bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of equine assisted reproductive technologies (standard embryo transfer or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with in vitro culture and embryo transfer) on placenta and foal morphometry and placental gene expression
Authors: Valenzuela Orlando A. , Couturier-Tarrade Anne , Choi Young-Ho , Aubrière Marie-Christine , Ritthaler Justin , Chavatte-Palmer Pascale , Hinrichs Katrin
Published: July 2017

Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in vitro embryo culture and embryo transfer (ET) may be associated with alterations in fetal and placental development. In horses, ET has been used for decades. More recently, in vitro embryo production by ICSI and in vitro culture, followed by embryo transfer (ICSI-C) has become an accepted method for clinical foal production. However, no information is available on the effects of ICSI-C or even of standard ET itself on placental and neonatal parameters in horses. We therefore evaluated placental and neonatal morphology and placental gene expression in reining- and cutting-type American Quarter Horse foals produced using different technologies. Thirty foals and placentas (naturally conceived (NC), ET and ICSI-C; 10 in each group) were examined morphometrically. The only parameter that differed significantly between groups was the length of the foal upper hindlimb, which was longer in ET and ICSI-C than in NC foals. Evaluation of placental mRNA expression for 17 genes related to growth and vascularisation showed no difference in gene expression between groups. These data indicate that within this population, use of ARTs was not associated with meaningful changes in foal or placental morphometry or in expression of the placental genes evaluated.
No evidence of protracted population decline across 17 years in an unmanaged population of the green and golden bell frog in north-eastern New South Wales
Authors: Goldingay Ross L. , Parkyn Jonathan , Newell David A.
Published: July 2017

Describing the population trends of threatened species over time is central to their management and conservation. The green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) is a formerly common species of south-eastern Australia that has declined to ~40 populations in New South Wales, and experienced a substantial contraction of its geographic range. We aimed to determine whether an unmanaged population at the northern end of its range had declined across a 17-year period. We estimated population size at the beginning and end of this period, using several population models to fully characterise this population. Different modelling approaches gave different population estimates. Based on a similar number of survey occasions the adult male segment of the population was estimated using the Popan model at 112.0 (±13.5, s.e.; 95% CI: 85.5–138.8) in 1998/99 and 95.2 (±17.6; 60.8–129.7) in 2015/16. With the inclusion of maturing subadults following the practice of earlier studies, the population was estimated at 163.6 (±25.9; 112.8–214.5) males in 2015/16. These estimates represent an index of a larger population because the largest wetland was subsampled. Our data provide no evidence of a declining population. Our study highlights the need to understand the implications of using different population models and two age-classes to estimate population parameters.
Towards understanding the syntactic representation of honorifics in Korean
Authors: Pak Miok D.
Published: July 2017

One of the salient features of the Korean language is honorifics. Two kinds of honorifics have been discussed in the literature, subject honorific and addressee honorific. The subject honorific is characterized by honorific markers on the subject and predicate. The addressee honorific is usually marked by formal and/or polite speech style particles at the end of a sentence. The subject honorific is characterized by its optionality which has raised many questions about its nature, whether it is a type of formal feature agreement or not. The addressee honorific, however, has not received much attention from a theoretical perspective in the literature though much descriptive work is available. In this paper, we attempt to discuss the optionality of subject honorific in the context of the nature of honorifics in general, including the addressee honorific. More specifically, we examine how honorific is encoded in the grammar by focusing on embedding of honorifics. Some empirical data show that embedding of honorifics (or politeness) is restricted in certain constructions. Based on examining these constructions, we claim that there is a generalization that prohibits the occurrence of honorific/politeness marker in the embedded CP domain. We further claim that this restriction interacts with subject honorific in such a way that it forces the agreement of honorific to take place obligatorily in certain constructions, thereby making the optionality of the subject honorific to hold only conditionally and circumstantially.
Social meanings of honorific / non-honorific alternations in Korean and Japanese
Authors: Lee Kiri , Cho Young-mee Yu
Published: July 2017

The use of honorifics in Korean and Japanese is generally dictated by social factors such as age, status, and gender (Sohn 1999, Kuno 1987). Honorifics are marked by a well-defined repertoire of linguistic elements, including address-terms, specialized vocabulary, and verbal suffixes. Depending on the relationship between the interlocutors, an honorific form is chosen over the other available forms. Recently, researchers have been questioning whether the choice is wholly dependent on the relative status, or if other factors play a role in the selection process (Strauss and Eun 2005, Dunn 2005, Yoon 2015). This study focuses on the honorifics productively encoded by verbal suffixes. Unexpectedly, continual shifts between verbal suffixes are observed in a single speech situation. Based on the analyses of media data, we identify a set of social meanings encoded by these shifts. Furthermore, we show that Silverstein’s notion of “indexical order” (Silverstein 2003) is crucial for accounting for suffix alternation.
Immersed in imagined landscapes
Authors: Emmott Catherine
Published: July 2017

Elspeth Davie’s short story “A map of the world” provides examples of a character apparently crossing narrative borders, termed “metalepsis” (Genette 1980, 1988). The character is unable to travel in actuality due to caring for her bed-ridden mother, but her imagination allows for virtual travel, enabling her apparently to step into imagined foreign landscapes, strongly experiencing these virtual environments. This article draws on cognitive and linguistic notions to describe these metaleptic events, including contextual frames, transportation, immersion, embodiment, deictic transfer, and granularity. The type of metalepsis which occurs in this story seems likely to facilitate the reader’s immersion in the character’s imagined contexts, but these imagined worlds must also be abruptly abandoned due to the imagining character’s domestic pressures.
Landscape as a dominant hero in “Bezhin Meadow” by I. S. Turgenev
Authors: Langleben Maria
Published: July 2017

The plot of “Bezhin Meadow” (BM) consists of three almost independent narratives loosely connected to each other. The story does not fall apart owing to continuous flow of time accompanied by ever-present landscapes, changing in concert with the motion of time, and merging with it. The collateral motion of time and landscapes (T&L) provides a reliable thread tying the story together. Due to the steady motion of T&L, an undercurrent, continuous plot arises, in which the union of T&L is endowed with the qualities of animated antagonist clashing with people and suppressing them. The two plots interlace to produce a fatalistic, mystically tinged message. While changing its appearance and character, T&L retains its domineering attitude to human beings, gradually increasing its pressure. Benevolent at its first appearance, T&L becomes evil, aggressive, sends mysterious signals to fearful people, warns and finally annihilates the chosen victim. Being a unique and consummate device connecting the otherwise disunited plot, the undercurrent plot has also a deeper symbolic meaning in the context of Turgenev’s Weltanschauung. The mutable, fast-moving, implacable T&L in BM is a close kin to a formidable natural force in his life-long dark reflections. It seems safe to suggest that the line of T&L in BM is a covert image of the inexorable elemental force ruling over all life.
The agency of The Hungry Tide
Authors: Zurru Elisabetta
Published: July 2017

This chapter investigates the aims and scope and methodological underpinnings of ecostylistics, against the background of ecocriticism, ecolinguistics and stylistics. The theoretical and methodological frameworks outlined in the first section of the study are subsequently applied to the analysis of Amitav Ghosh’s novel The Hungry Tide (2005[2004]). More specifically, a close ecostylistic reading of three extracts from the novel through Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG; Halliday & Matthiessen 2014[1985]) will be functional to unveiling the power hierarchy built up in the texts between human and non-human Participants.
Draft genome of the Antarctic dragonfish, Parachaenichthys charcoti
Authors: Ahn Do-Hwan , Shin Seung Chul , Kim Bo-Mi , Kang Seunghyun , Kim Jin-Hyoung , Ahn Inhye , Park Joonho , Park Hyun
Published: July 2017

The Antarctic bathydraconid dragonfish, Parachaenichthys charcoti, is an Antarctic notothenioid teleost endemic to the Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean has cooled to −1.8°C over the past 30 million years, and the seawater had retained this cold temperature and isolated oceanic environment because of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Notothenioids dominate Antarctic fish, making up 90% of the biomass, and all notothenioids have undergone molecular and ecological diversification to survive in this cold environment. Therefore, they are considered an attractive Antarctic fish model for evolutionary and ancestral genomic studies. Bathydraconidae is a speciose family of the Notothenioidei, the dominant taxonomic component of Antarctic teleosts. To understand the process of evolution of Antarctic fish, we select a typical Antarctic bathydraconid dragonfish, P. charcoti. Here, we have sequenced, de novo assembled, and annotated a comprehensive genome from P. charcoti. The draft genome of P. charcoti is 709 Mb in size. The N50 contig length is 6145 bp, and its N50 scaffold length 178 362 kb. The genome of P. charcoti is predicted to contain 32 712 genes, 18 455 of which have been assigned preliminary functions. A total of 8951 orthologous groups common to 7 species of fish were identified, while 333 genes were identified in P. charcoti only; 2519 orthologous groups were also identified in both P. charcoti and N. coriiceps, another Antarctic fish. Four gene ontology terms were statistically overrepresented among the 333 genes unique to P. charcoti, according to gene ontology enrichment analysis. The draft P. charcoti genome will broaden our understanding of the evolution of Antarctic fish in their extreme environment. It will provide a basis for further investigating the unusual characteristics of Antarctic fishes.
Looking back: forward looking
Authors: Edmunds Scott C. , Nogoy Nicole A. , Zauner Hans , Li Peter , Hunter Christopher I. , Zhe Xiao Si , Goodman Laurie
Published: July 2017

GigaScience is now 5 years old, having been launched at the 2012 Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology conference. Anyone who has attended what is the largest computational biology conference since then has had the opportunity to join us for each birthday celebration—and receive 1 of our fun T-shirts as a party prize. Since launching, we have pushed our agenda of openness, transparency, reproducibility, and reusability. Here, we look back at our first 5 years and what we have done to forward our open science goals in scientific publishing. Our mainstay has been to create a process that allows the availability and publication of as many “research objects” as possible to create a more complete way of communicating how the research process is done.
Known Distribution of the Soybean Cyst Nematode, Heterodera glycines, in the United States and Canada, 1954 to 2017
Authors: Tylka Gregory L. , Marett Christopher C.
Published: July 2017

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is a major yield-reducing pathogen of soybeans in North America. The nematode is an introduced pest and, therefore, knowledge of the distribution of SCN can be helpful in identifying areas where scouting and management efforts should be focused. Such information is especially important because yield-reducing infestations of SCN can occur without obvious above-ground symptoms appearing. In late 2016, nematologists, plant pathologists, and state plant regulatory officials from the soybean-producing states in the United States and provinces in Canada were queried to obtain the latest information on where the nematode had been found. An updated map of the known distribution of SCN in North America was also created. There were 17 states in which SCN was newly found since 2014, when the map was last updated, including the first discovery of SCN in the state of New York. North Dakota was the state with the greatest number of counties, seven, in which SCN had been newly discovered since 2014. This updated information illustrates that the nematode continues to spread throughout the soybean-growing areas of the continent and emphasizes that continued efforts to scout for and manage SCN are warranted.
Increase in Soybean Cyst Nematode Virulence and Reproduction on Resistant Soybean Varieties in Iowa From 2001 to 2015 and the Effects on Soybean Yields
Authors: McCarville Michael T. , Marett Christopher C. , Mullaney Mark P. , Gebhart Gregory D. , Tylka Gregory L.
Published: July 2017

Management of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) relies heavily on use of SCN-resistant soybean varieties to limit nematode reproduction and minimize yield loss. For Iowa, almost all SCN-resistant soybean varieties contain SCN resistance genes from a breeding line named Plant Introduction (PI) 88788. Iowa State University conducts experiments to evaluate numerous SCN-resistant and three to four SCN-susceptible soybean varieties in up to nine field experiments across Iowa each year. Data on SCN population density, virulence (SCN race and HG type), soybean yield, precipitation, and growing degree days from more than 25,000 four-row plots in field experiments conducted from 2001 to 2015 were analyzed to determine how these factors affected SCN reproduction and yield. SCN population densities were positively correlated with temperatures and negatively associated with precipitation during the growing seasons, indicating that SCN reproduction was greatest in hot, dry years. Over the years, virulence of SCN populations on PI 88788 increased in the fields in which the experiments were conducted, resulting in increased end-of-season SCN population densities and reduced yields of SCN-resistant soybean varieties with the PI 88788 source of resistance. These results indicate that soybean yield loss caused by SCN on resistant varieties with the common PI 88788 source of resistance likely will increase as virulence of SCN populations increases unless new sources of resistance become widely available and used in the future.
Cross-linking BioThings APIs through JSON-LD to facilitate knowledge exploration
Authors: Xin Jiwen , Afrasiabi Cyrus , Lelong Sebastien , Adesara Julee , Tsueng Ginger , Su Andrew I. , Wu Chunlei
Published: July 2017

Background

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are now widely used to distribute biological data. And many popular biological APIs developed by many different research teams have adopted Javascript Object Notation (JSON) as their primary data format. While usage of a common data format offers significant advantages, that alone is not sufficient for rich integrative queries across APIs.

Results

Here, we have implemented JSON for Linking Data (JSON-LD) technology on the BioThings APIs that we have developed, MyGene.info, MyVariant.info and MyChem.info. JSON-LD provides a standard way to add semantic context to the existing JSON data structure, for the purpose of enhancing the interoperability between APIs. We demonstrated several use cases that were facilitated by semantic annotations using JSON-LD, including simpler and more precise query capabilities as well as API cross-linking.

Conclusions

We believe that this pattern offers a generalizable solution for interoperability of APIs in the life sciences.
Transmitter Co-Expression Reveals Key Organizational Principles of Local Interneuron Heterogeneity in the Olfactory System
Authors: Lizbinski Kristyn M. , Marsat Gary F. , Dacks Andrew M.
Published: July 2017

Heterogeneity of individual neurons within a population expands the computational power of the entire neural network. However, the organizing principles that support heterogeneity within a neuronal class are often poorly understood. Here, we focus on a highly heterogeneous population of local interneurons whose traits co-vary seemingly at random. We asked if local interneurons (LNs) in the antennal lobe (AL) ofManduca sextaexpress fixed, predictable combinations of neurotransmitters, or if transmitter co-expression can be explained by random probability. We systematically determined the co-expression of neuropeptides and GABA by LNs and found variable patterns of co-expression for all neuropeptides, except for tachykininergic LNs which exhibited highly stereotyped co-expression on a neuron-by-neuron basis. To test if observed patterns of co-expression were random, we used a computational model and found that the probabilities of transmitter co-expression cannot be explained by independent expression of each transmitter. We also determined that setting a single rule in the model, while leaving the rest of the co-expression up to random probability, allowed the model to replicate the overall heterogeneity of transmitter co-expression across antennal lobe LNs. This implies that certain co-expression relationships contribute to the ground plan of the AL, but that otherwise, transmitter expression amongst LNs may be random, allowing heterogeneous co-expression patterns to emerge. Furthermore, neuropeptide receptor expression suggests that peptidergic signaling from LNs may simultaneously target olfactory receptor neurons, LNs and projection neurons, and thus the effects of different peptides do not segregate based on principal AL cell type. Our data suggest that while specific constraints may partially shape transmitter co-expression in LNs, a large amount of flexibility on a neuron-by-neuron basis produces heterogeneous network parameters.
Chance, long tails, and inference: a non-Gaussian, Bayesian theory of vocal learning in songbirds
Authors: Zhou Baohua , Hofmann David , Pinkoviezky Itai , Sober Samuel J. , Nemenman Ilya
Published: July 2017

Traditional theories of sensorimotor learning posit that animals use sensory error signals to find the optimal motor command in the face of Gaussian sensory and motor noise. However, most such theories cannot explain common behavioral observations, for example that smaller sensory errors are more readily corrected than larger errors and that large abrupt (but not gradually introduced) errors lead to weak learning. Here we propose a new theory of sensorimotor learning that explains these observations. The theory posits that the animal learns an entire probability distribution of motor commands rather than trying to arrive at a single optimal command, and that learning arises via Bayesian inference when new sensory information becomes available. We test this theory using data from a songbird, the Bengalese finch, that is adapting the pitch (fundamental frequency) of its song following perturbations of auditory feedback using miniature headphones. We observe the distribution of the sung pitches to have long, non-Gaussian tails, which, within our theory, explains the observed dynamics of learning. Further, the theory makes surprising predictions about the dynamics of the shape of the pitch distribution, which we confirm experimentally.
Valued work outcomes among Jews, Muslims and Christians in Israel
Authors: Sharabi Moshe
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine work outcomes preferences of Jewish, Muslim and Christian employees. The study attempts to explain the similarities and the differences among the ethno-religious groups.

Design/methodology/approach

The Meaning-of-Work (MOW) questionnaire was conducted on 898 Jews, 215 Muslims and 103 Christians working respondents. The work outcomes were: status and prestige, income, time filling, interpersonal relations, serving society, interest and satisfaction.

Findings

Significant differences were found between the three ethno-religious groups, especially between Jews and Muslims, regarding the preferences of work outcomes and their rankings. The findings can be explained mainly by cultural differences.

Research limitations/implications

There is the unbalanced proportion of Jews, Muslims and Christians in the study.

Practical implications

This study provides a better understanding of the three ethno-religious groups and their valued work outcomes. This knowledge can help in the planning of material and non-material rewards systems and methods suitable to the different ethnic groups. Implementing “Diversity Management” programs in organizations based on the variance among sub-groups can maximize the potential of the organizational human resources.

Originality/value

There are no other studies that compared the work values of Jews, Muslims and Christians, in or out of Israel. This study explores the work outcomes preferences of the three ethno-religious groups in Israel and the causes for those differences.
Accounting Information Systems course: perceptions of accounting and non-accounting students
Authors: Lois Petros , Tabouratzi Efthalia , Makrygiannakis Georgios
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the delivery of an accounting information system (AIS) course affects the perceptions of accounting and non-accounting students, and whether these differences are important enough to suggest the separate the delivery of this course.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was distributed during the last teaching weeks of the AIS course in a Cypriot University. A comparative analysis between the two study groups, i.e. accounting and non-accounting students, followed.

Findings

The findings suggest that the successful delivery of the course reinforces the positive perceptions of the accounting group, and increases the interests and the positive perceptions of the non-accountants.

Originality/value

Following the development of the enterprise resource planning and the hybridization of the accountants’ role, non-accountants are increasingly engaged in practices traditionally performed by financial or management accountants. That market development may motivate business schools to offer AIS courses to non-accounting students. This study addresses this unexplored topic.
Determinants of winegrowers’ profitability: evidence from an Eastern Europe wine region
Authors: De Salvo Maria , Begalli Diego , Capitello Roberta , Agnoli Lara , Tabouratzi Efthalia
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main determinants of winegrowers’ profitability in Eastern Europe with the ultimate purpose to improve the wine industry competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is focussed on the Moldova region (Romania), a little studied wine-growing area that presents potential for the future development of the wine industry. A hierarchical approach is applied to consider the simultaneous effects of climate aspects, vineyard features, winegrowers’ characteristics and management practices on vineyards’ profitability. The model is based on data from 274 vineyards managed by 64 winegrowers, where 32 different grape varieties are cultivated in different districts. Different scenarios are simulated and alternative policies are analysed.

Findings

Climate aspects and human factors, particularly the educational level and type of agriculture practiced, emerge as main determinants. Farmers’ climate change perceptions also have a primary role. The grape variety affects profitability differences across vineyards at a lower extent.

Research limitations/implications

The study suggests an approach easily replicable to other viticultural contexts.

Practical implications

Results are useful for policymakers in order to forecast the impact of policies devoted to improving the wine industry competitiveness in Eastern Europe.

Originality/value

The study presents a micro-scale analysis in which the effects of climate aspects, vineyard features, winegrowers’ characteristics and management practices are simultaneously estimated. It also produces new knowledge in a little studied wine region.
Thinking about how to think: cognitive skills to stay relevant in a digital economy
Authors: Hoe Siu Loon
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a holistic set of thinking or cognitive skills for professionals, managers, and executives to stay relevant in a digital economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The viewpoint is based on more than 20 years of experience gained working with multinational companies and public sector organizations across various industries in Asia.

Findings

To stay relevant in a digital economy, there is a need to develop a holistic set of cognitive skills such as design thinking, process thinking, systems thinking, futures thinking, and creative thinking that complements technical and people skills.

Research limitations/implications

The paper provides senior human resources practitioners with suggestions on a holistic set of thinking skills that complements technical and people skills to help manage organizational capabilities and develop talents to stay relevant in a digital economy.

Practical implications

The paper provides senior human resources practitioners with suggestions on a holistic set of thinking skills that complements technical and people skills to help manage organizational capabilities and develop talents to stay relevant in a digital economy.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the existing literature on human resource development by providing insights on a holistic set of thinking skills that are needed in a digital economy.
Feedforward or feedback – reframing positive performance management
Authors: Rice Bridget
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Removing the negative elements of traditional feedback-based performance appraisal and refocusing performance management on positive plans for the future can have profound effects on individual and organizational performance.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
Missing women in the boardrooms: across the board
Authors: Kartikeyan Shashi , Priyadarshini Shabnam
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight the under-representation of women in leadership positions across the world.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors add their unbiased views in presenting the most relevant information found in literature.

Findings

The paper examines the representation of women in the leadership positions such as board members and/or CEOs/top executives in the corporate world across the globe to understand the new developments that may be changing the status quo. This is a review of legislative changes on bringing parity in boardrooms and its impacts in certain countries where such changes are already implemented. The changes implemented through quotas, penalties, and incentives for including women in boardrooms in certain countries in Europe, Australia, Canada, India, and Kenya show that finally the absence of women in boardrooms has been noticed. The countries are moving towards legal compliance; however, there is still a dearth of women CEOs around the world.

Practical implications

The paper points toward the fact that the interventions that have happened are late and have failed capable women who could have reached their full professional potential in the western world. Also, taking a cue, the rest of the world can impose sufficient and timely legislative change to leapfrog to a gender equal society at every level, including at the top.

Originality/value

The paper compiles the most significant facts and figures and presents them in a very concise manner for any busy executive or researcher thus saving hours of reading time.
The complexity of purchasing intentions in peer-to-peer accommodation
Authors: Pappas Nikolaos
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the complexity of attribute configurations affecting tourism decisions related to peer-to-peer accommodation and the sharing economy in destinations affected by recession.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on chaos and complexity theories this non-parametric research examines the perspectives of 352 peer-to-peer accommodation holidaymakers in Athens, Greece. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the study examines the complex relations between social and economic aspects, benefits, risks and consumer trust with regard to purchasing intentions. The paper also compares fsQCA with the dominant linear methods of analysis (regression; Cramer’s V) and highlights fsQCA’s suitability when dealing with tourism complexity.

Findings

The results reveal three configurations explaining the attributes of holidaymakers’ tourism decisions characterised by socio-economic orientation, trust formulation and price sensitivity. They also highlight the superiority of fsQCA towards conventional linear analyses in complexity aspects.

Research limitations/implications

The examination of the complexity concept using fsQCA can provide a better understanding of the influence of attributes which affect tourism decisions especially for countries suffering from deep recession such as Greece. Still, due to the lack of fsQCA implementation in tourism studies, its full potential needs to be further examined.

Originality/value

In terms of the literature, the study provides an understanding of the complexity formulation of tourism decisions during recession, with special focus on the sharing economy. It further explores the attributes that affect tourism decisions and associated linkages. Methodologically, the study highlights the value of fsQCA and its advantages compared to conventional methods of correlational analysis. It also progresses from fit to predictive validity for the models suggested.
Why travelers use Airbnb again?
Authors: Mao Zhenxing , Lyu Jiaying
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the psychological factors that motivate travelers to consider reusing Airbnb.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes and tests an integrative model that synthesizes the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Prospect Theory (PT) and other Airbnb-relevant constructs (unique experience expectation, familiarity and electronic word of mouth) as the primary determinants of the Airbnb repurchase intention using an structural equation model (SEM) approach.

Findings

Both attitude and subject norms are significant determinants of repurchase intention, whereas perceived behavioral control is not. In addition, perceived value and risk have only direct significant impacts on attitude and, in turn, indirectly affect repurchase intention. Unique experience expectation, familiarity and electronic word of mouth exert direct and indirect influences on repurchase intention.

Research limitations/implications

This study extends the body of knowledge by integrating TPB and PT to investigate consumer repurchase intention in Airbnb, which provides a theoretical baseline and serves as a starting point for exploring the structural relationships of Airbnb and the sharing economy.

Practical implications

Airbnb should place more emphasis on value packages and authentic/unique travel experience to retain and attract more travelers. More safety/security programs should be put in place and clearly communicated to reduce the perceived risks. In addition, Airbnb may publicize positive word of mouth and introduce and expand familiarity programs to incentivize Airbnb travelers.

Originality/value

This study explores the psychological reasons why travelers will re-patronize Airbnb, providing insights into the motives of Airbnb travelers. A clear understanding of Airbnb travelers’ repurchase intention will facilitate to develop effective strategies for Airbnb to induce positive repurchase behaviors.
Airbnb – an exploration of value co-creation experiences in Jamaica
Authors: Johnson Abbie-Gayle , Neuhofer Barbara
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Drawing upon the theoretical framework of the service-dominant (S-D) logic, value co-creation and social practices, this paper aims to investigate how value is co-created among guests, hosts and the wider local community in the sharing economy context of Airbnb.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative enquiry through an online content analysis was applied to thematically analyse Airbnb online guest reviews to explore the value-co-creation practices in local tourist experiences in Jamaica.

Findings

Based on Airbnb guest and host engagements, a theoretical framework emerges, depicting integrated operant and operand resources, host–guest value co-creation practices embedded in the destination’s authentic culture and specific value outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

Being grounded in the geographical and cultural context of Airbnbs in Jamaica, the findings are transferable to similar platforms of the sharing economy, tourism contexts and destinations.

Practical implications

Critical implications unfold for Airbnb accommodation providers, destination stakeholders and policymakers by revealing a specific set of nuanced social practices that need to occur for local authentic experiences and value to be co-created among guests, hosts and the wider local community.

Originality/value

The paper makes an original contribution to knowledge by being one of the first studies to apply a S-D logic lens to the Airbnb sharing economy. It breaks down resource integration, host – guest value co-creation practices and value outcomes that occur for experiences and value to emerge in an Airbnb hospitality context.
Value co-creation and co-destruction in the Airbnb sharing economy
Authors: Camilleri Jeannette , Neuhofer Barbara
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a theoretical framework of value co-creation and value co-destruction of guest-host social practices facilitated through Airbnb in the sharing economy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper makes use of a qualitative online content analysis to extract Airbnb data and to analyse guest reviews and host responses posted in the context of Malta.

Findings

A theoretical framework is proposed revealing six distinct themes of guest–host social practices and their sub-categories, resulting in a spectrum of dimensions of value formation.

Research limitations/implications

This paper collects data from Airbnb properties in Malta, with more narratives posted by guests, implying a dominance of guest views on value co-creation and co-destruction. Findings might have a limited transferability beyond similar sharing economy platforms and tourist destinations.

Practical/implications

The paper uncovers guest–host hospitality value creation practices, providing concrete examples as to what practices lead to distinct value formation or destruction. In addressing the lack of knowledge about value creation practices in the sharing economy, strategic implications are offered to the hospitality sector to understand the distinct value propositions Airbnb offers compared to traditional accommodation types.

Originality/value

The paper’s contribution is its theoretical framework of value practices of guests staying at Airbnb-listed accommodations, contributing to a better understanding of the distinct value propositions underlying collaborative consumption offers in the sharing economy.
The accommodation experiencescape: a comparative assessment of hotels and Airbnb
Authors: Mody Makarand Amrish , Suess Courtney , Lehto Xinran
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Accommodations providers in the sharing economy are increasingly competing with the hotel industry vis-à-vis the guest experience. Additionally, experience-related research remains underrepresented in the hospitality and tourism literature. This paper aims to develop and test a model of experiential consumption to provide a better understanding of an emerging phenomenon in the hospitality industry. In so doing, the authors also expand Pine and Gilmore’s original experience economy construct.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from a survey of 630 customers who stayed at a hotel or an Airbnb in the previous three months, the authors performed a multi-step analysis procedure centered on structural equation modeling to validate the model.

Findings

The authors demonstrate that the dimensions of serendipity, localness, communitas and personalization represent valuable additions to Pine and Gilmore’s original experience economy construct. Airbnb appears to outperform the hotel industry in the provision of all experience dimensions. The authors further define the pathways that underlie the creation of extraordinary, memorable experiences, which subsequently elicit favorable behavioral intentions.

Practical implications

The findings suggest the need for the hotel industry to adopt a content marketing paradigm that leverages various dimensions of the experience economy to provide customers with valuable and relevant experiences. The industry must also pay greater attention to its use of branding, signage and promotional messaging to encourage customers to interpret their experiences through the lens of these dimensions.

Originality/value

The study expands a seminal construct from the field of services marketing in the context of the accommodations industry. The Accommodations Experiencescape is offered as a tool for strategic experience design. The study also offers a model of experiential consumption that explains customers’ experiences with accommodations providers.
Past experience, traveler personality and tripographics on intention to use Airbnb
Authors: Poon Ka Yin , Huang Wei-Jue
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This study aims to identify the individual and trip characteristics that are associated with intention to use peer-to-peer accommodation, including past experience (users vs non-users), accommodation preferences, traveler personality and tripographic variables.

Design/methodology/approach

To compare Airbnb users and non-users, quantitative research was conducted to test for group differences. A questionnaire was designed and administered face-to-face in major tourist areas. Quota sampling was used to ensure comparable samples of Airbnb users and non-users.

Findings

While Airbnb users and non-users expressed few differences in their demographics and perceived importance of accommodation attributes, the two groups vary in their perception of Airbnb and evaluation of Airbnb compared to hotels, suggesting some positive and negative changes after experiencing Airbnb. Respondents who were more allocentric were more likely to use Airbnb. Hotels were preferred for traveling with family as well as shorter trips, while Airbnb was preferred for traveling with friends as well as longer trips.

Practical implications

This study identified several challenges for Airbnb and other sharing platforms, including consumers’ security concerns, potential decrease in the likelihood of repeat usage and low likelihood of using Airbnb when traveling with family.

Originality/value

While previous studies focused more on existing customers of peer-to-peer accommodation, this study compared users and non-users and identified key differences in their perceptions. The use of traveler personality and tripographic variables to examine intention to use Airbnb provides a unique perspective to consider Airbnb as an “allocentric destination” and the type of trips that are more compatible with the Airbnb experience.
Evaluation of strategic thinking and its affecting factors among managers and personnel in a medical sciences university in Iran
Authors: Salavati Sedigheh , Amerzadeh Mohammad , Mohammadi Bolbanabad Amjad , Piroozi Bakhtiar , Amirihoseini Shilan
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Prediction of future changes and making appropriate strategic decisions require strategic thinking in any organization. It helps managers to create new opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to measure strategic thinking and its affecting factors at Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a descriptive-analytic as well as a cross-sectional study which was conducted in 2016. Its statistical community included 300 managers and personnel of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. The sample size was equal to statistical community. Data were collected using a standard questionnaire. Data were then entered into SPSS20 and were analyzed using statistical tests such as Freedman, Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis.

Findings

Overall, strategic thinking was evaluated “good” and “somewhat good” among managers (5.0±72.28) and personnel (6.0±25.48), respectively. Moreover, among the elements of strategic thinking, conceptual thinking obtained the highest score among both managers (6.0±06.32) and personnel (5.0±53.52), which was evaluated in a “good” level. There was a significant difference between managers’ and personnel’s strategic thinking score (p=0.001). Different education groups of managers and personnel were different in terms of strategic thinking (p<0.05), but strategic thinking score of managers and personnel were not significant based on the work experience and type of employment.

Originality/value

Although both managers and personnel received a good score in terms of strategic thinking, improving the level of strategic thinking especially for future trends and opportunities can lead to enhanced strategic thinking among managers and personnel of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences.
Students with disabilities’ satisfaction with their universities’ services
Authors: Simadi Fayez A. , Alqaryouti Ibrahim A.
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the satisfaction aspects among disabled students in some universities in the Middle East and to examine the impact of socio-demographic factors on such satisfaction with regard to the services provided by their universities.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of 251 subjects from Oman, Qatar, Jordan and Yemen. Comparative means were used to examine the importance of satisfaction aspects and analysis of variance (ANOVA) as well as multi-analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used to examine the role of the socio-demographic factors in explaining the disabled students’ satisfaction. Satisfaction aspects included: social, psychological, educational, environmental and health, while the socio-demographic variables included were: country, specialization, kind of disability, gender GPA and degree of disability.

Findings

The findings revealed that social satisfaction was the greatest, followed by psychological, educational, environmental and health satisfaction in order. The results of the ANOVA revealed that all socio-demographic factors impacted significantly on the satisfaction of disabled students, except gender and the degree of disability. While, the MANOVA findings reported that Jordanian and Qatari students had higher educational and psychological satisfaction than Omani and Yemeni students.

Research limitations/implications

The present findings can be considered as limited and hard to generalize on all regions’ universities because the gap between them in disability services is very large. Some of universities have very good services, while the disability services of other universities are very limited or not existed.

Practical implications

The findings will be helping the educators and administrative people to offer more services to disabled students.

Originality/value

This is the first comparative study in the Middle East area.
Insights into Kenya’s public sector innovation: the case of managers
Authors: Agolla Joseph Evans , Van Lill Jacobus Burger
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess innovation in public sector organisations (PSOs) from the middle managers’ perspectives. Several studies have been conducted on innovation drivers in organisations; however, such studies are limited when it comes to the public sector. Innovation is a term that has been synonymous with the private sector, until of late when public sector organisations adopted the terminology.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study adopts a qualitative approach. The findings are based on a sample of selected 16 middle managers from two PSOs in Kenya. The study relies on focus group discussions (FGDs) to collect data. The data are analysed thematically, based on categorisation.

Findings

First, the results identified drivers, barriers, strategies to overcome barriers, innovation outcomes/indicators and the status of innovation in Kenya’s public sector. Second, the study points to policy directions, theory and practice.

Research limitations/implications

The study suggests that innovation drivers in the public sector greatly depend on government and top management, particularly the way they craft policies and provide support for innovative behaviours. The current findings are limited to innovation activities of the public sector in Kenya, specifically the two organisations.

Originality/value

The findings from this research can aid the understanding of the nature of innovation in PSOs given that it is empirically based on middle managers’ insights.
Mediation of superior-subordinate relationship and a climate of innovation on psychological empowerment
Authors: Jha Sumi
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish the relationship between psychological empowerment (PE) and four variables: autonomy, openness, superior-subordinate relationship (SSR), and climate of innovation (CI). The paper also aims to establish the mediating effects of SSR and CI on PE.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample size for the study was 319 employees (197 managers and 122 team leaders) from ten leading information and communication technology companies of India. Structural equation modelling was used to test the model under study. Bootstrapping was applied to provide better estimation of the sample.

Findings

The exogenous variables under study were autonomy and openness. The mediating variables were SSR and CI. Results supported the model and indicated a significant direct effect between exogenous variables and PE. The role of SSR and CI as mediator was also ascertained.

Practical implications

The paper highlights that the managers of service organisations should take initiatives to provide a conducive climate for innovation. Having the right climate for innovation and support from superiors will make employees feel psychologically empowered.

Originality/value

Although as researchers and as practitioners the authors understand the importance of innovation climate and role of superior, few studies have sought to explain the mediating effects of SSR and CI.