Residents’ support for red tourism in China: The moderating effect of central government

This study proposes and tests a model that incorporates two competing theories of political trust, institutional trust and cultural trust, to examine community support for “red tourism” development. Using data gathered from residents living in close proximity to Jinggangshan Scenic Area in China, this study examines the influence of authoritarian values, particularly as they relate to level of residents’ power, their level of trust in government, and their effects on support for “red tourism.” Findings suggest that trust in central government moderates the relationship between trust in local government and support. Future studies should utilize the institutional trust framework to assess residents’ trust in the local government and the cultural trust framework to assess trust in the central government.     

The contribution of implicit cognition to the Theory of Reasoned Action Model: a study of food preferences

Abstract

Attitudes are at the heart of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), but problems in defining and measuring attitudes have contributed to typically low ability to predict behaviour. This article investigates the impact of potential disjuncture between evaluations that an individual externally verbalises (explicit attitudes), and evaluations that are internally held and may exist outside of conscious awareness (implicit attitudes), on the predictive ability of TRA. We study consumers’ attitudes towards eating healthy food and subsequent behaviour in a context of socially consensual behaviour. An Implicit Association Test (IAT) is used to measure implicit attitudes, and these scores are contrasted with self-reported explicit attitude scores. Ninety one participants took part in the study. We found, surprisingly, that implicit attitude has no significant effect on behavioural intention. However, a disjuncture between an individual’s implicit and explicit attitudes, reflecting internal psychological conflict, affected behaviour.     

Fair Value Measurements of Control Premiums

As the overview of the current state of research within this paper shows, the debate around fair value measurements is far from over. This paper analyzes fair value measurement requirements in a controversial scenario, namely when a control premium exists. The analyses of the paper show that, while measurement rules around control premiums could have a material impact on fair value measurements and the financial statements as a whole, significant fair value measurement issues remain unresolved. The conclusion is that fair value measurements should include or exclude control premiums consistently. It is argued that including control premiums for all fair value measurements is the most faithful representation of the underlying economic phenomenon. This paper contributes to the fair value measurement debate by comparing the merits of alternative fair value measurements for control premiums and highlights an area where researchers, investors, and other users should exercise caution when evaluating financial statements.     

How locus of control shapes intention to reuse mobile apps for making hotel reservations: Evidence from chinese consumers

This study unveils the cognitive mechanism that locus of control (LOC) dimensions (internal control, chance control, and control by powerful others) predict intention to reuse mobile apps for making hotel reservations. The predictions are assumed through the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) anchors and perceived risk. Drawn from an online survey with 457 Chinese participants, results show direct positive predictions of intention to reuse from UTAUT anchors including performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions. Perceived risk also negatively predicts intention. Effort expectancy mediates the links between internal/chance control and intention, whereas perceived risk mediates only the latter link. Facilitating conditions mediate the relationship between control by powerful others and intention. This study contributes to existing research by distinguishing the mechanisms that underpin LOC dimensions and technology re-adoption. Practitioners are recommended to improve booking apps by addressing the concerns of users with different LOC.     

Measurement of patient-reported outcomes. 1: The search for the Holy Grail

Abstract

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used to collect information directly from patients. They may cover several different types of outcomes ranging from symptoms, functioning, utility, satisfaction, through to quality-of-life (QoL). They generally consist of self-completed questionnaires that can be administered by means of hard copies or in a range of electronic formats. PROMs vary considerably in terms of the constructs they assess, the care with which they are developed, and their scientific quality. However, none of the PROMs available approach the quality of measurement achieved by measures/instruments used in physics. PROs are examples of latent variables. These are not directly observable, but can be inferred from, for example, responses to a questionnaire. The only measure of a latent variable that approaches the quality of measurement achieved by the physical sciences is the Lexile Framework for Reading. This framework is based on a construct theory that grew out of an analysis of several available reading measures. A specification equation was generated that was able to link the construct theory to scores obtained with the Lexile measure. A fundamental requirement of this quality of measurement is that the data collected with the model fit Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT). It is argued that PROM developers should aspire to match this level of measurement sophistication if their instruments are to provide valid insights into the impacts of disease and its treatment.     

The productivity of agricultural credit in India

This study examines the nature of the relationship between formal agricultural credit and agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in India, specifically the role of the former in supporting agricultural growth, using state level panel data covering the period 1995–1996 to 2011–2012. The study uses a mediation analysis framework to map the pathways through which institutional credit relates to agricultural GDP relying on a control function approach to tackle the problem of endogeneity. The findings from the analysis suggest that over this period, all the inputs are highly responsive to an increase in institutional credit to agriculture. A 10% increase in credit flow in nominal terms leads to an increase by 1.7% in fertilizers (N, P, K) consumption in physical quantities, 5.1% increase in the tonnes of pesticides, 10.8% increase in tractor purchases. Overall, it seems quite clear that input use is sensitive to credit flow, whereas GDP of agriculture is not. Credit seems therefore to be an enabling input, but one whose effectiveness is undermined by low technical efficiency and productivity.     

海关支持综合保税区高水平开放高质量发展研究——以江苏省综合保税区为例

2019年1月12日,国务院印发了《关于促进综合保税区高水平开放高质量发展的若干意见》(国发〔2019〕3号,以下简称《若干意见》),推出21项政策措施加快推进制度创新、促进综合保税区(以下简称“综保区”)升级发展。文件出台后,各地综保区围绕“五大中心”的建设目标,在海关及其他相关职能部门的支持下,加强政策宣传,推动改革创新,强化考核评价,努力推动各项政策落地。为了更好地推进综保区高水平开放高质量发展,课题组对江苏省综保区发展情况开展全方位调研,并且以江苏省综保区为例,对当前制约综保区发展的原因,特别是影响《若干意见》实施效果的原因进行了深入分析,按照制度型开放的要求,从管理机制、发展目标、监管模式等角度提出合理建议,探索新时期海关支持综保区高水平开放高质量发展的路径。     

Health and cosmetics: Investigating consumers’ values for buying organic personal care products

In investigating consumers’ intentions to re-purchase organic personal care products (PCP), this study extends the theory of planned behaviour by including perceived value dimensions as the antecedents of attitude in the model. The findings revealed that most of the hypothesised relationships linking the consumer perceived value constructs (namely, health, safety, hedonic and environmental) with attitude towards the rebuying of organic PCP, were supported. Also, better product knowledge about organic PCP would lead to more positive attitudes towards re-purchasing the product. In contrast, social value was not important in predicting attitude. Similarly, the influence of subjective norm on rebuying intention was not supported. In terms of ranking of importance with regards to prediction of re-purchasing intention, attitude was the most important predictor followed by perceived behavioural control, product knowledge, hedonic value, environmental value and safety value.     

Examining a hybrid model for e-satisfaction and e-loyalty to e-ticketing on airline websites

In the air transportation industry, web-based marketing has already been widely applied to service frequent customers as well as to attract new ones. The importance of attracting new customers and keeping existing ones loyal to e-ticketing on airline websites is crucial. Accordingly, this study proposes an integrated model for evaluating the effectiveness of airlines' websites from a customer point of view. This model is based on the three perspectives of the marketing mix 4Ps, E-SERVQUAL and Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory. E-marketing and E-SERVQUAL features are divided into three dimensions, specifically information, system and service disconfirmations. The methodology was applied based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and was administered to online customers who carry out e-ticketing via an airline website. The results show that customer disconfirmations have a positive significant impact on overall customer e-satisfaction. The significance of this relationship was more considerable in the service dimension of e-marketing, as well as the system dimensions of E-SERVQUAL and e-marketing. Moreover, overall e-satisfaction was found to mediate the relationship between customer disconfirmations and consumer e-loyalty.