Robots are the next wave in service technology; however, this advanced technology is not perfect. This research examines how social perceptions regarding the warmth and competence of service robots ...influence consumer reactions to service failures and recovery efforts by robots. We argue that humanoid (vs. nonhumanoid) service robots are more strongly associated with warmth (whereas competence does not differ). This tendency to expect greater warmth from humanoid robots has important consequences for service firms: (i) consumers are more dissatisfied due to lack of warmth following a process failure caused by a humanoid (vs. nonhumanoid; Study 1); (ii) humanoids (but not nonhumanoids) can recover a service failure by themselves via sincere apology, restoring perceptions of warmth (Study 2A); (iii) humanoids (but not nonhumanoids) can also effectively provide explanations as a recovery tactic (Study 2B); and, importantly, (iv) human intervention can be used to mitigate dissatisfaction following inadequate recovery by a nonhumanoid robot (Study 3), supporting the notion of human-robot collaboration. Taken together, this research offers theoretical implications for robot anthropomorphism and practical implications for firms employing service robots.
•CSR is more effective under communal (vs. exchange) relationship norms.•CSR is ineffective if consumers perceive company CSR motives as self-serving.•CSR enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty ...intentions in communal relationships via consumer inferences of a company's warmth.•CSR can be framed to signal competence for effectiveness in exchange relationships, but at a cost to warmth in communal relationships.•CSR can help companies to recover customers when service failure occurs.
The researchers investigate how corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects customer response following service failure within the context of buyer–seller relationships. A series of three experiments demonstrate that CSR is more effective under communal (vs. exchange) relationship norms, consistent with the alignment of CSR with the communal norm of concern for the needs of others. The effectiveness of CSR is also shown to vary as a function of company motives and CSR framing, serving as theoretically and managerially relevant boundary conditions. Together, these findings increase our understanding of how and when CSR will have a positive impact on consumers and, in turn, companies via customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Research on consumer satisfaction with green hotels has yielded mixed results; some studies have shown a positive relationship with CSR initiatives and others have shown a negative relationship. To ...reconcile these two opposing views, we examine the mediating effects of perceived warmth and competence as potential psychological mechanisms explaining consumers’ reactions to green hotels. We also investigate the moderating role of firm motives in influencing consumers’ reactions to green initiatives. Results from Study 1 indicate that when service delivery is successful, consumer satisfaction is higher for green (vs. non-green) hotels. However, the advantage for green hotels disappears when guests experience service failures. Results from Study 2 show that consumer satisfaction with green hotels is enhanced when a firm engages in green initiatives for public-serving (vs. self-serving) motives. Overall, the results show that perceived warmth and competence mediate the relationship between service outcomes and consumer satisfaction and behavioral intentions.
Abstract
We present our analysis of the Type II supernova DLT16am (SN 2016ija). The object was discovered during the ongoing
(DLT40) one-day cadence supernova search at
in the “edge-on” nearby (
) ...galaxy NGC 1532. The subsequent prompt and high-cadenced spectroscopic and photometric follow-up revealed a highly extinguished transient, with
, consistent with a standard extinction law with
R
V
= 3.1 and a bright (
) absolute peak magnitude. A comparison of the photometric features with those of large samples of SNe II reveals a fast rise for the derived luminosity and a relatively short plateau phase, with a slope of
, consistent with the photometric properties typical of those of fast-declining SNe II. Despite the large uncertainties on the distance and the extinction in the direction of DLT16am, the measured photospheric expansion velocity and the derived absolute
V
-band magnitude at
after the explosion match the existing luminosity–velocity relation for SNe II.
ABSTRACT We present late-time observations of the site of the Type Ibn supernova (SN) 2006jc, acquired with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys. A faint blue source is recovered at ...the SN position, with brightness , and mag, although there is no detection in a contemporaneous narrow-band image. The spectral energy distribution of the late-time source is well-fit by a stellar-like spectrum ( and ), subject to only a small degree of reddening-consistent with that estimated for SN 2006jc itself at early-times. The lack of further outbursts after the explosion of SN 2006jc suggests that the precursor outburst originated from the progenitor. The possibility of the source being a compact host cluster is ruled out on the basis of the source's faintness; however, the possibility that the late-time source may be an unresolved light echo originating in a shell or sphere of pre-SN dust (within a radius ) is also discussed. Irrespective of the nature of the late-time source, these observations rule out a luminous blue variable as a companion to the progenitor of SN 2006jc.
In this study, we expanded the perceived value literature by demonstrating the role of selected affective factors (i.e., hedonics, control and novelty) on value in the context of cruise vacation ...experiences. We also examined the role of customer satisfaction in the affect–value relationship. Our results indicate that affective factors are important determinants of the perceived value of cruise services. In particular, hedonics or pleasure is strongly linked to cruise vacationers’ value perceptions and behavioral intentions. However, overall satisfaction as a mediator accounted for the relationship between affective antecedents and perceived value. The managerial findings of this research are briefly discussed.
ABSTRACT We present the results of optical, near-infrared, and mid-infrared observations of M101 OT2015-1 (PSN J14021678+5426205), a luminous red transient in the Pinwheel galaxy (M101), spanning a ...total of 16 years. The light curve showed two distinct peaks with absolute magnitudes and , on 2014 November 11 and 2015 February 17, respectively. The spectral energy distributions during the second maximum show a cool outburst temperature of K and low expansion velocities ( km s−1) for the H i, Ca ii, Ba ii, and K i lines. From archival data spanning 15-8 years before the outburst, we find a single source consistent with the optically discovered transient, which we attribute to being the progenitor; it has properties consistent with being an F-type yellow supergiant with L ∼ 8.7 L , K, and an estimated mass of M . This star has likely just finished the H-burning phase in the core, started expanding, and is now crossing the Hertzsprung gap. Based on the combination of observed properties, we argue that the progenitor is a binary system, with the more evolved system overfilling the Roche lobe. Comparison with binary evolution models suggests that the outburst was an extremely rare phenomenon, likely associated with the ejection of the common envelope of a massive star. The initial mass of the primary fills the gap between the merger candidates V838 Mon (5−10 M ) and NGC 4490-OT (30 M ).
Purpose
This study aims to understand consumers' reactions to hospitality corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns under different resource scarcity reminders, an important but overlooked ...contextual factor, and examine how such scarcity reminders interact with message framing, a widely used technique in CSR communication.
Design/methodology/approach
Three experimental studies were conducted. Studies 1 and 2 examined the main effect of resource scarcity reminders (environmental vs personal) on consumer engagement via self-other orientation. Study 3 further investigated the interactive effect between resource scarcity reminders (environmental vs personal) and message framing (gain vs loss) with hope as a key mediator.
Findings
Studies 1 and 2 show that environmental (vs personal) scarcity activates a more salient other orientation, subsequently increasing consumers' donation and word-of-mouth intentions. Study 3 reveals that environmental (vs personal) scarcity makes people more hopeful with gain-framed messages. Moreover, the elevated hope enhances perceived efficacy (attitude toward the company), leading to higher donation (word-of-mouth) intention.
Practical implications
Hospitality marketers could remind consumers of the harsh environment to elicit other orientation and encourage CSR participation. Using gain-framed messages or other hope-inducing appeals would be particularly advantageous in engaging consumers in CSR campaigns during heightened environmental scarcity.
Originality/value
Focusing on consumer responses to CSR campaigns, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to reveal reminders of resource scarcity as a novel antecedent factor and further uncover how such reminders interact with message framing to affect CSR engagement.
ABSTRACT
We present optical spectroscopic and Swift UVOT/XRT observations of the X-ray and UV/optical bright tidal disruption event (TDE) candidate AT 2018fyk/ASASSN–18ul discovered by ASAS–SN. The ...Swift light curve is atypical for a TDE, entering a plateau after ∼40 d of decline from peak. After 80 d the UV/optical light curve breaks again to decline further, while the X-ray emission becomes brighter and harder. In addition to broad H, He, and potentially O/Fe lines, narrow emission lines emerge in the optical spectra during the plateau phase. We identify both high-ionization (O iii) and low-ionization (Fe ii) lines, which are visible for ∼45 d. We similarly identify Fe ii lines in optical spectra of ASASSN–15oi 330 d after discovery, indicating that a class of Fe-rich TDEs exists. The spectral similarity between AT 2018fyk, narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies, and some extreme coronal line emitters suggests that TDEs are capable of creating similar physical conditions in the nuclei of galaxies. The Fe ii lines can be associated with the formation of a compact accretion disc, as the emergence of low-ionization emission lines requires optically thick, high-density gas. Taken together with the plateau in X-ray and UV/optical luminosity this indicates that emission from the central source is efficiently reprocessed into UV/optical wavelengths. Such a two-component light curve is very similar to that seen in the TDE candidate ASASSN–15lh, and is a natural consequence of a relativistic orbital pericentre.
Despite the growing relevance of influencer marketing, recent research suggests that consumers have negative reactions to social media ads. Our research investigates how different types of disclosure ...(paid partnership vs. in-text disclosure) and post content (experiential vs. material) mitigate consumers’ negative reactions to social media advertisements. Four preregistered studies, drawing on the social exchange theory, reveal how the post content shapes the sponsorship disclosure effects. In particular, we show that a paid partnership (vs. in-text) disclosure has a positive impact on consumers’ responses (engagement and purchase intent) and that persuasion resistance mediates the effects. Furthermore, Study 3 reveals that the type of content (experiential vs. material) moderates the effect, such that consumers’ negative reactions to sponsorship disclosure are mitigated with experiential (vs. material) content. Overall, our results provide actionable implications for tourism marketers on how to create advertisements in social media, minimizing negative reactions to sponsorship disclosure.
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