value-adding services that would increase consumer participation. This study also provides baseline data useful to researchers interested in consumer behavior, acceptance, and food marketing.

Value Co-Creation in the Sharing Economy Platform: The Role of Ethical Perceptions

This study aims to determine the effects of consumer participation on value co-creation with consumers’ ethical perceptions as a mediation of the sharing economy platform in Indonesia. The research design used a quantitative method with a descriptive approach. The sampling technique used convenience sampling with 287 respondents. A questionnaire was utilized as the data collecting technique. SmartPLS was applied as the analysis tool. The results showed that consumer participation has a significant effect on ethical perceptions and value co-creation and ethical perceptions affect value co-creation significantly. Furthermore, this research proof that ethical perceptions mediate the positive relationship between value co-creation on the sharing economy platform in Indonesia. This research enrich and strengthen the role of consumer ethical perceptions and consumer participation in creating value co-creation that provides value for both consumers and service providers based on Service-Dominant Logic (Vargo and Lusch, 2008).