bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Viewpoint: Service products, development of service knowledge and our community’s target audience
Authors: Wirtz Jochen 
Published: December 2020

Purpose
This paper aims to emphasize a research priority on the understanding of service products and how services can be productized. Furthermore, it provides perspectives on the contribution of service research to management practice and who should be the main target audience of service research.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on the personal reflections of an author of two leading services marketing textbooks.

Findings
This paper develops three propositions related to service research. First, it advances that academic service research has neglected the important topic of productizing services and that service products should be treated as concrete units of deliverables to customers rather than something fuzzy of unspecified quantity. That is, service products should be developed, designed, specified, configured, modularized, bundled, tiered, branded, priced sold and delivered to customers. More research is needed on how organizations can do this. Second, this paper argues that academics frequently underestimate the significant contributions service research has made to management practice and details important contributions that originated from the service research community. Third, it is proposed that the main target audience of service research should not be the marketing, sales and service departments. Rather, it should be decision makers (especially C-level executives) across all functions who should develop a service perspective and service mindset.

Research limitations/implications
This paper urges service researchers to focus on what are service products and how firm can create, manage and deliver them. Furthermore, it suggests that service researchers should be more confident and proud of the significant progress and contributions they have made to management practice over the past few decades. Finally, service researchers should tailor their messages for decisions makers of all organizational functions and departments in service organizations.

Originality/value
As a writer of five editions of a services marketing textbook, the author has sifted through three decades of service research. The reflections in this paper originate from this unique perspective.
Polydopamine/palygorskite hybrid-reinforced epoxy coatings adhered to a concrete surface
Authors: Sun Dewen , Hou Pingping , Li Bo , Yin Hao , Ran Qianping 
Published: December 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to prepare a polydopamine (PDA)–palygorskite (Pal) hybrid-reinforced epoxy coating with high adhesion strength on wet concrete surface.Design/methodology/approachOne synthetic step was adopted to prepare novel PDA–Pal hybrid epoxy coating. The process and product were analyzed and confirmed by FIRT, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The mass fraction of PDA–Pal hybrid affecting the adhesion strength of epoxy coating was analyzed and confirmed by pull-off test.FindingsPDA–Pal hybrid mass fractions of 0, 1, 3 and 5 were added to the coatings. For a 5 Wt.% PDA–Pal hybrid content, the adhesive strengths on the saturated or underwater concrete surfaces increased to 4.0 and 2.5 MPa, respectively. In addition, the tensile mechanical property of the epoxy coating improved significantly after PDA–Pal addition.Practical implicationsThis new epoxy coating hybrid by PDA–Pal could be applied as a concrete protective layer near water or in wet or damp environments.Originality/valueIntroduction of PDA–Pal hybrid to prepare epoxy coating with high adhesion strength on wet concrete surface has not been systematically studied previously.
Do sociodemographic factors have influence on risk tolerance level of stock market investors? An analysis from a developing country perspective
Authors: Muktadir-Al-Mukit Dewan 
Published: December 2020

PurposeThe study attempts to assess the relationship between sociodemographic factors and the risk tolerance level of stock market investors reflected by their trading behavior from the perspective of developing market economy.Design/methodology/approachThe study collected data from a survey on capital market investors in Bangladesh. Portfolio beta has been used as a dependent variable to measure the risk tolerance level where total 11 sociodemographic factors have been used as independent variables.FindingsAmong all study variables, three sociodemographic factors are found to be significant in differentiating the risk tolerance level of the stock market investors. The author finds that the risk tolerance level of stock market investors significantly varies according to marital status, family size and financial responsibility.Practical implicationsAs sociodemographic characteristics provide a basis in assessing the investor risk tolerance level in the context of developing market economies, the study suggests that stock market related policy and investment management planning process should be formulated by incorporating behavioral aspects of the retail investors.Originality/valueThis study has the potential to contribute to the behavioral finance literature by showing how and at what extent sociodemographic factors may influence the risk tolerance level of stock market investors in developing countries, where sociodemographic factors are considered to be more dominating than the normative portfolio selection procedure because of lacking in investors' financial literacy and due to the presence of a weak regulatory as well as institutional framework. Further, apart from identifying and comprehensively incorporating all possible sociodemographic factors, this study uses portfolio beta as a new objective measure for financial risk tolerance, which overcomes the problem of subjective and other risk tolerance measurement in the existing literature.
Antecedents of civic virtue and altruistic organizational citizenship behavior in Macau
Authors: Chan Sow Hup Joanne , Kuok Oi Mei Kim 
Published: December 2020

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the relationships between two dimensions of communication satisfaction – personal feedback and supervisory communication – on outcomes such as altruistic organizational citizenship behavior and civic virtue. Another aim is to examine the mediating role of organizational justice (OJ) between these two dimensions of communication satisfaction and altruistic organizational citizenship behavior and civic virtue.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on a survey conducted in major organizations in Macau SAR, China. Data from 294 respondents who successfully completed the questionnaire is used for the analysis.FindingsThe results reveal that supervisory communication is significantly and positively associated with altruistic organizational citizenship behavior. Both personal feedback and supervisory communication are significantly and positively associated with civic virtue. OJ is a mediator between personal feedback and civic virtue. OJ also mediates the relationship between satisfaction with supervisory communication and civic virtue. It is intriguing that OJ is not a mediator in the relationship between satisfaction with communication and altruistic organizational citizenship behavior.Research limitations/implicationsA single city cross-sectional study presents some restrictions on the generalizability of the findings. More studies are needed to understand communication satisfaction – organizational citizenship behavior processes to establish if the findings hold with other samples in other cultures.Practical implicationsThe empirical evidence in this study shows that satisfaction with communication is critical for promoting discretionary behaviors. The mediating roles of OJ between personal feedback and civic virtue and between supervisory communication and civic virtue, clearly indicate that even though a manager may try hard to motivate employees’ participation in discretionary behaviors, whether employees participate in extra-role behaviors depends on their perception of justice.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine how altruistic organizational citizenship behavior and civic virtues are influenced by satisfaction with communication. Moreover, the mediating role of OJ has never been tested previously. The findings contribute to the HR literature and provide deeper insights on how to promote citizenship behavior.
Priority nonconformity and service quality analysis of hospitals in Thailand: a care provider perspective
Authors: Vanichchinchai Assadej 
Published: December 2020

PurposeThe objectives of this research are to investigate service quality expectation, perception and satisfaction in outpatient departments and to propose the priority nonconformity index (PNCI) to assess overall prioritization of efforts in relation to expectations.Design/methodology/approachSERVQUAL has five dimensions: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. It was used to gather data from multiple-responding care providers in 220 Thai hospitals nationwide. Paired-samples t-test and importance-performance analysis (IPA) were used for analysis. The PNCI was initiated to evaluate the overall conformity between expectation and perception and to suggest strategies for improvement.FindingsIt was found that assurance is the most important and the best performed dimension with the least dissatisfaction. Tangibility is the least important and the least performed dimension with the most dissatisfaction. From gap analysis, there are significant negative gaps in overall service quality, all dimensions and all indicators. IPA found assurance and responsiveness as strengths, and this suggests transfer of excessive resources from empathy to enhance reliability. PNCI of Thai hospitals is 0.8 and this has suggested similar strategies to IPA.Originality/valueFindings from this study can be employed to develop strategic policy to improve Thai hospitals as a whole. The newly developed PNCI can be used as an indicator to assess efficiency of resource allocation to fit better with customer requirements.
Rethinking entrepreneurship through distribution: distributive relations and the reproduction of racialized inequality among South African entrepreneurs
Authors: Beresford Melissa 
Published: December 2020

AbstractEntrepreneurship is commonly understood as the identification, evaluation, and execution of a market‐based opportunity to produce profits. But anthropological scholarship shows that capitalism, and market relations more broadly, cannot function without acts of distribution. Focusing on two different groups of entrepreneurs across the racialized socioeconomic divides of Cape Town, South Africa – White South African entrepreneurs in the city's central business district and Black South African entrepreneurs in the city's largest township of Khayelitsha – this article compares the distributive resources that entrepreneurs use to launch and maintain their businesses. I show that the productive capacity of all entrepreneurs depends upon the distributive resources that are available to them, gained primarily from access to intergenerational wealth or from lateral modes of reciprocity and social support. But more importantly, I demonstrate how these distributive resources and activities reproduce the structural economic inequalities of racial capitalism, which are rooted in South Africa's colonial and apartheid history. I conclude by discussing the implications that this has for the ways that anthropologists discuss the potential of distributive strategies among marginalized populations, as well as the way that scholars and policy‐makers understand the economic potential of entrepreneurial practice.
Physical characterization of high methoxyl pectin and sunflower oil wax emulsions: A low‐field 1H NMR relaxometry study
Authors: Akkaya Sinem , Ozel Baris , Oztop Mecit Halil , Yanik Derya Kocak , Gogus Fahrettin 
Published: December 2020

AbstractPectin–wax‐based emulsion systems could be used to form edible films and coatings with desired water permeability characteristics. Pectin is often used in food industry due to its gelling and viscosity increasing properties. Physical properties of pectin are highly dependent on its esterification degree. Waxes are commonly used as edible coatings to enhance the water barrier properties of food products. This study focuses on preparing emulsions with sunflower oil wax (SFW) and high methoxyl pectin (HMP) at different concentrations for any possible edible film or coating formulations. Sunflower oil (SFO) was added as the dispersed oil phase to these emulsions. Characterization of the emulsions was performed by using particle size, rheology, and time domain nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry measurements. Effects of HMP concentration and the presence of SFO in the emulsion formulations were explored. Mean particle size values were recorded between 1 and 3 µm. Rheology measurements showed that increasing HMP concentrations and presence of SFO in emulsions resulted in more pseudoplastic behavior. NMR transverse relaxation times (T2) were measured to detect the differences between the emulsions. Relaxation spectrum analysis was also conducted for a detailed understanding of the transverse relaxations. Addition of SFO and higher HMP concentrations decreased the T 2 values of the emulsion systems (P < 0.05). However, T2 decreasing effect of SFO was compensated at 10% (w/w) HMP concentration showing that SFO was well dispersed in this particular emulsion formulation. Changes in the rheological behavior and relaxation times provided insight on the formation and stability of the emulsions.Practical ApplicationFindings of this study can be utilized and integrated to produce edible films and coatings with different water permeability characteristics. This study showed that NMR relaxometry parameters were also effective in monitoring and determining the physical characteristics of the pectin–wax‐based emulsion systems as other conventional techniques including rheology and particle size measurements. Our NMR relaxometry findings were in correlation with the flow behavior and particle size results of the investigated emulsion systems.
Distribution of active ingredients of a commercial aflatoxin biocontrol product in naturally occurring fungal communities across Kenya
Authors: Islam Md‐Sajedul , Callicott Kenneth A. , Mutegi Charity , Bandyopadhyay Ranajit , Cotty Peter J. 
Published: December 2020

SummaryHuman populations in Kenya are repeatedly exposed to dangerous aflatoxin levels through consumption of contaminated crops. Biocontrol with atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus is an effective method for preventing aflatoxin in crops. Although four atoxigenic A. flavus isolates (C6E, E63I, R7H and R7K) recovered from maize produced in Kenya are registered as active ingredients for a biocontrol product (Aflasafe KE01) directed at preventing contamination, natural distributions of these four genotypes prior to initiation of commercial use have not been reported. Distributions of the active ingredients of KE01 based on haplotypes at 17 SSR loci are reported. Incidences of the active ingredients and closely related haplotypes were determined in soil collected from 629 maize fields in consecutive long and short rains seasons of 2012. The four KE01 haplotypes were among the top ten most frequent. Haplotype H‐1467 of active ingredient R7K was the most frequent and widespread haplotype in both seasons and was detected in the most soils (3.8%). The four KE01 haplotypes each belonged to large clonal groups containing 27–46 unique haplotypes distributed across multiple areas and in 21% of soils. Each of the KE01 haplotypes belonged to a distinct vegetative compatibility group (VCG), and all A. flavus with haplotypes matching a KE01 active ingredient belonged to the same VCG as the matching active ingredient as did all A. flavus haplotypes differing at only one SSR locus. Persistence of the KE01 active ingredients in Kenyan agroecosystems is demonstrated by detection of identical SSR haplotypes six years after initial isolation. The data provide baselines for assessing long‐term influences of biocontrol applications in highly vulnerable production areas of Kenya.
Interstrain differences in voluntary binge‐like drinking behavior and in two acute ethanol injections‐induced synaptic plasticity deficits in rats
Authors: Sauton Pierre , Deschamps Chloé , Jeanblanc Virginie , Pierrefiche Olivier , Jeanblanc Jérôme , Naassila Mickael 
Published: December 2020

AbstractPropensity to drink alcohol and to initiate binge drinking behavior is driven by genetic factors. Recently, we proposed an original animal model useful in the study of voluntary binge‐like drinking (BD) in outbred Long–Evans rats by combining intermittent access to 20% ethanol in a two‐bottle choice (IA2BC) paradigm to 15‐min daily sessions of 20% ethanol operant self‐administration. We sought to compare three strains of outbred rats (Long–Evans, Sprague–Dawley, and Wistar) in our BD model. Because we found different propensity to BD between strains, we also sought to test interstrain differences using another procedure of two acute ethanol exposures known to alter long‐term depression of hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Our results demonstrate that in both IA2BC and operant procedures, the Long–Evans strain consumed the highest, Wistar the lowest amount of ethanol, and the Sprague–Dawley was intermediate. Long–Evans rats were also the fastest consuming with the shortest time to reach 50% of their maximum consumption in 15 min. When we tested the acute effects of ethanol, long‐term depression in hippocampus was abolished specifically in Long–Evans rats with no impact in the two other strains. Thus, our study reveals that the Long–Evans strain is the ideal strain in our recently developed animal model useful in the study of BD. In addition, with the other paradigm of forced acute ethanol exposure, the Long–Evans strain displayed an increase in sensitivity to the deleterious effect of BD on hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Further studies are needed in order to investigate why Long–Evans rats are more prone to BD.
Heroin‐assisted treatment of heroin‐addicted patients normalizes regulatory T cells but does not restore CD4+ T cell proliferation
Authors: Hansen Wiebke , Luppus Sina , Barthel Romy , Chang Dae‐In , Broemstrup Julia , Zwarg Thomas , Shibata Jo , Westendorf Astrid M. , Buer Jan , Scherbaum Norbert 
Published: December 2020

AbstractHeroin dependence may result in suppression of adaptive immune responses. Previously, we demonstrated an increase in relative numbers of inhibitory CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and impaired proliferative activity of CD4+ T cells from heroin‐addicted patients in contrast to patients in opioid maintenance therapy and healthy controls. However, it remains elusive whether heroin has a direct impact on the CD4+ T cell compartment or whether observed effects result from stressful living conditions. Here, we analyzed the frequencies of Tregs and the proliferation as well as the cytokine production of stimulated CD4+ T cells from heroin‐addicted patients with use of illicit heroin, patients in heroin‐assisted treatment (HAT), and patients in methadone maintenance therapy (MMT). Relative numbers of CD4+ Tregs were significantly enhanced in patients with illicit heroin abuse compared with patients in HAT or MMT. Notably, CD4+ T cells from patients in HAT and from persons using illicit heroin showed significant reduced proliferation and secretion of the pro‐inflammatory cytokines IFN‐γ and IL‐6 upon stimulation in vitro. From these results, we conclude that structured programs such as HAT and MMT dampen elevated frequencies of Tregs in heroin‐addicted patients, whereas chronic heroin administration irrespective of using illicit heroin or receiving HAT has a direct impact on the proliferative activity and cytokine production of CD4+ T cells.
Transfer of incentive salience from a first‐order alcohol cue to a novel second‐order alcohol cue among individuals at risk for alcohol use disorder: electrophysiological evidence
Authors: Fleming Kimberly A. , Cofresí Roberto U. , Bartholow Bruce D. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBackground and aimsIn susceptible individuals, cues associated with drug use are theorized to take on incentive–motivational properties, including the ability to reinforce higher‐order, drug‐related associative learning. This study aimed to test this prediction among people varying in risk for alcohol use disorder.Design, setting and participantsRepeated‐measures experiment with a measured individual difference variable at a University psychology laboratory in Missouri, USA. One hundred and six young adults (96 contributed complete data) were pre‐selected to represent the upper and lower quartiles of self‐reported sensitivity to alcohol's acute effects.MeasurementsParticipants completed a second‐order Pavlovian conditioning paradigm in which an initially neutral visual cue (second‐order conditional stimulus; CS2) predicted onset of an olfactory cue (first‐order conditional stimulus; CS1). Olfactory cues were isolated from alcoholic beverages, sweets and non‐comestible substances, each presumed to have a natural history of first‐order conditioning. Event‐related potential responses to the CS2 across its conditioning and extinction, and to the CS1, provided neurophysiological indices of incentive salience (IS).FindingsThe IS of the alcohol CS1 was higher among participants low in alcohol sensitivity (LS), relative to their higher‐sensitivity (HS) peers. The IS of the CS2 paired with the alcohol CS1 increased across the CS2 conditioning phase among LS but not HS participants. Also, LS (but not HS) individuals also experienced increases in alcohol craving following alcohol CS1 exposure, and this change was correlated with increases in the IS of the CS2 paired with the alcohol CS1.ConclusionsAlcoholic beverage odor, a proximal cue for alcohol consumption, appears to reinforce conditioning of neurophysiological responses to a novel cue among low alcohol sensitivity (LS) individuals but not high alcohol sensitivity individuals, providing the first evidence that the LS phenotype may be associated with differences in the conditioned reinforcing properties of alcohol‐related cues. These findings support the idea that the LS phenotype may increase alcohol use disorder risk via susceptibility to incentive salience sensitization.