Value dimensions in consumers’ experience: Combining the intra- and inter-variable approaches in the hospitality sector

Within the deep and extensive research on value, two main areas of discussion emerge: multidimensionality (intra-variable approach) and interrelationships with other constructs (inter-variable approach). Independently, the two areas have produced relevant knowledge; however, when studying them jointly, the results are inconsistent. The paper aims first to build four self-oriented value scales for a hospitality experience (efficiency, quality, play, and aesthetics), and second to test them in a SEM model with overall perceived value, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty, upon a sample of 585 hotel consumers in Sardinia (Italy). The results show both unexpected (for the intra-variable …

Driving organisational ambidexterity through process management. The key role of cultural change

There is an intense debate in the literature on the impact of process management on innovation, and the division of opinions becomes particularly apparent with regard to radical innovation. Furthermore, organisational ambidexterity, the organisational capability to undertake incremental as well as radical innovation activities, has been underlined as a key source of competitiveness. In this article, we analyse how the cultural divergence driven by process management can affect organisational ambidexterity. Through a survey carried out on a sample of Spanish firms in the furniture and textile sectors, both of which have been drastically hit by competition from Asian firms, we conclude that t…

Missing Data

In this chapter, we deal with the problem of missing data in principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) methods. First, we review several statistical methods proposed in the literature for handling missing data. Both single and multiple imputation (MI) methods are studied and compared using simulated data. After this, we particularize the missing data problem for building and exploiting multivariate calibration models. Several approaches proposed in the literature are introduced and their performance compared based on several real data sets.

The value of volunteering in special events: A longitudinal study

Abstract Volunteering has important insights for tourism, especially in the context of special events. In this paper, volunteering is studied in a religious event from a consumer value-based approach. A longitudinal study is conducted on 711 volunteers, three months before and one month after the event. The value-based approach is reliable and valid over time. The results of the value dimensions (spirituality as altruism, social value, play, efficiency, and effort spent) suggest volunteering is a highly emotional experience, although functional aspects showed higher expectations than perceptions. Value conceptualisation as a trade-off is consistent with the approach to volunteering as a “gi…

A New Multiblock PLS Based Method to Estimate Causal Models: Application to the Post-Consumption Behavior in Tourism

This study presents a new algorithm for estimating causal models based on multiblock PLS method. This new algorithm is tested in a particular post-consumption behavior with the aim of validating a complex system of relations between antecedents of value, perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty. The results are compared with the classical LVPLS method: both methods support the proposed structural relations, but the explained variance is slightly higher with the new algorithm.

What Erasmus students do expect from their abroad experience? A multidimensional scale tested for the case of Spain

PurposeSince universities adopted a “Student as Customer” approach, student consumer behavior is a field of study which has become crucial. In the European higher education area, more understanding is needed on International students, and more precisely on Erasmus students. The purpose of this paper is to validate a multidimensional scale to assess Erasmus students’ value expectations (i.e. expected value) on the basis of costs and benefits in their choices as consumers of an academic experience abroad.Design/methodology/approachA survey conducted on a sample of 192 students from 50 universities show the role of functional, social and emotional values along with costs of time and effort in …

185Effect of gender on patient selection for cardiac resynchronisation therapy

How to simulate normal data sets with the desired correlation structure

The Cholesky decomposition is a widely used method to draw samples from multivariate normal distribution with non-singular covariance matrices. In this work we introduce a simple method by using singular value decomposition (SVD) to simulate multivariate normal data even if the covariance matrix is singular, which is often the case in chemometric problems. The covariance matrix can be specified by the user or can be generated by specifying a subset of the eigenvalues. The latter can be an advantage for simulating data sets with a particular latent structure. This can be useful for testing the performance of chemometric methods with data sets matching the theoretical conditions for their app…

Customer value in tourism and hospitality: Broadening dimensions and stretching the value-satisfaction-loyalty chain

Abstract Customer value research consists of two main streams, with broad recognition in tourism literature: value dimensions (intra-variable perspective) and relationships among value, satisfaction and loyalty (inter-variable perspective). The conceptual framework reviews and categorizes graphically both streams, evidencing the need of research combining both perspectives. The empirical study uses PLS to validate among a sample of 340 hotel guests, a comprehensive causal model with a high number (eight) of value dimensions -functional (efficiency and excellence), social (status and esteem), hedonic (aesthetic and entertainment) and altruistic (ethics and escapism). Moreover, the model adds…

Consumer behavior in a religious event experience: an empirical assessment of value dimensionality among volunteers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present volunteering in tourism events as a sort of spontaneous community participation that has far‐reaching consequences for destination management. It chooses the concept of value to explore volunteering experience in an international religious mega‐event, using Holbrook's value typology (efficiency, social value, play, spirituality).Design/methodology/approachThe authors undertake this objective by means of testing psychometric properties of the four value scales, as well as providing a causal model of relationships among value dimensions and overall perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty or commitment to volunteering in a special event tested w…

Managers’ Perceptions of Delivered Value in the Hospitality Industry

Although management literature has deeply reported the importance of assessing customers’ value perceptions, little attention has been paid to managers’ value perceptions (delivered value). This article presents a conceptual model of relationships between delivered value and customer orientation, service culture, and managers’ perception of customer satisfaction, tested with mulitblock PLS among 200 hospitality managers. Additionally, we present an index on a multidimensional scale of delivered value built with multitable analysis. Results support the proposed conceptual model and show increasing intensities of both the links in the model and the index by different hotel categories. The res…

Sex-Specific Ventricular Arrhythmias and Mortality in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Recipients

OBJECTIVES The study goal was to examine whether there are sex-related differences in the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias and mortality in CRT-defibrillator (CRT-D) recipients. BACKGROUND Few studies have evaluated sex-related benefits of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Moreover, data on sex-related differences in the occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in this population are limited. METHODS A multicenter retrospective study was conducted in 460 patients (355 male subjects and 105 female subjects) from the UMBRELLA (Incidence of Arrhythmia in Spanish Population With a Medtronic Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator Implant) national registry. Patients were followed up thro…