ABSTRACT
Not disconnected from an epistemological reflection, university extension actions assume and require an overview of the current state of knowledge on a given theme or domain. With this principle in mind, the article exposes a set of geo-historical and philosophical scenarios about the pandemic phenomenon caused by COVID-19. A critical evaluation of the current civilizing model is here provided by scientists and thinkers from different areas of knowledge. The text has its basis on a complex and transdisciplinary approach to science.
ABSTRACT
Purpose Adopting Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour theoretical framework, this paper aims to explore repurchase intentions among short-term rental users and changes in determinants of repurchase intention in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Data for the research was collected via a cross-country quantitative survey (N = 1,433) in five European countries: Croatia, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the UK during 2020. Trust, perceived value, authenticity and perceived risk were incorporated into the structural equation model as part of an integrated analysis of antecedents of repurchase intention. Findings Perceived value and authenticity are the key drivers of a positive attitude to repurchase of short-term rentals even after the pandemic. The pandemic modified the role of perceived risk in determining attitude towards short-term rentals as perceived risks could negatively affect attitude and repurchase intention after COVID-19. Trust in the platform and the host became a significant determinant of repurchase intentions after the spread of COVID-19. Research limitations/implications The analysis has shown the link between attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and repurchase intention, and has thus demonstrated a successful application of the theory of planned behaviour to short-term rental users. Originality/value The results of this study suggest a possible reconceptualisation of repurchase determinants due to the pandemic. The study offers a timely contribution to the research on the impact of the pandemic on the determinants of tourists' repurchase intentions.
ABSTRACT
As of 2020, it has been 50 years since the publication of Fanger’s predictive model of thermal comfort that was designed for indoor environments and attention worldwide is directed at the COVID-19 pandemic and discussions around recommendations for these indoor environments. In this context, many environments and their occupants will suffer consequences related to thermal comfort due to the necessary indoor air changes. In bus cabins, the impact might be even greater, seeing that they are responsible for the mass transportation of people. Thus, this paper intends to review the studies on thermal comfort that analyzed bus cabin environments. It adapts the PRISMA methodology and, as a result, it includes 22 research papers published in journals. Among those, 73% focused on approaching the occupants’ thermal sensation, followed by fuel/energy economy (18%), and driver productivity (9%). The current state-of-the-art indicates that air temperature and air velocity were the parameters most employed by the included studies, but eight papers analyzed all six parameters of the standard models of thermal comfort. The most employed model of thermal comfort was Fanger’s, but there has not been an investigation that assesses its consistency in predicting the occupants’ thermal sensation in the explored environment. Nevertheless, the analyzed studies recommended constant air change inside closed buses or keeping them open to minimize adverse effects on the occupants’ health, especially due to airborne diseases and CO2 concentration possibly being a suitable indicator to identify the need for air change. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.