•Consumers were more concerned about contracting COVID-19 from restaurant foods than food in general (i.e., no specified source).•Consumers were especially concerned about contracting COVID-19 from ...restaurant food that is served cold, raw, or uncooked.•Consumers perceived restaurant food packaging as a source of contracting COVID-19 (50% moderately concerned; 23% very concerned).•COVID-19 concerns about restaurant foods and packaging varied by consumers’ socio-demographics and COVID-19-related characteristics.
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent U.S. in-restaurant dining restrictions deleteriously affected the restaurant industry. While dining restrictions were adopted to prevent human contact, evidence suggests that consumers may mistakenly perceive that restaurant "food" and its "packaging" are risky sources of COVID-19. To explore consumers' COVID-19 risk perceptions about food itself, restaurant food specifically, and restaurant food packaging, this study collected nationwide U.S. consumer survey data (n = 958) using an online consumer panel. Findings showed that: (1) consumers were less concerned about contracting COVID-19 from food in general than restaurant food and its packaging, with consumer restaurant concern highest for food served in restaurants, and lowest for hot/cooked restaurant food followed by restaurant food from carry-out; and (2) the risk perceptions of consumers varied with financial concern for food, gender, and being in a high-risk category of COVID-19. Implications for researchers, restauranteurs, government, and food safety professionals are discussed.
Purpose
Off-premise restaurant service has a new addition – food delivery robots. This new technology and off-premise service, in general, has received little research attention, despite continued ...year-over-year sales growth for both carry-out and delivery. Therefore, this study aims to analyze off-premise service modes, including food delivery robots, for service quality gaps between consumer expectations and actual performance and among the various modes.
Design/methodology/approach
Performance of three off-premise restaurant service modes (robot-delivery, human-delivery and carry-out) were evaluated using a mixed-methods approach. Consumer expectations were ascertained about food- and service-related performance factors using a survey, and a field observation study was conducted to obtain actual performance data for these factors. Findings from both approaches were compared to identify gaps and differences.
Findings
For food-related performance, consumers reported lower expectations for food safety and food quality from robot- and human-delivered food; however, no differences were observed among the three modes in the field study. Consumers also expected lower service-related performance from robot-delivery for service efficiency and ease of use (than human-delivery and carry-out) and monetary value (than carry-out). Consumers deemed robots the most sustainable and human-delivery the most convenient compared to other modes – however, not all service-related expectations aligned with actual performances.
Originality/value
This study was the first to comparatively examine off-premise restaurant service. Identification of a missing link in service gap analysis was among the theoretical contributions of this study. Managerially, this study provides previously unavailable insights into opportunities for improvement for off-premise service and use of delivery robots.
Purpose By integrating stimulus-organism-response theory and uses and gratifications theory, this study explored the salient gamification factors that satisfy the gratifications of conference ...attendees in the context of an event gamification mobile app and their relationships with conference engagement, continuance intention and word-of-mouth. Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire was developed in Qualtrics and administered on a gamification application called Goosechase during an annual hospitality conference. The proposed hypotheses were tested using the partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings The gratifications of social presence, education and entertainment through a gamification mobile app influences attendees’ engagement during the conference while achievement gratification does not. Positive effects of conference engagement on their continuous intention and WOM have been also validated. Originality/value By adopting a unique integrated approach that utilizes UGT and S-O-R framework, while considering conference engagement as work-related engagement, this study offers a fresh perspective on gamification apps and discusses its theoretical and practical implications in depth.
Many factors likely influence decisions for in-restaurant dining during a highly contagious respiratory pandemic. Applying the Protection Motivation Theory, this study examined the relationships ...between consumers' threat and coping appraisals and their in-restaurant patronage intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic and the moderating roles of conflicting information (CI) about COVID-19 and trust-in-science and scientists (TISS). Specifically, the moderators were categorized into CI-past, CI-present, TISS-optimism, and TISS-skepticism based on time- and viewpoints. Results revealed that consumers' perceived severity of threat appraisal negatively impacted in-restaurant dining intentions, while consumers' coping appraisal (i.e., self-efficacy, response efficacy, and response cost) had the opposite effects. Furthermore, high CI (past and present) and low TISS (skepticism) perceptions further diminished in-restaurant dining intentions for consumers who perceived the virus as highly threatening. The findings have theoretical implications and practical ramifications for restaurateurs and public health organizations for industry recovery and post-crisis planning.
•Perceived severity of COVID-19 reduced consumers’ intent to dine-in restaurants.•Self-efficacy, response-efficacy, and response costs bolstered dining-in intent.•Conflicting information and science trust influenced in-restaurant dining decision.•Conflicting information, across time, moderated the effects of threat appraisal.•Skeptic view of trust-in-science and scientists moderated threat appraisal effects.
To systematically investigate factors affecting consumers' restaurant patronage decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study drew on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to (1) evaluate how ...threat and coping appraisal (i.e., PMT factors) may vary based on socio-demographics and COVID-19 situational characteristics, and (2) determine if PMT factors influence actual restaurant patronage behaviors. Furthermore, the current study examined consumers' perceptions of health-protective actions that restaurateurs could take to minimize consumer risk of contracting COVID-19. Data were collected from U.S. adults (N = 627) using an online crowdsourcing platform in early May 2020. Findings showed significant relationships between socio-demograhic factors and perceived severity and/or vulnerability to COVID-19, along with concerns of coping with the virus for in-restaurant dining. For take-out/delivery patronage, coping concerns were greater for those with lower education levels and those with more health concerns than their counterparts. Furthermore, consumers' higher levels of coping appraisal predicted their higher take-out/delivery frequency. Results also suggested actions that restaurateurs could take that would influence consumers' restaurant patronage decisions. This study provides new insights related to PMT in the context of restaurants in a pandemic situation and practical information for restaurateurs to recover and prepare for future pandemics or similar crises.
The purpose of this research is to show independent restaurateurs the value that Web site analytics can have on providing data about the visitors to their Web site and the marketing opportunities ...these data provide. The study surveyed customers about their restaurant Web site browsing behaviors and analyzed Web site analytical data of a casual dining restaurant in the Midwest. Analysis was conducted using t-tests and analysis of variance. Findings indicated that certain browsing behaviors were associated with an increased number of reservations and visitation to the restaurant Web site prior to dining impacted average check. The study is the first in the context of an independent restaurant and offers the opportunity for further research to be conducted. Implications, limitations and recommendations for future studies are also discussed.
Mutations in DNA damage response (DDR) factors are associated with human infertility, which affects up to 15% of the population. The DDR is required during germ cell development and meiosis. One ...pathway implicated in human fertility is DNA translesion synthesis (TLS), which allows replication impediments to be bypassed. We find that TLS is essential for pre-meiotic germ cell development in the embryo. Loss of the central TLS component, REV1, significantly inhibits the induction of human PGC-like cells (hPGCLCs). This is recapitulated in mice, where deficiencies in TLS initiation (Rev1
or Pcna
) or extension (Rev7
) result in a > 150-fold reduction in the number of primordial germ cells (PGCs) and complete sterility. In contrast, the absence of TLS does not impact the growth, function, or homeostasis of somatic tissues. Surprisingly, we find a complete failure in both activation of the germ cell transcriptional program and in DNA demethylation, a critical step in germline epigenetic reprogramming. Our findings show that for normal fertility, DNA repair is required not only for meiotic recombination but for progression through the earliest stages of germ cell development in mammals.
Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder characterized primarily by retinal dystrophy, obesity, polydactyly, renal malformations and learning disabilities. Although five ...BBS genes have been cloned, the molecular basis of this syndrome remains elusive. Here we show that BBS is probably caused by a defect at the basal body of ciliated cells. We have cloned a new BBS gene, BBS8, which encodes a protein with a prokaryotic domain, pilF, involved in pilus formation and twitching mobility. In one family, a homozygous null BBS8 mutation leads to BBS with randomization of left-right body axis symmetry, a known defect of the nodal cilium. We have also found that BBS8 localizes specifically to ciliated structures, such as the connecting cilium of the retina and columnar epithelial cells in the lung. In cells, BBS8 localizes to centrosomes and basal bodies and interacts with PCM1, a protein probably involved in ciliogenesis. Finally, we demonstrate that all available Caenorhabditis elegans BBS homologues are expressed exclusively in ciliated neurons, and contain regulatory elements for RFX, a transcription factor that modulates the expression of genes associated with ciliogenesis and intraflagellar transport.
Benzoquino-bis-1,2,3-dithiazole 5 is a closed shell, antiaromatic 16π-electron zwitterion with a small HOMO–LUMO gap. Its crystal structure consists of planar ribbon-like molecular arrays packed into ...offset layers to generate a “brick-wall” motif with strong 2D interlayer electronic interactions. The spread of the valence and conduction bands, coupled with the narrow HOMO–LUMO gap, affords a small band gap semiconductor with σRT = 1 × 10–3 S cm–1 and E act = 0.14 eV for transport within the brick-wall arrays. Closure of the band gap to form an all-organic molecular metal with σRT > 101 S cm–1 can be achieved by the application of pressure to 8 GPa.
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