Unlocking potential: An integrated approach using PLS-SEM,NCA, and fsQCA for informed decision making

This study demonstrates the value of integrating different analytical perspectives to identify significant factors and characterize their importance. Specifically, we combine three analytical methods – partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), necessary condition analysis (NCA), and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) – to create an expanded analytical process that enables informed decision-making. PLS-SEM identifies significant correlations between the predictor and outcome variables, NCA identifies critical bottlenecks required for a specific outcome, and fsQCA identifies configurations of conditions sufficient for producing a specific outcome. By applying this expanded analytical process to subjectively reported data on service quality and perceived accessibility, collected from five Nordic cities, we gain new insights into attracting an aging population to public transport. This study contributes to a better understanding of the nuances in the data, which is valuable for both research and practice.     

Plausible versus implausible tensile price claim: Selective accessibility model approach

Retailers frequently use exaggerated price discount advertisements with a tensile price claim (TPC; e.g., “Save up to 70%”) to attract consumers because they expect that once consumers enter a store, they will purchase low‐ or medium‐discounted products. Drawing on the selective accessibility model, this study investigated the way in which an implausibly high maximum level of savings stated in a TPC influences consumers’ expected price discount (EPD) and perceptions of actual price discounts across different types of TPCs (i.e., TPC stating a maximum level and TPC stating a range of savings). This study also investigated two situations in which consumers have previous knowledge of a product’s price discount versus when they have less or no knowledge of the discount. For both conditions, a single‐anchor TPC (i.e., “Save up to Y%”) that stated an implausible maximum level of savings led to a higher EPD and lower perceptions of the deal (i.e., perceived savings, price fairness, and perceived value) with respect to the actual price discount than did a TPC with a plausible maximum level of savings. In contrast, when the TPC stated two anchors (i.e., “Save X–Y%”) and consumers had knowledge of the price discount, their EPDs assimilated only toward the plausible anchor (X), and ignored the implausibly high maximum price discount (Y), resulting in a lower EPD and higher perceptions of the deal of the actual price discounts than a TPC that stated a plausibly high maximum level of savings. In contrast, when consumers had no knowledge of the price discount, their EPDs only adjusted toward the more plausible anchor (X), regardless of whether they perceived the maximum anchor as plausible or implausible. Thus, there was no difference in consumers’ perceptions of “Save X–Y%” between implausibly and plausibly high Y%.     

Mountaineering in Cuba: improvement of true accessibility as an opportunity for regional development of communities outside the tourism enclaves

Mass tourism began in the Caribbean during the middle of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, increasing competition and a change in the motivation of tourists now force the authorities who manage these regions to introduce a new tourism offer that is not based directly on either the 3S (Sun, Sand, and Sea) or 3E (Entertainment, Excitement, Education) model. Hiking, trekking, and climbing, defined as mountaineering, might be one of these. This paper examines the potential for mountaineering in Cuba by verifying its accessibility for tourists. The assessment is based on a framework of true accessibility, which consists of two factors: (1) destination accessibility and (2) real access. Our results show that mountaineering in Cuba should be considered to be one of the key contributors to the development, prosperity, and well-being of all stakeholders, and especially for the communities outside the tourism enclaves.     

Improving spatial accessibility to regional health systems through facility capacity management

In austerity times, the general interest to reduce costs and improve efficiency levels often resulted into local cuts to public expenditure and profound reorganizations of existing service networks, especially in sectors like healthcare. In Italy, a recent reform prescribed the reconfiguration of time-dependent (i.e. emergency) hospital networks with the aim of improving patients’ accessibility conditions. In order to evaluate the impacts determined by this reorganization, we perform a spatial analysis in which we consider the distance from the closest facility as an accessibility measure. Results obtained from the spatial analysis confirm that users effectively benefit from the reorganization process but also that further improvements are possible, especially for the worst served ones. To this end, we also propose solving a mathematical programming model aiming at redistributing the capacities, i.e. the supply of beds, among the hospitals of the network seeking to maximize users’ accessibility. The realized computational experiments show that averagely better and even more equitable accessibility conditions could be obtained by containing the deriving reorganization costs.     

What retailers need to understand about website inaccessibility and disabled consumers: Challenges and opportunities

This research uniquely contributes to the marketing policy literature by illuminating the widespread yet seldom studied problem of online inaccessibility of retail websites affecting approximately 30 million disabled Americans. When a website is not designed to be navigated easily or is not compatible with assistive technology such as a screen-reader, these potential customers are not able to independently search for information and conduct transactions. Blind and low vision participants in an empirical study provide their opinions regarding accessibility policy issues and reveal that their frustrations with inaccessible retail websites may result, not only in avoidance of the retailer in its different sales channels but also in antifirm behaviors driven by negative attitudes toward perceived retailer accessibility/disability policy that spur feelings of online marketplace discrimination. Using two different evaluation tools, the top 100 retailers in the United States were evaluated on the accessibility of their websites over the past 4 years (2015–2018). Results show that most websites contain many design errors making navigation very difficult or even impossible for vision impaired consumers. The argument is made that online retailers who proactively address these inaccessibility issues on their websites may significantly increase their customer base and profitability.     

美国城市公园评价体系的内容、应用 及启示——以ParkScore指数为例

中国快速城镇化的过程伴随着各类城市绿地公园的 规划建设。对城市公园系统综合质量的科学评价关系着城市开 放空间品质的提升、居民生活质量的提高和公共服务设施规划 水平的进步。以ParkScore指数为例，对美国城市公园综合 评价系统的建设过程、评价标准和指标体系进行系统介绍和特 征评述，总结分析其在城市规划实践和研究中的应用，提出我 国应完善城市空间数据库建设、引入以人为本的评价指标和加 强指标体系建立过程的有效性等建议措施，旨在为我国城市公 园综合评价系统建设提供借鉴。     

黄浦江两岸地区公共空间可达性研究 ——基于社会网络分析的公共交通评价与 优化策略

黄浦江两岸地区正在打造世界级的滨江公共空间， 如何便捷、多样地抵达滨江公共空间是其规划设计和建设实施 的重要评价指标。将该评价指标定义为滨江公共空间可达性， 指居民利用滨江公共交通系统(常规公交)抵达滨江公共空间的 便捷性和多样性程度。利用社会网络分析方法，以虹口区和徐 汇区的滨江公共空间为例，构建了滨江公共空间可达性模型， 借助地理信息系统(ArcGIS)与计算机编程语言(Python)对现 状可达性进行量化分析评价，并提出优化滨江公共空间可达性 的算法和策略，以期更好地提升滨江公共空间可达性。     

井冈山风景区公路网络整体可达性分析

运用可达性方法定量研究井冈山风景区公路网络空间结构,考虑地形、道路等级、拥挤度等因素对车速的影响,采用加权平均旅行时间评价指标,分析不同旅游季节景点可达性和对外可达性变化。研究表明:1井冈山风景区景点可达性和对外可达性分别呈现"中心—外围"摄动变形的圈层结构与"东—西"摄动变形的圈层结构,可达性空间分布遵循空间距离衰减性、交通指向性、高等级路网指向性等。2旅游季节因素对可达性影响显著,旅游旺季可达性水平发生明显变化,可达性空间分布也受其影响。3路网结构、景点布局和节点规模是影响可达性分布的重要因子。在此基础上,提出了可达性优化建议。     

高速铁路对长三角地区都市圈可达性影响

利用成本加权栅格法分析非高铁与高铁条件下长三角地区5大都市圈的最短旅行时间的可达性和一日交流圈等时圈格局变化。结果显示:1都市圈高铁站点城市成为时间收敛最大受益者,非站点城市可达性也有所提高,但幅度较小。25大都市圈等时圈均沿高铁线呈轴向态势向外推移明显,表明高铁对都市圈空间拓展具有较强的轴向引导作用。3高铁扩展了5大都市圈一日交流圈范围,覆盖范围几乎达到100%,1h和2h等时圈覆盖范围均有不同程度扩展,表明高铁条件下,都市圈内部城市以及都市圈之间重要核心城市的时间距离拉近,实现跨城市当日流动,形成"同城效应"。     

福建省公路网可达性研究

基于福建省区域系统的开放性,以县域为研究单元,采用平均旅行时间指标,利用TransCAD软件对福建省公路网的可达性进行计算,并分析可达性空间格局的特征。