bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A contingency model of marketing dashboards and their influence on marketing strategy implementation speed and market information management capability
Authors: Krush Michael T. , Agnihotri Raj , Trainor Kevin J.
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on the value of marketing dashboards, a key area of interest for scholars and practitioners. This study examines two critical outcomes of marketing dashboards: marketing strategy implementation speed and market information management capability. Additionally, the research analyzes the impact of the firm’s internal structure on the relationship between marketing dashboards and the outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model grounded in the knowledge-based view of the firm is tested. The research uses survey data collected from marketing professionals employed within business-to-business firms. Data from the key informants are analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results demonstrate that marketing dashboards are significantly related to marketing strategy implementation speed and market information management capability. Centralization exhibits a negative moderating effect, and formalization exhibits a positive moderating effect on the relationship between marketing dashboards and marketing strategy implementation speed. Marketing strategy implementation speed and market information management capability are related to market performance.

Originality/value

Through the examination of main and moderating relationships, this paper demonstrates that marketing strategy implementation speed and market information management capability are key integration mechanisms that leverage the marketing dashboard resources.
Troubled waters: the transformation of marketing in a digital world
Authors: Quinn Lee , Dibb Sally , Simkin Lyndon , Canhoto Ana , Analogbei Mathew
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to establish how strategic target-market selection decisions are shaped, challenged and driven in response to the rapidly evolving technological landscape. The authors critically evaluate the implications of these changes for the role of marketers and the organizational function of marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses qualitative methods. Key-informant interviews are conducted among senior organizational practitioners within client-side organizations, digital agencies and strategic marketing consultancies, seeking to contrast their views.

Findings

The findings reveal an erosion of responsibility for the integrated strategic role of marketing decision-making. In particular, the authors reveal that the evolving digital landscape has precipitated a sense of crisis for marketers and the role of marketing within the firm. This extends beyond simply remedying a skills-gap and is triggering a transformation that has repercussions for the future of marketing and its practice, thus diminishing functional accountability.

Research limitations/implications

The findings have long-term implications for marketing as a strategic organizational function of the firm and for marketing as a practice.

Originality/value

The study considers an increasingly digitalized marketplace and the associated impact of big data for the function of marketing. It reveals the changing scope of strategic marketing practice and functional accountability.
Commitment to marketing spending through recessions
Authors: Currim Imran S. , Lim Jooseop , Zhang Yu
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to address two unique and important questions. First, how do recessions directly affect firms’ marketing spending decisions? Second, and more importantly, do firms which are more committed to marketing spending through past recessions achieve better stock market returns?

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a combination of National Bureau of Economic Research, COMPUSTAT and Center for Research in Security Prices data on 6,000 firms between 1982 and 2009 which are analyzed using panel data-based regression models.

Findings

The authors find that firms cut marketing spending during recessions. However, firms committed to marketing spending during past recessions achieve better stock market returns. The findings are found to be robust across B2B and B2C industries, different periods and US firms which vary on the proportion of their global revenue from non-US sales.

Research limitations/implications

Top executives cut marketing budgets during recessions; however, if they can resist the pressures, and strategically continue to make marketing investments during recessions, they will achieve higher stock market returns.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to establish the longer-term (not short-term) positive stock market performance of continuous (not episodic) marketing spending through past recessions, i.e. the view that marketing spending is necessary (not discretionary) for stock returns.
Development and impact of strategic marketing – a longitudinal study in a Nordic country from 2008 to 2014
Authors: Frösén Johanna , Tikkanen Henrikki
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The study investigates the development of three key strategic marketing constructs – market orientation, marketing-related business process capabilities and marketing performance measurement – as well as their performance implications over a period of six years in a Nordic setting. The aim of the study is to shed light on recent developments in contemporary strategic marketing, and thereby to identify managerially relevant points of focus for the future.

Design/methodology/approach

The study builds on a national-level survey study conducted among Finnish companies of various sizes representing different industries and market positions in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014. The data capture the development of strategic marketing over the most recent business cycle, from the upturn to the financial crisis of late 2008, the following downturn and the recent tentative recovery.

Findings

The findings shed light on the changing role of the three key strategic marketing constructs over the years. Particularly, the study supports the recent notion that market orientation is no longer a differentiator, but a standard. Furthermore, the study sheds light on the varying role of marketing-related business process capabilities over the changing business cycle. Finally, the study shows that marketing performance measurement maintains its beneficial impact on firm performance across years and across the business cycle.

Practical implications

By investigating recent developments in the field of strategic marketing, taking into account the changing business cycle and the broader trends and developments in the field, this study provides insights for managers of both product and service businesses on how to better adjust their marketing efforts to the contemporary business environment and its economic development.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study on a national level that longitudinally investigates the role and impact of the three key strategic marketing constructs, with a particular focus on their relative performance impact over time.
Mobile user signature extraction based on user behavioural pattern (MUSEP)
Authors: Sbeyti Hassan , El Hage Beatrice , Fadlallah Ahmad
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to extract the user behaviour and transform it into a unique signature that can be used as implicit authentication technique. Smart devices are equipped with multiple authentication techniques and still remain prone to attacks because all of these techniques require explicit intervention of the user. Entering a pin code, a password or even having a biometric print can be easily hacked by an adversary.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors introduce a novel authentication model to be used as complementary to the existing authentication models. Particularly, the duration of usage of each application and the occurrence time were examined and modelled into a user signature. During the learning phase, a cubic spline function is used to extract the user signature based on his/her behavioural pattern.

Findings

Preliminary field experiments show a 70 per cent accuracy rate in determining the rightful owner of the device.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this paper is a framework that extracts the user behaviour and transforms it into a unique signature that can be used to implicitly authenticate the user.
Geometric sequence based multipath routing protocol for multi-hop ad hoc networks
Authors: Tashtoush Yahya M. , Alsmirat Mohammad A. , Alghadi Tasneem
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose, a new multi-path routing protocol that distributes packets over the available paths between a sender and a receiver in a multi-hop ad hoc network. We call this protocol Geometric Sequence Based Multipath Routing Protocol (GMRP).

Design/methodology/approach

GMRP distributes packets according to the geometric sequence. GMRP is evaluated using GloMoSim simulator. The authors use packet delivery ratio and end-to-end delay as the comparison performance metrics. They also vary many network configuration parameters such as number of nodes, transmission rate, mobility speed and network area.

Findings

The simulation results show that GMRP reduces the average end-to-end delay by up to 49 per cent and increases the delivery ratio by up to 8 per cent.

Originality/value

This study is the first to propose to use of geometric sequence in the multipath routing approach.
The influence patient’s characteristics “requests and expectations” on physician prescribing behavior
Authors: Murshid Mohsen Ali , Mohaidin Zurina , Yen Nee Goh
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The role of patient’s characteristics in the prescribing decision of physicians comprises two major constructs: drug request and expectations. The purpose of this paper was to examine the existing literature on patient characteristics and then explore the circumstances that reinforce the connection between patient characteristics (drug requests and expectations) and physician prescribing decision.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of the literature was carried out across online databases from 1994 to 2015, and 25 reviewed articles were identified. The influence of patient factors on physician prescribing decisions was identified in the articles. A conceptual model to investigate the patient characteristics that influence physicians’ prescribing decision was the developed.

Findings

There have been numerous studies on the effect of patient characteristics on physician prescription decision. Some studies discovered patient’s request for drug and expectations strongly influence physicians’ prescribing decision, whereas others found only minor or no relation. To resolve this ambiguity, there is a need to precisely understand how patient factors affect prescribing decisions of physicians, under different contexts and conditions. This review contends that contextual variables – drug characteristics, drug cost/benefits ratio and physician habit persistence – are determining factors in this debate.

Research limitations/implications

The study recommends further studies on the influence of each factor on physician prescribing behaviour and an evaluation of the proposed model and moderating variables.

Originality/value

This paper is the first significant step towards recognizing contextual variables that may moderate the relationship between a patient’s drug request and expectations and prescribing behaviour. This research contributes to resolving the debate on the ways patient factors affect prescribing behaviour.
Consumer’s love for functional brands: the Aspirin case
Authors: Pinto Borges Ana , Cardoso Cláudia , Rodrigues Paula
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This study aims to check which scale of love brand developed by Carroll and Ahuvia (2006) or Mohammadian and Karimpour (2014) have better adhesion to the perception of Aspirin love brand, that is, a functional brand.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual models and associated hypotheses are tested with a sample of 321 consumers. Data were analyzed through a structural equation model.

Findings

The results demonstrate strong relationships between the three antecedents (brand engagement, confidence and overall attitude) and brand love and between brand love and its consequences (brand loyalty, positive word of mouth and brand purchase intention) in both scales.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of the study relates to the sample, which is only of Portuguese consumers and does not match the main socio-demographic characteristics of the population. Therefore, the study should be seen as exploratory on the brand love in the case of functional brands.

Practical implications

The knowledge that a consumer can establish an emotional relationship with a functional brand, in a highly competitive sector as the pharmaceutical sector, in particular in drugs that are sold without a prescription, can help managers in defining their communication strategy appealing to the emotions and long-term involvement with the consumed.

Originality/value

Few studies about the background of the brand love and those that exist are linked to hedonic product categories and self-expressive brands. It is the first time that the brand love for a medicine is evaluated.
Situational and personality effects on smokers’ psychological reactance
Authors: Boukamcha Fayçal
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the situational and personal aspects that may trigger smokers’ psychological state reactance. It was hypothesized that situational factors, such as perceived threat to freedom and perceived loss of control, which are supposed to be triggered by an anti-smoking persuasive message, and a personality pattern, such as trait reactance proneness, predict the psychological state reactance.

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment and a survey were conducted on a random sample of 246 smoking undergraduate students in two Tunisian business schools. Four anti-smoking print ads, with two different levels of negative emotional intensity, were manipulated.

Findings

The findings depict the importance of the anti-smoking ads with a high negative emotional intensity, the perceived threat to freedom and trait reactance proneness in the smokers’ psychological reactance prediction.

Originality/value

This work seems to be important to the extent that few works have combined situational and dispositional factors to explain the smokers’ psychological reactance. The findings in this paper seem interesting insofar as they show the importance of the personality factor and the fear appeal in triggering smokers’ anger and negative cognitions that lead, in turn, to the arousal of psychological reactance. This paper should be of interest to readers in the areas of health communication, social psychology and social marketing.
Optimizing community healthcare coverage in remote Liberia
Authors: VonAchen Paige , Smilowitz Karen , Raghavan Mallika , Feehan Ross
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study describing a collaboration with Last Mile Health, a non-governmental organization, to develop a framework to inform its community healthcare networks in remote Liberia.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors detail the process of using the unique problem setting and available data to inform modeling and solution approaches.

Findings

The authors show how the characteristics of the Liberian setting can be used to develop a two-tier modeling framework. Given the operating constraints and remote setting the authors are able to model the problem as a special case of the location-routing problem that is computationally simple to solve. The results of the models applied to three districts of Liberia are discussed, as well as the collaborative process of the multidisciplinary team.

Originality/value

Importantly, the authors describe how the problem setting can enable the development of a properly scoped model that is implementable in practice. Thus the authors provide a case study that bridges the gap between theory and practice.
Drivers of government restrictions on humanitarian supply chains
Authors: Kunz Nathan , Reiner Gerald
Published: December 2016

Purpose

Foreign governments do not always welcome international humanitarian organizations responding to a disaster in their country. Many governments even impose restrictions on humanitarian supply chains through import barriers, travel restrictions or excessive bureaucracy. The purpose of this paper is to analyze these restrictions and try to identify the government characteristics that best explain the tendency to impose such restrictions.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a multiple case study among four international humanitarian organizations the authors identify and analyze the restrictions imposed on humanitarian supply chains in 143 different programs. The authors compare the average number of restrictions per country with different governmental and socio-economic situational factors.

Findings

The authors find that state fragility, a combination of government ineffectiveness and illegitimacy, is the characteristic that best explains the tendency of a government to impose restrictions on humanitarian supply chains.

Practical implications

Knowing that fragile states tend to impose a high number of restrictions helps humanitarian organizations to prepare adequately before entering a country with a fragile government. The organization can, for example, anticipate possible concerns and establish trust with the government. Commercial companies starting to do business in such country can learn from this knowledge.

Originality/value

Multiple studies have mentioned the strong impact of governments on humanitarian supply chains, but no paper has yet analyzed this problem in detail. The paper is the first to identify the characteristics that explain the number of restrictions governments impose on humanitarian supply chains, and what humanitarian organizations can do to address them.
Defining logistics preparedness: a framework and research agenda
Authors: Jahre Marianne , Pazirandeh Ala , Van Wassenhove Luk
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a more complete understanding of logistics preparedness. By comparing extant research in preparedness and logistics with findings from empirical analysis of secondary data, the authors develop a definition of and framework for logistics preparedness, along with suggestions for future research agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors link the way in which humanitarian organizations define and aim to achieve logistics preparedness with extant academic research. The authors critically analyze public data from 13 organizations that are active in disaster relief and review papers on logistics preparedness and humanitarian logistics.

Findings

The authors found that, despite the increased attention, there is no unified understanding across organizations about what constitutes logistics preparedness and how it can contribute to improvements in operations. Based on the review of the academic literature, the authors found that the same is true for humanitarian logistics research. The lack of a common understanding has resulted in low visibility of efforts and lack of knowledge on logistics preparedness.

Research limitations/implications

On the basis of extant research and practice, the authors suggest a definition of and framework for logistics preparedness with related suggestions for future studies.

Practical implications

Findings can help the humanitarian community gain a better understanding of their efforts related to developing logistics preparedness and can provide a better basis for communicating the need for, and results from, funding in preparedness.

Social implications

Results can support improvements in humanitarian supply chains, thereby providing affected people with rapid, cost-efficient, and better-adapted responses.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to humanitarian logistics literature, first by identifying the issues related to the lack of a common definition. Second, the authors extend the understanding of what constitutes logistics preparedness by proposing an operationalized framework and definition. Finally, the authors add to the literature by discussing what future topics and types of research may be required.
Digital collection development and sharing on a national scale
Authors: Wang Jing
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the resource construction mode of the Digital Library Promotion Project, so as to summarize the general characteristics of successful collaborative collection building for digital libraries. Digital Library Promotion Project (DLPP) is a digital culture boosting project launched by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China with National Library of China as its implementing unit. The project aims to build a nation-wide library network that could support and guarantee resource development and sharing among public libraries all over China so as to achieve equalization in public culture service among people from different parts of the country. This paper is a case study of the digital library development in China. The present situation of Chinese public libraries is accounted in this paper, and the developing mode and mechanism in cooperation between libraries of different administrative ranking are discussed along with the future development of the project. This paper may provide references to countries and libraries in their efforts to pursue sustainable development.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a case study of digital collection development and sharing in a developing country where regional differences are large. The paper starts with the environmental scan of the resource situation of public libraries in China, which is the background and significance of the DLPP. The main part of the paper is the introduction and analysis of the collection developing method of the DLPP, including: union catalogue, co-construction of featured resources and joint procurement of databases. Through analyzing the mechanism in collection development and sharing, this paper discusses the measures that guarantees the success of the project.

Findings

Through analyzing the mechanism in collection development and sharing, this paper discusses the measures that guarantee the success of the project, these are: sustained financial support from the government, scientific mechanism for cooperation, flexible handling of copyright issues unified standards in resource development and targeted training programs.

Originality/value

This paper is a case study of the digital library development in China. The present situation of Chinese public libraries is accounted in this paper, and the developing mode and mechanism in cooperation between libraries of different administrative ranking are discussed, as well as the future development of the project. This paper may provide references to countries and libraries in their efforts to pursue sustainable development.
Library succession planning process in Vietnam
Authors: Huynh Trang Thi
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to design a model of succession planning process for public and academic libraries in Vietnam.

Design/methodology/approach

The model of library succession planning process was develop based on the findings of a two-phase research underpinned by transformational leadership theory. Data were collected from 172 responses of the online survey and 23 in-depth interviews in 13 public and 4 academic libraries in the Mekong region, Vietnam.

Findings

A library succession planning process with six steps was established.

Research limitations/implications

As the research takes place in both public and academic libraries, the overarching benefit of the present study is to provide library leaders in these sectors with practical understanding and knowledge about how succession planning process can be done, as well as to enhance management practices in Vietnam libraries and other organisations. Leaders from other types of library systems in Vietnam and globally can reference this model so as to know what to do and how to conduct this process confidently.

Originality/value

This study helps to fill the gap that succession planning in Vietnamese libraries has been done without a specific path. Library leaders in each organisation conducted it differently between public and academic libraries because the government has only issued general guides for all industries of the nation.
Digital literacy skills possessed by students of UNN, implications for effective learning and performance
Authors: Ukwoma Scholastica C. , Iwundu Nkiruka E. , Iwundu Ifeanyichukwu Emmanuel
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify the digital literacy skills possessed by the students of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the extent to which they use these digital literacy skills in their academic works.

Design/methodology/approach

Descriptive survey was adopted for the study, and the population consists of registered students that use the mobile telephone network (MTN) digital library, out of which 10 per cent of the population (281) was sampled for the study. A structured questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. The questionnaire was randomly administered on the respondents who come to use the MTN digital library with particular attention to the different levels of the students. The questionnaire distribution lasted for a week; 281 copies of questionnaire were distributed, out which 184 (65 per cent) responded.

Findings

The study showed that some of the students possess digital literacy skills; they use these digital literacy skills daily. Majority of the respondents indicated that digital literacy has affected their academic performance to a high extent. The major challenges of acquiring digital literacy skills include electricity failure, low internet bandwidth, ICT facilities, lack of development of digital literacy programme and standard.

Practical implications

Implication of this study is that the establishment by MTN has enhanced the development of digital literacy in UNN as many students utilize these facilities.

Originality/value

Librarians and library staff should be adequately equipped with digital literacy skills and competencies to empower them to train and educate users, as information and communication technology (ICT) is a major tool for teaching, learning and research. To achieve this goal, there is a need to engage in public private partnership collaboration to sponsor the provision of these ICT facilities in our institutions of higher learning to enhance literacy learning for national development.
Libraries and OER
Authors: Massis Bruce
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the use of Open Electronic Resources (OER) as a supplement or replacement for textbooks or entire courses in higher education teaching and learning.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a literature review and commentary on this topic that has been addressed by professionals, researchers and practitioners.

Findings

Librarians are in a unique position to offer support for faculty seeking to incorporate OER into their courses. In an overall effort to serve as an important option to the mounting costs of education, librarians can offer up their knowledge, skill and training in the development and evaluation of OER.

Originality/value

The value in exploring this topic is to examine the library’s use of OER and their benefits and challenges in a higher education classroom environment.
Governance, legitimacy, and stakeholder balance: lessons from Fairtrade International
Authors: Bennett Elizabeth A.
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to explain why Fairtrade International (FI), an organization committed to empowering the producers of Fairtrade certified products, at times (paradoxically), excluded them from its highest bodies of governance. A within-case study of Fairtrade’s inclusive and exclusive reforms over 25 years, along with insights from the social enterprise, hybrid governance and political sociology literatures, is used to generate several propositions about how voluntary sustainability standards-setting organizations (VSSSOs) engage stakeholders – especially producers – in governance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses process-tracing methodology, which focuses on the sequential, intervening processes that link potentially important variables within a single case. It draws on data from over 100 interviews and nearly 6,000 archival documents collected from FI and its member Max Havelaar Netherlands. Causal process observations were extracted from the documents and compiled to create a 68,000-word chronological narrative used to evaluate six potential explanations of Fairtrade’s governance reforms: legitimacy, resources, identity, oligarchic tendency, leadership and producer mobilization.

Findings

This study finds that Fairtrade’s inclusion/exclusion of producers reflected its desire to increase its moral legitimacy among external actors and understanding of how to signal legitimacy. The discussion proposes that VSSSOs, especially in times of heightened competition, leverage their comparative advantages to differentiate themselves from other organizations. In cases (like FI) in which the advantage is legitimacy, changing notions of legitimacy may have a destabilizing effect on governance.

Originality/value

This evidence-based account of FI’s governance decisions should help resolve some debates about the nature of FI’s relationship with producer groups. The broader propositions offer guidance for future cross-case research aiming to explain VSSSOs’ governance structure and hybrid governance, more generally. Because FI includes producers in governance to a much greater extent than most VSSSOs, it is an important case.
The role of institutional and stakeholder networks in shaping social enterprise ecosystems in Europe
Authors: Hazenberg Richard , Bajwa-Patel Meanu , Mazzei Micaela , Roy Michael James , Baglioni Simone
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper draws upon prior research that built a theoretical framework for the emergence of social enterprise ecosystems based upon the biological evolutionary theory. This paper aims to extend this previous research by practically applying the said theory to the development of stakeholder and institutional networks across Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus groups were analysed using Constant Comparison Method. Data were generated from discussions with 258 key stakeholders in ten countries across Europe, exploring the historical, political, social, legal and economic factors that influence the patterns of a social enterprise seen in each country.

Findings

The results identify the emergence of four social enterprise ecosystem types (Statist-macro, Statist-micro, Private-macro and Private-micro). These are used to explain the differences found in each of the ten country’s social enterprise ecosystems. The results are discussed in relation to the evolutionary theory in social entrepreneurship and how “genetic” and “epigenetic” factors lead to the divergence of social enterprise ecosystems, and the impact that this has on the stakeholders and institutions that are present within them.

Originality/value

A typology of ecosystems is presented, which can be used by policymakers across Europe to understand how best to support their local social economies.
Madeira: developing a new tourism paradigm
Authors: Jesus Eduardo
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce Madeira’s new tourism strategy and demonstrate how it will lead the region to a new paradigm focused on a culture of service.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on an analysis of Madeira’s strategic tourism and marketing plan and official regional, national and international information sources.

Findings

Madeira’s new tourism strategy is based on the reference tripod “Mountain, Sea and Culture”. The new tourism paradigm, it is focused on quality rather than on quantity and more committed on upgrading the product and its offer; is more aligned with environmental, energy and sustainable development concerns for the destination; and is more active, in a direct association between tourism, health and sports.

Originality/value

This paper presents the perspective and experience of Madeira’s regional government in the management of tourism developmental strategies and shares the solutions implemented in securing and advancing its position as the Best Island Destination in Europe.
World trends and the state of Portuguese tourism – round table on opportunities for businesses development
Authors: Costa Jorge , Carvalho Silva
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the current state of the Portuguese tourism, its opportunities and challenges based on the conclusions of the International Tourism Forum (ITF)/Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) Round Table attended by representatives of the main public and private entities of the tourism sector in Portugal.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents and discusses the main conclusions resulting from the ITF/WHATT Round Table. The event was organized by the Institute for Tourism Planning and Development, under the theme “Tourism in 2016: from trends to results”.

Findings

The ITF/WHATT Round Table concluded that the tourism industry worldwide and in Portugal, in particular, is facing major challenges that call for innovative ways of managing the tourism experience. On the other hand, world tourism growth was seen as a reality that will remain, and destinations will have to continue working to achieve better tourists instead of getting more tourists.

Practical implications

This analysis provides knowledge about the current state of the Portuguese tourism, its challenges and opportunities while identifying innovative ways and likely solutions to improve the experience of tourists visiting Portugal.

Originality/value

The profiling of the current state of the Portuguese tourism, its opportunities and challenges contributes to the design of more effective strategies to improve the Portuguese tourist offer and the experience of tourists visiting Portugal.
Profile of female tourists visiting Porto and North of Portugal
Authors: Gomes João , Montenegro Mónica
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to characterize the profile of non-resident female tourists visiting Porto and North of Portugal (PNP) and highlights the importance and evolution of the women travel market and its segmentation.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents and discusses trends and segmentation in women travel market and the results of a survey on the profile of international female tourists to PNP.

Findings

This study identifies the key differences of male and female travelers to PNP and confirms that segments that have been highlighted as emerging markets in the literature such as businesswomen, solo travelling and girlfriend getaway are all present in this market. It also presents and discusses the profile of female tourists to PNP.

Practical implications

This study provides knowledge about the women travel market to PNP, thus enabling decision makers to better tailor their marketing strategies to this segment.

Originality/value

This paper seeks to illustrate the importance of the female travel market and characterize the profile of non-resident women tourists visiting PNP.
Adolescents’ role in family decision-making for services in India
Authors: Ashraf Maria , Khan Kaleem Mohammad
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the involvement of adolescents in family vacation and dining out on the basis of the type of family. Also, the purpose of this paper is to refine the Scanzoni’s sex role orientation scale (SSRS) in the Indian context.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from adolescents in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh (states in India). The response rate is 44.88 per cent. Sex role orientation was measured using the Scanzoni’s SSRS.

Findings

There is a decline in the involvement of adolescents through the major decision-making stages for both the services, family vacation and dining out. There is no significant difference in the involvement of adolescents in dual-income and single-income families for a vacation and dining out, except that the children from dual-income families are more involved in destination selection for a vacation. Also, the adolescents in modern families are significantly involved in the sub-decision stages, spending and selection of travel agent.

Practical implications

The marketers should advertise the vacation destinations to adolescent children in dual-earning families. Also, the travel agencies should design their promotion strategies so as to appeal to the adolescent children with modern attitudes. While catering to the needs of a family, travel agencies must present their services in a way that appeals to adolescents in modern families. Also, this aspect must be taken care of in all the pricing strategies and promotions for the modern families.

Originality/value

Despite the large number of studies in various Western countries in this area, few studies investigate adolescent influence in family decision-making in India. The present study takes into account the type of family, single income or dual income (on the basis of the employment of parents) and traditional or modern (on the basis of gender role orientation).
Non‐exponential growth of Mycobacterium leprae Thai‐53 strain cultured in vitro
Authors: Amako Kazunobu , Iida Ken‐ichiro , Saito Mitsumasa , Ogura Yoshitoshi , Hayashi Tetsuya , Yoshida Shin‐ichi
Published: December 2016

In this study, attempts were made to culture this bacterium in media supplemented with a variety of biological materials to determine why cultivation of Mycobacterium leprae in vitro has not this far been successful. A slight increase in the number of cells in medium supplemented with human blood plasma and an extract of nude mouse tissue as observed after more than 3 months of cultivation at 30 °C. To ascertain whether this increase was real growth, the growth was analyzed by droplet digital PCR, which showed a slow increase in the copy number of cell‐associated DNA and the release of a large amount of DNA into the culture medium from bacterial cells during cultivation. These results were supported by electron microscopic examination of M. leprae in infected mouse tissues, which showed that most of the replicated bacteria had degenerated and only a few cells survived. Based on these results, it was postulated that many of the replicated cells degenerate during M. leprae growth and that only a few cells remain to participate in the next growth stage. This means that, unlike other cultivable bacteria, the growth of M. leprae is not exponential and the number of cells therefore increase extremely slowly. Thus, accurate judging of the success of M. leprae cultivation requires observation of growth over a long period of time and careful measurement of the increase in number of viable cells.
Genomic sequence and virulence evaluation of MN184A‐like porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in Japan
Authors: Iseki Hiroshi , Morozumi Takeya , Takagi Michihiro , Kawashima Kenji , Shibahara Tomoyuki , Uenishi Hirohide , Tsunemitsu Hiroshi
Published: December 2016

In this study, a porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) that was isolated from a 9‐week‐old diseased pig on a farm in Japan with a high mortality rate during 2007–2008 was characterized. This unique isolate, designated as Jpn5‐37, did not have a high nucleotide identity in open reading frame 5 against any Japanese isolates. Among all available type 2 PRRSV complete genome sequences, Jpn5‐37 shared the highest nucleotide identity (93.6%) with virulent strain MN184A. The genomic characteristics of Jpn5‐37 were highly conserved with respect to the virulent MN184A, including a continuous eight amino acid deletion in the nonstructural protein 2 region. Moreover, virus distribution, viremia and the gross and microscopic characteristics of lesions were investigated in pigs 10 days post‐inoculation to elucidate the pathogenicity of the isolate. Intranasal inoculation was found to rapidly result in viremia and dissemination of the Jpn5‐37 isolate to several tissues in a similar manner to EDRD1; however, the amounts of Jpn5‐37 RNA in serum were significantly greater. Similarly, the quantities of Jpn5‐37 viral RNA in all organs tested tended to be higher than with EDRD1 infection. Mean rectal temperatures were significantly higher in the Jpn5‐37‐inoculated than in the control group at 4 and 6 days post infection (dpi) and in the EDRD1‐inoculated group at 6 and 8 dpi. These results suggest that the Jpn5‐37 strain replicates and is more efficiently distributed to the organs than is EDRD1 under the same conditions.
Seroepidemiology of human parechovirus types 1, 3, and 6 in Yamagata, Japan, in 2014
Authors: Tanaka Shizuka , Aoki Yoko , Matoba Yohei , Yahagi Kazue , Itagaki Tsutomu , Matsuzaki Yoko , Mizuta Katsumi
Published: December 2016

To clarify the seroepidemiology of human parechovirus type 1 (HPeV1), 3 and 6, neutralizing antibodies (NT Abs) were measured in 214 serum specimens collected in 2014 in Yamagata, Japan. The seroprevalence against HPeV1 was 100% in all age groups, while that against HPeV3 and HPeV6 was 79.4% and 66.8%, respectively, overall. The geometric mean titers of NT Abs against HPeV1, 3 and 6 were 755.2, 255.0 and 55.9, respectively, overall. Our findings indicate that HPeV1 is the most prevalent HPeV circulating in Yamagata, followed by HPeV3 and HPeV6.
Quality Upgrades of EU Agri‐Food Exports
Authors: Bojnec Štefan , Fertő Imre
Published: December 2016

We investigate determinants of quality upgrades in EU agri‐food exports using panel data models for the period 2000–2011. By employing highly disaggregated data we show that the unit value of exports is positively correlated to level of economic development and size of population. Our results highlight the negative impacts of comparative advantage and trade costs on upgrades in export quality. Our analysis partly confirms the role of income distribution in quality specialisation, that greater income inequality increases specialisation in quality upgrades. Findings are robust when applied to alternative subsamples, including vertically specialised and final agri‐food products.
Intensive care unit (ICU) readmission after major lung resection: Prevalence, patterns, and mortality
Authors: Jung Jae Jun , Cho Jong Ho , Hong Tae Hee , Kim Hong Kwan , Choi Yong Soo , Kim Jhingook , Shim Young Mog , Zo Jae Ill
Published: December 2016

Background

The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with mortality in patients re‐admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) after initial recovery from major lung resection.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the case records of all patients who underwent major lung resection between February 2011 and May 2013. A total of 1916 patients underwent major resection surgery for various lung diseases, 63 (3.3%) of which required ICU admission after initial recovery. We analyzed preoperative and perioperative data, including ICU factors and outcomes.

Results

The patient group included 57 men (90.5%) with a mean age of 65.3 years. Pathologic diagnosis was malignancy in 92.1% of patients, while 7.9% had benign disease. Open thoracotomy was performed in 84.1%, whereas minimally invasive approaches were performed in 15.9%. In‐hospital mortality occurred in 16 (25.4%) patients. Patients were classified as either survivors (n = 47, 74.6%) or non‐survivors (n = 16, 25.4%). The most common reason for ICU readmission was pulmonary complication (n = 50, 79.4%). Thirty‐one patients (49.2%) required mechanical ventilation, seven (11.1%) required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and three (4.8%) required renal support. Multivariate analysis showed that acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and delirium were independent risk factors for in‐hospital mortality. In addition, delirium frequently occurred in patients with ARDS.

Conclusion

ARDS and delirium were independent risk factors for in‐hospital mortality in patients who were readmitted to the ICU after major lung resection. Future studies are needed to determine if the prevention of delirium and ARDS can improve postoperative outcomes for patients with lung cancer.
Nationwide access to an internet‐based contingency management intervention to promote smoking cessation: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Dallery Jesse , Raiff Bethany R. , Kim Sunny Jung , Marsch Lisa A. , Stitzer Maxine , Grabinski Michael J.
Published: December 2016

Background and aims

Contingency management (CM) is one of the most effective behavioral interventions to promote drug abstinence, but availability of this treatment is limited. We evaluated the efficacy and acceptability of internet‐based CM relative to an internet‐based monitoring and goal‐setting control group in a nationwide sample of cigarette smokers.

Design

Randomized controlled trial with 3‐ and 6‐month follow‐ups.

Setting

United States.

Participants

Smokers (n = 94) from 26 states were enrolled (mean age 36, 56% female).

Intervention and comparator

Participants were randomized to earn financial incentives (up to $480 over 7 weeks) based on video‐verified abstinence using breath carbon monoxide (CO) output (n = 48; abstinent contingent group, AC), or based on submitting CO samples (n = 46, submission contingent, SC). Both groups also received the same CO‐based goals. A $50 deposit was required in both groups that could be recouped from initial earnings.

Measures

The primary outcome was point prevalence at week 4. Secondary outcomes were point prevalence at the 3‐ and 6‐month follow‐ups, percentages of negative CO samples, adherence to the CO sampling protocol, and treatment acceptability ratings on a 0–100‐mm visual analog scale.

Findings

Abstinence rates differed at 4 weeks between the AC (39.6%) and SC (13.0%) groups [odds ratio (OR) = 4.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.6–12.3], but not at the 3‐ (29.2% AC and 19.6% SC, OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 0.6–4.4) or 6‐ (22.9% AC and 13.0% SC, OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 0.7–5.9) month follow‐ups. During the two main treatment phases, there were significant differences in negative COs (53.9% AC and 24.8% SC, OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 3.1–4.0; 43.4% AC and 24.6% SC, OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.6–3.4). Adherence to the CO submission protocol was equivalent (78% AC and 85% SC, difference = 7.0%, 95% CI = −10.3 to 23.8 %, F < 1, P = 0.39). The lowest acceptability ratings were for the items assessing the deposit, whereas the highest ratings concerned the ease of the intervention, the graph of CO results, and earning money.

Conclusions

A contingency management/financial incentive program delivered via the internet improved short‐term abstinence rates compared with an internet program without the incentives.