COVID-19 vaccine sceptics are persuaded by pro-vaccine expert consensus messaging

To further understand how to combat COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy, we examined the effects of pro-vaccine expert consensus messaging on lay attitudes of vaccine safety and intention to vaccinate. We surveyed N = 729 individuals from four countries. Regardless of its content, consensus messaging had an overall small positive effect. Most critically, the direction of the effect varied depending on the baseline attitudes of participants: consensus information improved the attitude of vaccine sceptics and uncertain individuals, while having no effect on vaccine supporters. We also analysed whether the persuasiveness of expert consensus would increase after puncturing an illusion of explanatory depth in individuals. This further manipulation had no direct effect, nor interacted with the type of expert consensus. We conclude that highlighting expert consensus may be a way to increase support toward COVID-19 vaccination in those already hesitant or sceptical with little risk of side-effects.

Effect of Brand Experience on Customer Engagement Through Quality Services of Online Sellers to Students in Bekasi

Customer engagement refers to the emotional attachment a student experiences as a customer during repeated and ongoing interactions. Engagement occurs through satisfaction, loyalty, and excitement about the brand experience. Organizations engage customers at the point of behavioral change by exploring opportunities for emotional connection through continuous and consistent positive experiences. When customers engage with a brand experience, they feel emotionally connected and excited about the product and the service quality. This study’s purpose is examining the effect of brand experience on customer engagement by using service quality as a mediator variable; this research was conducted by collecting data from 254 students of the iGeneration born in 1995. Overall, 254 students participated in this study. Of them, 172 people or 68% of the total respondents in this study were women, and 82 people or 32% were males. The results show no direct effect of brand experience on customer engagement, and there is a role for service quality mediators that mediate brand experience and customer engagement. The results are discussed, and the implications for the organization are mentioned.

Operating Successfully on a New Technological Path: The Effect of External Search

Switching to a new technological path is often a serious economic challenge for companies. Incumbents, in particular, are often led by their organizational routines, traditional technological orientation, and experience, and run the risk of losing contact with new technologies, which can decrease their competitiveness. We analyze whether opening up the innovation process to external knowledge partners can help to overcome such path dependence and enable firms to operate successfully on a new technological path. We develop a theoretical concept that shows the potential of external knowledge sources for operating successfully on a new technological path and test it empirically using the example of green technologies. Green technologies are not only relevant for addressing the current environmental problems, but they are also an example of a new technological path that is proving difficult for companies to switch to. Overall, we find strong direct effects of external (green) knowledge on green innovation success. The results even indicate that the direct effect of external knowledge tends to be larger for green than for non-green innovation.

Does weight mediate the effect of smoking on coronary heart disease? Parametric mediational g-formula analysis

Background In settings in which there are time-varying confounders affected by previous exposure and a time-varying mediator, natural direct and indirect effects cannot generally be estimated unbiasedly. In the present study, we estimate interventional direct effect and interventional indirect effect of cigarette smoking as a time-varying exposure on coronary heart disease while considering body weight as a time-varying mediator. Methods To address this problem, the parametric mediational g-formula was proposed to estimate interventional direct effect and interventional indirect effect. We used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis to estimate effect of cigarette smoking on coronary heart disease, considering body weight as time-varying mediator. Results Over a 11-years period, smoking 20 cigarettes per day compared to no smoking directly (not through weight) increased risk of coronary heart disease by an absolute difference of 1.91% (95% CI: 0.49%, 4.14%), and indirectly decreased coronary heart disease risk by -0.02% (95% CI: -0.05%, 0.04%) via change in weight. The total effect was estimated as an absolute 1.89% increase (95% CI: 0.49%, 4.13%). Conclusion The overall absolute impact of smoking to incident coronary heart disease is modest, and we did not discern any important contribution to this effect relayed through changes to bodyweight. In fact, changes in weight because of smoking have no meaningful mediating effect on CHD risk.

Profitability of Islamic Rural Banks in West Sumatra: Analysis of the Third Party Funds and Financial Ratios

<div class="WordSection1"><p class="abstrak"><em>This research examines the problem of profitability in </em><em>Islamic Rural Bank (BPRS)</em><em> in West Sumatra Province. The purpose of this study was to analyze </em><em>Third Party Funds </em><em>(DPK), Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) and Non Performing Financing (NPF) as determinants that affect Return on Asset (ROA) at BPRS in West Sumatra Province through the intervening variable Financing to Deposit Ratio (FDR) for the 2015-2020 period. The research method uses descriptive quantitative approach with statistical path analysis through Sobel test. This study uses secondary data obtained from the financial statements of the BPRS. The results showed that DPK, CAR and FDR had no direct effect on the ROA of BPRS in West Sumatra Province for the 2015-2020</em><em> </em><em>period, only NPF had a direct effect on ROA. While indirectly through intervening variables, DPK and NPF have no effect on ROA, only CAR can be mediated by FDR on ROA. This research contributes to enriching knowledge about Islamic banking and can be used as consideration for entities in increasing the profitability of Islamic Rural Bank by looking at the factors that can affect profitability with FDR as the mediating variable.</em><em></em></p><p class="abstrak" align="left"> </p><p class="abstrak">Penelitian mengkaji tentang masalah profitabilitas pada BPRS di Provinsi Sumatera Barat. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis DPK CAR dan NPF sebagai determinan yang mempengaruhi ROA pada BPRS di Provinsi Sumatera Barat melalui intervening variable FDR periode 2015-2020. Metode penelitian menggunakan kuantitatif deskriptif dengan pendekatan statistik <em>path analysis</em> melalui uji sobel. Penelitian ini menggunakan data sekunder yang diperoleh dari laporan keuangan BPRS. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa DPK, CAR dan FDR secara langsung tidak memiliki pengaruh terhadap ROA BPRS di Provinsi Sumatera Barat periode 2015-2020, hanya NPF yang berpengaruh langsung terhadap ROA. Sedangkan secara tidak langsung melalui variable intervening, DPK dan NPF tidak memiliki pengaruh terhadap ROA, hanya CAR yang mampu dimediasi oleh FDR terhadap ROA. Hasil penelitian ini berkontribusi menambah khazanah ilmu pengetahun tentang perbankan syariah dan dapat digunakan sebagai bahan pertimbangan bagi entitas dalam meningkatkan profitabilitas Bank Pembiayaan Rakyat Syariah dengan memperhatikan fator-faktor yang dapat mempengaruhi profitabilitas dengan FDR sebagai variabel mediasi nya. </p><p class="abstrak"> </p></div>

Estimation of causal effects of a time-varying exposure at multiple time points through Multivariable Mendelian randomization

Mendelian Randomisation (MR) is a powerful tool in epidemiology to estimate the causal effect of an exposure on an outcome in the presence of unobserved confounding, by utilising genetic variants as instrumental variables (IVs) for the exposure. The effects obtained from MR studies are often interpreted as the lifetime effect of the exposure in question. However, the causal effects of many exposures are thought to vary throughout an individual's lifetime and there may be periods during which an exposure has more of an effect on a particular outcome. Multivariable MR (MVMR) is an extension of MR that allows for multiple, potentially highly related, exposures to be included in an MR estimation. MVMR estimates the direct effect of each exposure on the outcome conditional on all of the other exposures included in the estimation. We explore the use of MVMR to estimate the direct effect of a single exposure at different time points in an individual's lifetime on an outcome. We use simulations to illustrate the interpretation of the results from such analyses and the key assumptions required. We show that causal effects at different time periods can be estimated through MVMR when the association between the genetic variants used as instruments and the exposure measured at those time periods varies, however this estimation will not necessarily identify exact time periods over which an exposure has the most effect on the outcome. We illustrate the method through estimation of the causal effects of childhood and adult BMI on smoking behaviour.

Peran Citra Destinasi Pada Hubungan E-Wom Dengan Minat Kunjungan Wisatawan Di Pantai Losari, Kota Makassar

This study sees and analyzes the direct effect of e-WOM on visit intention and destination image, the direct effect of destination image on visit intention, and the indirect effect of e-WOM on visit intention through destination image. The methods of this study used a quantitative approach. I collected data through online questionnaires with a total sample of 200 respondents. The sampling technique used is purposive accidental sampling. Data analysis used the SEM-PLS method. The results showed that e-WOM has no direct effect and an insignificant positive relationship on visit intention, e-WOM has a positive and significant direct effect on destination image, destination image has a positive and significant direct effect on visit intention, and e-WOM has a positive and significant indirect effect on visit intention through destination image or destination image became a mediator between e-WOM and visit intention.

The Influence of Nationalism's Attitude and Tax Morals on Taxpayer Compliance through Tax Awareness

The purpose of this study was to examine the direct effect of nationalism and tax morale on tax awareness. As well as testing the effect of the two independent variables on taxpayer compliance through tax awareness. The research method used is quantitative with data collection techniques through questionnaire, method in taking samples using the hair method, namely the number respondent 5 – 10 times the number of indicators. The results of the sample obtained are 180 respondents with the status of Taxpayers. The sample was tested for validity and reliability testing and tested the hypothesis through the Smarts PLS software application. The results of hypothesis testing prove that there is a significant direct effect on nationalism and tax morale on tax awareness, a significant direct effect on tax awareness on taxpayer compliance, and a significant indirect effect on nationalism and tax morale attitudes on taxpayer compliance. Tax through tax awareness. From this research it can be concluded that when the Government will. To increase tax awareness, the first strategy that must be improved is tax morale, then the attitude of nationalism. And to increase taxpayer compliance through tax awareness, the first strategy that must be improved is tax morale, then nationalism.

Mediating role of intrinsic work motivation in relationship between job commitment and professional ethics with firefighters' extra-role performance

Introduction: A firefighting job is a demanding job that has a high degree of stress due to constant exposure to life-threatening conditions. Therefore, the present study investigates the mediating role of intrinsic job motivation in the relationship between job commitment and professional ethics with extra-role performance among firefighters in Isfahan. Materials and Methods: The type of study was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population included all firefighters in Isfahan, from which 228 people were selected as a sample through random sampling. The instruments used include internal job motivation questionnaires (Gagne et al., 2015), job commitment (Blau, 2009), professional ethics (Hackerina, 2011), and extra-role performance (Lee and Allen, 2002). Data were analyzed by the Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling (SEM). SPSS23 and Smart PLS3 software were used for data analysis. Results: The results showed that professional ethics has a direct effect on intrinsic job motivation, extra-role performance toward organization and individual; Intrinsic job motivation affects directly on the extra-role performance toward an individual; Job commitment has a direct effect on intrinsic job motivation and extra-role performance toward the organization (P <0.05). Also, the proposed model has a good fit and by examining the indirect and mediating effects through the bootstrapping method in PLS software, was shown that intrinsic job motivation mediates the effect of job commitment and professional ethics on the extra- role performance toward the individual. Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that professional ethics and job commitment could increase extra-role behaviors through intrinsic job motivation. Therefore, due to the role and importance of extra-role behaviors in the firefighting profession, attention to this should be considered by managers and policymakers of this organization.

Role of Human Resources, Production Process, and Flexibility on Commercial Benefits From AMT Investments

Advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT) acquisition by maquiladoras (foreign-owned manufacturing companies) is a tendency that allows these companies to maximize their commercial benefits. However, it remains unclear how the AMT implementation impacts on their performance. In addition, this research studies 383 responses to a questionnaire about the AMT implementation in the Mexican maquiladora industry and reports an analysis with four latent variables associating obtained benefits after the AMT implementation—human resources, flexibility, production process, and commercial benefits—where their relationships are evaluated through six hypotheses using a structural equation model (SEM). Finally, the outcomes demonstrated that AMT benefits for human resources have a direct effect on flexibility, production process, and commercial benefits. However, the direct effect from human resources benefits, knowledge, and experience on commercial benefits are acquired through indirect effects, using flexibility and production process as mediator variables.