Exploring the impact of country-of-origin image and purchase intention in cross-border e-commerce

Product country-of-origin (COO) is now playing a central role in consumers’ purchase behavior. Previous studies have investigated several factors that impact COO. However, little attention has been paid to the impact of COO on consumers’ product evaluation on Chinese products, especially in the cross-border e-commerce context. Using a multi-methods design, this study first unearthed the antecedents of COO image towards Chinese products from the qualitative data in Study 1 by drawing on the legitimacy theory and then develops a contextual model of consumers’ product evaluation and purchase intention, integrating the role of a product with a different level of involvement. Using quantitative survey data from 252 foreign consumers, the study tests the research model in Study 2. The findings provide empirical evidence to support the model and highlight the importance of COO cues on foreign consumers’ purchase intention towards Chinese products. The results also enhance our understanding of consumers’ purchase decision in cross-border e-commerce.

Exploring the Impact of Country-of-Origin Image and Purchase Intention in Cross-Border E-Commerce

Product country-of-origin (COO) is now playing a central role in consumers’ purchase behavior. Previous studies have investigated several factors that impact COO. However, little attention has been paid to the impact of COO on consumers’ product evaluation on Chinese products, especially in the cross-border e-commerce context. Using a multi-methods design, this study first unearthed the antecedents of COO image towards Chinese products from the qualitative data in Study 1 by drawing on the legitimacy theory and then develops a contextual model of consumers’ product evaluation and purchase intention, integrating the role of a product with a different level of involvement. Using quantitative survey data from 252 foreign consumers, the study tests the research model in Study 2. The findings provide empirical evidence to support the model and highlight the importance of COO cues on foreign consumers’ purchase intention towards Chinese products. The results also enhance our understanding of consumers’ purchase decision in cross-border e-commerce.

Peer support for adolescent girls living with scoliosis: finding a digital community

Introduction : Scoliosis in a condition where a curve develops in the spine. Adolescent girls affected by scoliosis are significantly more likely to require treatment such as bracing or surgery than their male counterparts. Curvy Girls is a peer support group for adolescent girls with scoliosis that allows them to engage with each other in a safe environment. Objectives : This study endeavours to explore the experiences of adolescent girls living with scoliosis who are Curvy Girls members and understand how this peer support group has affected their experience. Approach : Sixteen participants were recruited through a senior board member of Curvy Girls. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using an applied philosophical hermeneutic approach, a practice of uncovering insights from transformational conversation. Findings : We found that the participants’ sense of belonging to Curvy Girls did not depend on their level of involvement with the group. Whether they were leaders in their in-person local group, or simply following the organization on social media, seeing themselves represented allowed the participants to feel like they belonged to the group. Future Directions : These findings may help clinicians, healthcare professionals, and peer support organisations deepen their understanding of the perspectives of this specific population. This transformed understanding could lead to the instauration of care and services that are better adapted to this population’s needs, resulting in lessening the burden of the condition on the individual and their support system.

Family-owned banks in Jordan: do they perform better?

PurposeFamily ownership is very common for Jordanian businesses, leading to a high level of involvement of family members in company management. There continues to be intense discussion on the pros and cons of family ownership, particularly as it focuses corporate control within a small family group. The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of family- and non-family-owned banks that appear on the Amman Stock Exchange over the 2016 to 2020 period.Design/methodology/approachThe research on Jordanian domestic banks is based on data from the annual reports of banks listed on their websites which offers comprehensive data on finances, ownership and the board. Family-owned and non-family banks were analysed using multiple regression technique to identify any variations in their performance.FindingsUsing a sample of 16 domestic banks with 75 bank-year observations over the 2016 to 2020 period, the study supports other research in finding that family ownership is negatively related to bank performance. This is true for accounting-based and market-based performance measures, including return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and Tobin's Q test results. Additionally, analysis identifies greater negative consequences for performance within family-owned banks by board of directors.Originality/valueThis paper extends previous research on family businesses by investigating the impact of family ownership on the financial performance in the Jordanian bank sector. This research determined that devaluation is a consequence of higher levels of ownership concentration for domestic banks in Jordan.

Predictors of foster father’s engagement in foster family homes

Research background: Foster fatherhood is undoubtedly a specific kind of fatherhood, since the man, often being a husband and father to his biological offspring, makes the decision to play the role of a foster father, the performance of which requires a high level of engagement in the realization of caring-rearing as well as compensatory activities, which – in turn – call for constant raising of the competences of working with an orphaned child.Research aim: To learn about the factors which condition the level of involvement of foster fathers in the realization of parenting activity in family-run children’s homes in both the global and partial dimensions.Research method: In the study, the method of diagnostic survey and that of assessment were applied.Obtained results: The analyses proved that the level of engagement of foster fathers in the realization of parenting activity in family-run children’s homes is to a large extent conditioned by foster fathers’ personality factors; to a smaller degree it is influenced by sociodemographic factors or those which are based in the system of social welfare.Conclusions: The specific nature of tasks set for a family-run children’s home demands that foster fathers should engage in the realization of parenting activity to the highest possible degree. It is thus not only important for men to be prepared to play the role of a foster father, but it is also vital to constantly support them in this role.

A Fundação Renova como forma corporativa: Estratégias empresariais e arranjos institucionais no desastre da Samarco/Vale/BHP Billiton no rio Doce, Mariana (MG)

O dia 5 de novembro marcou a vida de comunidades inteiras. O rompimento da barragem de Fundão, operada pela Samarco, uma joint-venture entre Vale e BHP Billiton, causou mortes e danos ao longo dos mais de 600 km percorridos pelo mar de lama no curso do leito do rio Doce, de Mariana ao litoral do Espírito Santo. Para gerenciar a crise e lidar com o processo de reparação as empresas responsáveis pelo desastre, em parceria com alguns órgãos do Estado brasileiro, criaram uma figura aparentemente inédita sob a lógica de uma fundação corporativa, chamada de Fundação Renova. O tratamento institucional dado ao desastre reestruturou relações de poder entre órgãos públicos, judiciário, e entidades da socie­dade civil e movimentos sociais. A partir de observações etnográficas e análise de documentos que ver­sam sobre os acordos e arranjos institucionais vinculados à fundação, neste artigo nos perguntamos so­bre a dita autonomia desta, analisando sua posição no sistema de governança do desastre, assim como elementos de sua criação, estrutura interna e trajetória de alguns de seus conselheiros e diretores. Qual o nível de envolvimento da Renova com as empresas? Como ela se apresenta diante do debate acerca dos processos reparatórios? O que ela pode nos dizer sobre as estratégias corporativas envolvendo con­flitos neoextrativistas? Como as populações atingidas lidam com a Fundação nas arenas de discussão? Através de algumas respostas a essas perguntas, sugerimos aqui que a Fundação Renova pode ser consi­derada como uma forma corporativa que oferece versatilidade às intervenções das mineradoras para ge­renciar a crise. Palavras-chave: neoextrativismo; governança; desastre da Samarco; Fundação Renova. Abstract November 5th marked the life of entire communities. The failure of the Fundão dam, operated by Samarco, a joint venture between Vale and BHP Billiton, caused deaths and damages along the 600 km traversed by the sea of mud in the course of the Doce river basin, from Mariana to the coast of Espírito Santo. To manage the crisis and deal with the repair process, the companies responsible for the disaster, in partnership with some agencies of the Brazilian State, created an apparently unprecedented figure under the logic of a corporate foundation presented as autonomous, called the Renova Foundation. The institutional treatment given to the disaster restructured power relations between public agencies, the judiciary, and civil society entities and social movements. Based on ethnographic observations and analysis of documents dealing with institutional agreements linked to the foundation, in this article we ask ourselves about its said autonomy, analyzing its position in the disaster governance system, as well as elements of its creation, internal structure and trajectory of some of its directors. What is Renova's level of involvement with companies? How does it present itself in the face of the debate about reparatory processes? What can it tell us about corporate strategies involving neoextractive conflicts? How do affected populations deal with the Foundation in the discussion arenas? Through some answers to these questions, we suggest here that the Renova Foundation can be considered a corporate form that offers versatility to the interventions of mining companies to manage the crisis. Keywords: neoextrativism; governance; Samarco disaster; Renova Foundation. La Fundación Renova como forma corporativa: Estrategias empresariales y arreglos institucionales del desastre de Samarco/Vale/BHP Billiton en el rio Doce, Mariana (MG) Resumen El 5 de noviembre marcó la vida de comunidades enteras. El colapso del dique Fundão, operado por Sa­marco – una joint venture entre Vale y BHP Billiton –, provocó muertes y daños a lo largo de los más de 600 km que atravesó el mar de lama siguiendo el cauce del río Doce, desde Mariana hasta alcanzar la costa de Espíritu Santo. Para gestionar la crisis y afrontar el proceso de reparación, las empresas respon­sables del desastre, en alianza con algunas agencias del Estado brasileño, crearon una figura aparente­mente inédita bajo la lógica de una fundación corporativa presentada como autónoma, denominada Fun­dación Renova. El tratamiento institucional dado al desastre reestructuró las relaciones de poder entre los organismos públicos, el poder judicial y las entidades de la sociedad civil y movimientos sociales. Con base en observaciones etnográficas y análisis de documentos que tratan de acuerdos y arreglos institu­cionales vinculados a la fundación, en este artículo nos preguntamos sobre su mentada autonomía, ana­lizando su posición en el sistema de gobernanza del desastre, así como aspectos de su creación, estruc­tura interna y trayectoria de algunos de sus directores y funcionarios. ¿Cuál es la relación de la Renova con las empresas? ¿Cómo se presenta en el proceso de reparación? ¿Qué puede decirnos sobre las estra­tegias corporativas desplegadas en conflictos neoextractivistas? ¿Cómo lidian las victimas con la Funda­ción en los foros de discusión? A través de algunas respuestas a estas preguntas, sugerimos aquí que la Fundación Renova puede ser considerada una forma corporativa que ofrece versatilidad a las interven­ciones de las empresas mineras para gestionar la crisis. Palabras clave: neoextractivismo; gobernanza; desastre de Samarco; Fundación Renova.

Digital inclusion as a factor of political socialization of high school students

The purpose of this article is to identify the main trends in the influence of digital inclusion on the process of political socialization of high school students. Unconventional political activity of schoolchildren in recent years has increased the interest of scientists in the study of political socialization of children and adolescents, as well as factors influencing this process and its results. The empirical base was made up of the materials of the author's research of high school students in Krasnodar (questionnaire survey and expert sessions), as well as materials of sociological research by other authors. The level of involvement in the political life of citizens and the constructive experience of civil and political practices in a digital society largely depends on the updated set of digital competencies of citizens. Digital inclusion has the maximum impact on the political socialization of Generation Z, whose primary socialization occurred in the digital era. The level of involvement of Krasnodar high school students in digital communication is estimated as medium and high, and the level of digital competencies as medium and low. The authors have identified such vectors of the influence of digital inclusion on the political socialization of schoolchildren as: the movement from the sequence of "five transitions" of youth to their overlap and related problems of managing multitasking of identity construction; the change in the configuration of agents of political socialization from hierarchical to hybrid and the emergence of groups of youth outside the influence of traditional agents of socialization; the increasing role of digital media personalities in the formation of political views of adolescents; the development of digital technologies for the formation of political and civic identity.

Personal Projects’ Appraisals and Compulsive Buying among University Students: Evidence from Galicia, Spain

The appraisal of goal-related constructs, generally, and of personal projects (PP) in particular, is one of the most solid research paths with regard to subjective well-being and health. In the last few years, the appraisal of PP has been linked to such problems as excessive alcohol and marijuana use, but no study has been conducted in the field of compulsive buying (CB). In this study, using Little’s personal-projects-analysis (PPA) methodology, the differences in university students were analyzed in both broad domains (meaning, structure, community, efficacy, and stress) and specific appraisal dimensions in groups with low (n = 293), moderate (n = 191), and high (n = 41) compulsive-buying propensities. The results confirm that the high-propensity group presented the highest significant levels in the domain of stress and the lowest in efficacy, meaning, and structure. As to appraisal dimensions, the group with a high propensity to CB attained statistically lower appraisals in the dimensions of importance, enjoyment, self-identity, absorption, control, time adequacy, progress, and outcome of their projects; the appraisal of the level of stress, difficulty, and conflict increased as the level of involvement in CB increased. These findings have major implications for the design of prevention and intervention programs for this behavioral problem.

hGLUTEN Tool: Measuring Its Social Impact Indicators

hGLUTEN is a technological solution capable of detecting gluten and spoiled food. We measured the social impact of the hGLUTEN tool using two Likert scale surveys with two groups: professionals (engineers/chefs) and end-users. These data have been assessed in accordance with the social impact indicators defined for the Key Impact Pathways introduced by the European Commission for Horizon Europe and the criteria of the Social Impact Open Repository (SIOR). A total of 85% of users, 100% of engineers and 68% of professional chefs consider it very relevant to participate and give their opinion in research projects, which shows the increasingly high level of involvement of the general population. A total of 88% of users were unaware of other applications that detect gluten and were more dependent on guidelines provided by allergy associations and expiry dates of foodstuffs. In addition, only 5% of professional chefs said they were aware of other technology capable of detecting gluten in food, which may indicate a large economic market and good commercialisation possibilities for the tool in the future. Finally, the inclusion of tools to motivate users to promote it has been identified as an area for improvement, which could mean that it should be made more visible in the media to increase its impact and influence.