Consumer purchase intention on Boba drinks in Kuching during Covid-19

Many businesses were badly impacted as consumer spending habit shifted due to Covid-19 outbreak. The purpose of this study is to investigate consumer purchase intention on Boba drink during Covid-19. By adopting Theory of Planned Behavior, this study explores the influence of perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, and attitude. Importantly, perceived risks is added to the conceptual model to study consumer purchase intention amid Covid-19. Boba drink is a popular beverage in every city in Malaysia, including Kuching, where one could easily spot a Boba drink outlet at almost every corner of the city. A total of 394 complete observations have been obtained from the respondents through a self-administered online survey. The outcome of the analysis uncovered that perceived behavioral control and subjective norm have significant direct relation, while attitude and perceived risks have significant adverse relation with consumer purchase intention during Covid-19. This research offers insights to Boba drink sellers to devise appropriate strategies to market their beverages by targeting consumers' ability to buy the beverage, health-conscious belief, food safety, and attractive promotion to encourage consumers to buy their products during the pandemic.

Risks in Relation to Adopting Airbnb Accommodation: The Role of Fear of COVID-19

This study examined the impacts of perceived Airbnb risks, i.e., performance, financial, physical, social, time, and psychological risks on tourists' intention to use Airbnb. The study also explored the moderating effect of the fear of COVID-19 on the relationship between perceived Airbnb risks and the tourist's intention to use Airbnb. The data was collected from 248 customers of Airbnb using a survey approach. The data were analyzed utilizing the Smart PLS V.4. The PLS-SEM results revealed that Airbnb (physical, psychological, time, performance, financial and social risks) had a significant negative effect on the intention to use Airbnb. On the other side, the fear of COVID-19 acted as a moderator between Airbnb's physical, psychological, and social risks and the intention to use Airbnb, indicating that customers tend to tolerate time and performance risks when having a high level of fear of COVID-19 and prefer to use Airbnb regardless of them. This shift in customer behavior towards customers' intention to use Airbnb in light of the fear of COVID-19 gives Airbnb an edge that should be exploited via remedying other risks. It was suggested that the Airbnb hosts' awareness of the importance of Airbnb in the context of tourism in Egypt should be enhanced. Additionally, a legislative framework should govern Airbnb transactions to secure tourists in dealing with Airbnb hosts. Professionalism in providing Airbnb services should also be adopted. Future studies in the context of the current subject could conduct multi-group analyses according to different types of Airbnb accommodation and use a larger sample size.

The COVID-19 pandemic and repurchase intention in building brand engagement in the airline industry

Purpose: Gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline industry has faced many restrictions. Based on the determining factor of repurchase intention, this research paper addresses the roles of brand engagement (BE) and consumer trust during the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: A number of 439 out of 500 questionnaires, which were distributed among the Iranian airlines' customers, were completed and returned (an 87% response rate). SmartPLS 3 was used to carry out the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in order to validate the research hypotheses. Findings: The results show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, BE had a significant effect on customer purchase intention. In addition, BE boosted customer trust and thereby increased repurchase intention. Perceived risks of COVID-19 moderated these relationships. The findings also show that airline customers are highly sensitive to various perceived risks and were especially so during the COVID-19 pandemic. These perceived risks have major impacts on customers' intention to reuse the services of airline companies. High levels of perceived risk decrease customer trust, BE and repurchase intention rates, and vice versa. Practical implications: This paper provides authorities and decision-makers of the air transport industry with several practical recommendations based on the research findings. As the results confirmed, there is a worthwhile relationship between BE and customer trust;regarding the both direct and indirect benefits of customer trust for for-profit firms and the huge importance of trust in creating competitive advantages, different airline companies need to implement various strategies to engage customers with their brand names, and thereby institutionalize trust in their customers' minds during the pandemic. Since customer trust was also found to improve repurchase intention rates significantly, authorities of the airline industry must take actions to reduce feelings of mistrust and risk among consumers and increase customer trust during COVID-19. Originality/value: This paper is the first to explore the effect of BE on airline customers' repurchase intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has produced practical suggestions to employees and activists of the air transport industry regarding the use of BE as a tool to restore customer trust during and after the COVID-19 epidemic. This research focuses on the airline industry, which is particularly interesting given the industry's intensely competitive environment and the dramatic effect of COVID-19 on the industry. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Hotel employee perceived crisis shocks: Conceptual and scale development

Limited research assesses the impacts of crises on hotels from the individual employee perspective, and hotel employee perceived crisis shocks (HEPCS) lack empirical investigation and scale development. This mixed-method research conceptualized HEPCS and validated a measurement scale for HEPCS through three studies. In Study 1, 99 employees from 24 hotels were interviewed. The results showed that HEPCS was composed of the six dimensions of perceived shock: performance, task, occupation, mental, health, and family and life. In Study 2, the initial measurement items for HEPCS were generated, and 313 valid responses were collected for exploratory factor analysis. Study 3 had 931 valid respondents whose data were collected for confirmatory factor analysis and validation of the factor structure generated in Study 2. This research provides a new perspective and valid measurement scale for hotel crisis impact research as well as a theoretical basis for the establishment of hotel crisis response strategies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Perceived Risks and Perceptions of Covid-19 Vaccination in Patients with Autoimmune Skin Diseases Attending a Tertiary Care Centre in South India: A Questionnaire Based Study

Background: COVID vaccines against the SARS-CoV2 infection helped in reducing the devastating effects of the COVID pandemic. Many studies have portrayed the efficacy and safety of vaccines, there are people who are hesitant to get vaccines due to the fear of side effects and the fear is especially high in patients with autoimmune disorders on systemic immunosuppressant possibly due to lack of awareness and proper counselling. Material(s) and Method(s): This is a cross sectional study done in the Department of Dermatology, Tertiary care centre in India. The study participant who fulfilled the inclusion and the exclusion criteria were included in this study. COVID vaccination details were obtained from 50 patients with autoimmune skin disorders attending the skin OPD. Result(s): Age of the patient ranged from 18 - 70 years in which 45-60 years of the age group were predominant 18(36%)]. The most common autoimmune disease among the study participants was Psoriasis vulgaris 24(48%). Patients taking immunosuppressant were about 20(40%) study participants. About 72% were vaccinated for COVID-19. The most common reason for getting vaccinated is due to its Free of cost (91.6%) followed by confident on the vaccine protection (41.7%). Among those who are not vaccinated, most common reason was found to be ignorance regarding vaccine (64.3%) followed by personal superstitious belief (57.1%). Conclusion(s): Our study concluded that 72% of study population got COVID 19 vaccination and the common reason is due to its free of cost in our country followed by confidence in its efficacy. The rest hesitated due to their personal superstitious beliefs and their ignorance. Overall, during the study period, no major adverse effects related to the vaccine were noted in our study participants. Copyright © 2023, Dr Yashwant Research Labs Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved.

Travel intention determinants during COVID-19: The role of trust in government performance

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has compelled tourism experts to devise efficient ways to attract visitors. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model, this study created a comprehensive model of residents' trust in government performance, perceived risk, and travel intention. The model was tested on 469 Vietnamese residents using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that perceived risk negatively impacts attitudes toward travel, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms, while trust in government performance positively impacts these categories. Furthermore, attitude toward travel, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms positively influence a tourist's travel intention. This study offers theoretical and practical insights into how to build safe tourism practices and design appropriate COVID-19 recovery programs in the tourism industry.

Perceived risks of COVID-19, attitudes towards preventive guidelines and impact of the lockdown on students in Uganda: A cross-sectional study

Background: This study explored students' perceptions of COVID-19 risks and preventive measures and assessed the impacts of the national lockdown on students in Uganda. Methods: A web-based survey was conducted to explore students' perceived risks of COVID-19 and preventive measures;sources of COVID-19 information and impacts of the lockdown. Both undergraduate and post-graduate students (n = 398) participated in the study. Data were analysed using IBM-SPSS-26. Results: Students acknowledged COVID-19 as a health risk, and their preventive behaviours were influenced by age, gender, marital status and living situation. Most students followed face mask guidelines but did not comply with lockdown restrictions. Social distancing was not always possible due to overcrowding. Students' main sources of COVID-19 information were local media (e.g., TV, radio) and social media. Most students (especially females) were unable to access online learning platforms due to poor internet connectivity, high costs and no access to computers. Meanwhile, a majority of those who studied online did not enjoy the experience. Students experienced depression, frustration, stress and anxiety during the lockdown;became less physically active and spent most of their time on social media, sleeping, eating or watching movies. Some students indulged in smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs and gambling for their first time, while others did them more often than before. Conclusion: The increase in sedentary activity, poor mental health and substance use over the lockdown period puts students at risk of health complications and poses a potential threat to the healthcare system. These risks may also negatively impact their future learning and academic potential. Further research is needed to understand the transitional experiences of students between physical and virtual learning, and how they can be supported. There is also a need to ascertain the feasibility of guidelines such as social distancing in developing countries, to increase compliance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The effect of perceived risks and perceived cost on using online learning by high school students.

As Covid19 Pandemic hit all over the world, Indonesian high schools are struggled to cope with the sudden and forced switch to fully online learning. This study employed an online survey of Indonesian high school students to understand their behaviour in using online learning. The survey gathers data from 462 respondents who resided in 24 provinces. Theory of Planned Behaviour extended with Perceived Risks and Perceived Costs is used as the theoretical framework. Perceived Risks are used to accommodate concerning security-related news that might affect online activities. Perceived Costs is used to address complaints regarding additional financial burden due to fully online learning, namely cost to access and cost to acquire equipment. SmartPLS version3 is used as the main data analysis tools. The result showed that the Theory of Planned Behaviour is indeed able to explain the use of online learning by Indonesian high school students. Perceived Risks are considered as an influence but only have minimal impact. Perceived Costs does not have any influence on online learning. This might be because Indonesian is quick to act and counter the negative impact of the Covid19 Pandemic. One of the Indonesian Government's efforts is to subsidise Internet costs for students and teachers.

Perceived risks of transit use during COVID-19: Correlates and strategies from a case study in El Paso, Texas.

Introduction: COVID-19 has led to public transportation ridership plummeting and thus created fiscal crises and operational difficulties for transit operators. Although transit services remain essential for people with limited access to alternative transportation modes, the unfavorable public view keeps potential riders from transit. The public transportation industry is in dire need of restoring trust and recovering ridership. Methods: In July 2020, we conducted an online survey in El Paso, Texas, to investigate COVID-19 risk perceptions related to transit use. A total of 712 valid responses, consisting of 613 English and 99 Spanish responses, were included in the analyses. Results and conclusions: Descriptive and bivariate analyses showed many choice transit riders changed their mobility patterns by abandoning public transportation. Survey participants reported that social distancing and cleaning services were very important in encouraging them to return to transit. The free fare policy was also a stimulus for the existing riders to continue their transit use during the pandemic. The multivariable analysis results highlighted that public knowledge plays a vital role in COVID-19 risk perceptions and transit use decisions. Major opportunities exist in terms of public awareness campaigns that inform the public about the COVID-19 related safety measures transit operators are implementing. We further suggest some practical strategies to enhance public communication and help transit operators recover from COVID-19. This study offers timely insights for public policy stakeholders, including transit agencies, to better utilize their resources to protect public health, regain public confidence, and bring passengers back.

COVID-19 Morbidity, Vaccine Side Effects, and Vaccine Hesitancy among African Americans

COVID-19 research conducted in the pre-vaccine era indicates strong hesitancy toward vaccination among African Americans. Recent research has found growing acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination in the general US population. This study investigated vaccination intentions in Black communities and explored behavioral mechanisms involved in vaccination decisions. It focused on individuals’ risk perception in the face of a double hazard relating to the coronavirus disease and the vaccine. Using data from a national survey of 547 African Americans in January 2021, the results demonstrate considerable lingering vaccine hesitancy among African Americans. A survey experiment applied fear appeals to raise risk perceptions of threats from (1) the coronavirus, (2) the COVID-19 vaccine, or (3) both the disease and the vaccine. The findings show null effects of the treatments on individuals’ intentions to get a vaccine. However, when incorporating efficacy beliefs about the COVID-19 vaccine, the analysis found a positive effect of perceived vaccine efficacy on vaccination intentions. The study concludes that future research and practice need to replace fear appeals with efficacy-raising regimes, and identifies strategies that can be adopted in communicating and engaging with Black communities to promote COVID-19 vaccination.

Exploring the Factors Affecting Travel Intention During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Structural Analysis

The purpose of this study was to identify structural relationships between factors affecting domestic tourism intentions in Iran under COVID-19 conditions, taking into account the importance of behavioral intention in predicting behavior. Therefore, it adds to the emerging body of knowledge about travel intentions during the pandemic. Structural equation modelling was used to analyze 383 online questionnaires, which revealed a positive impact of "frequency of past travel" and a negative effect of "Covid-19 risk knowledge," "perceived risk," and "risk aversion attitudes" on "travel intentions." Furthermore, "perceived risk" and "risk aversion attitudes" mediated the relationship between "frequency of past travel" and "Covid-19 risk knowledge" with "travel intentions." Meanwhile, "socio-demographic variables" and "travel purposes" moderated the relationships between "risk aversion attitudes" and "travel intentions" and between "perceived risks" and "travel intentions." The findings enable tourism policy-makers, marketers, and businesses to take purposeful measures to recover domestic tourism.

Fine aerosols and perceived risk of COVID 19 among dental practitioners- A cross sectional survey

Introduction: The coronavirus disease is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and declared to be transmitted from human-to-human. This transmission takes place through multiple means like the aerosols, fomites and droplets. In dentistry, dental ultrasonic devices and high-speed handpieces, mainly when used with water, commonly produce the fine aerosols. These aerosol particles can remain suspended in air then land on adjacent surfaces within the dental office, which includes the personal protection equipment. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to make a survey on Dental practitioners concerning the perceived risks of aerosol contamination in COVID-19 times and their attitude toward modifications of treatment protocols to reduce this risk. Objective: The objective of the present study was to make a survey on Dental practitioners concerning the perceived risks of aerosol contamination in COVID-19 times and their attitude toward modifications of treatment protocols to reduce this risk. Materials and Methods: The present cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among dental practitioners. The survey was conducted on an online forum using google form. The questionnaire included questions related to fine aerosols and perceived risks of aerosol contamination in COVID-19 along with sociodemographic factors such as age, gender and year of study. Descriptive statistics were expressed by means of frequency and percentage. Chi Square test was used to find the association between the variables. P value less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. Result: From our survey we can witness about 60% of the participants had increased fear of perceived risk of COVID 19 among dental practitioners. Considering the categories more at risk in the dental settings, the majority 50% of respondents thought that the dentists were undergoing highest risks, while only the 19% of respondents considered patients to be the ones more at risk;and about 30% of respondents believed risks to be equally divided between patients and dental professionals. Conclusion: From the survey we may conclude that the survey demonstrated that COVID-19 had a great impact on dental practitioners;it increased not only fear of aerosol contamination during dental treatments but also influenced the fear of close contacts

The influence of perceived risks on millennials' intention to use m-payment for mobile shopping in Bangkok

Purpose>Booming mobile shopping has resulted in an increase use of m-payment. Although m-payment is still in its infancy in Thailand, it has started to affect the daily lives of Thai people. This study aims to understand the role of perceive risks in influencing millennials' intention to use m-payment for mobile shopping.Design/methodology/approach>The sample covers 250 millennials in Bangkok who were surveyed between February to May 2019. Purposive sampling and convenient sampling were applied to collect data. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied for statistical analysis. Further, mediation effect of attitude was studied.Findings>The results showed that only perceived time risk significantly but negatively affect millennials' attitude towards using m-payment. Moreover, mediation test confirms that the relationship between perceived time risk and intention to use m-payment is mediated by attitude.Research limitations/implications>First, limited number of respondents cannot be a representative of millennials as a whole. Second, the study is limited to a general study, in which the results of m-payment might not be effectual to explain other scenarios (e.g. offline setting) and the market situation in another cultural context.Practical implications>It is important that business practitioners should formulate less complicated system under the most decent transaction time to elicit positive attitude towards m-payment. Also, message should emphasize on the time being saved and simplicity of the m-payment.Originality/value>Since the study of how perceived risks influence millennials intention to m-payment remains insufficient in Southeast Asian context especially in Thailand, this paper contributes to the updating of empirical findings to the existing literatures.

Hotel employee perceived crisis shocks: Conceptual and scale development

Limited research assesses the impacts of crises on hotels from the individual employee perspective, and hotel employee perceived crisis shocks (HEPCS) lack empirical investigation and scale development. This mixed-method research conceptualized HEPCS and validated a measurement scale for HEPCS through three studies. In Study 1, 99 employees from 24 hotels were interviewed. The results showed that HEPCS was composed of the six dimensions of perceived shock: performance, task, occupation, mental, health, and family and life. In Study 2, the initial measurement items for HEPCS were generated, and 313 valid responses were collected for exploratory factor analysis. Study 3 had 931 valid respondents whose data were collected for confirmatory factor analysis and validation of the factor structure generated in Study 2. This research provides a new perspective and valid measurement scale for hotel crisis impact research as well as a theoretical basis for the establishment of hotel crisis response strategies.

Factors Inluence Intention To Use Accounting Information System-Based E-Commerce (A Case Study On MSMEs In DKI Jakarta)

The industrial revolution 4.0 has brought progress in the field of communication and information technology, especially in the current era of digitalization. In Indonesia, the use of e-commerce has increased, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic because MSMEs are starting to use e-commerce for their business continuity. The role of accounting information systems is very important for MSMEs because it will facilitate the control of transaction data and MSME financial reports for decision making. In reality, there are only several MSMEs that already adopt or digitalize their business. The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that influence intention to use an e-commerce-based accounting information system by MSMEs in DKI Jakarta using TAM model with perceived risk, trust, and social influence as additional variables. This study uses quantitative method by collecting data using Google Form questionnaires distributed and analyzed using Smart PLS software version 3.3.3. The number of sample used in this study is 212 respondents and data analysis technique used is Partial Least Square (PLS) Equation Model. The results showed that intention to use were significantly influenced by perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and trust, while perceived risk and social influence had no effect on intention to use.

Components of Unrealistic Optimism of College Students: The Case of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

College students are among the most strongly affected populations by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic because of uncertainty regarding academic success, future careers, and social life during their study period. Their mental health and behavior may dramatically be impacted. The study examined an unrealistic optimism of Israeli college students in assessing the health, security, and economic risks during the pandemic, and the contributions of these perceived risks to the prediction of psychological coping responses, such as well-being, and coping suppressing response of anxiety, expressed during this pandemic. Using social networks, a questionnaire was disseminated to students during the third lockdown that was implemented in Israel because of the pandemic. Depressive and anxiety symptoms, perceived threats, resilience, well-being, hope, and morale were measured using a structured quantitative questionnaire. First, we hypothesized that the three perceived risks would be inversely rated, so perceived health risk would be rated lowest, and perceived economic risk would be rated highest. The second and third hypotheses claimed that psychological coping responses articulated along this pandemic would be predicted by all these perceived risks, as well as the observance of pandemic precaution rules. The fourth hypothesis suggested that the three investigated perceived risks will positively and significantly correlate with each other. The results generally supported the hypotheses and indicated that the unrealistic optimism process was employed quite consistently by the participating students.

Relationship Between Perceived Risks of Using mHealth Applications and the Intention to Use Them Among Older Adults in the Netherlands: Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Considering the increasing demand for health services by older people and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, digital health is commonly viewed to offer a pathway to provide safe and affordable health services for older adults, thus enabling self-management of their health while health care systems are struggling. However, several factors cause older people to be particularly reluctant to adopt digital health technologies such as mobile health (mHealth) tools. In addition to previously studied technology acceptance factors, those related to perceived risks of mHealth use (eg, leakage of sensitive information or receiving incorrect health recommendations) may further diminish mHealth adoption by older adults. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between perceived risks of using mHealth applications and the intention to use these applications among older adults. METHODS: We designed a cross-sectional study wherein a questionnaire was used to collect data from participants aged 65 years and older in the Netherlands. Perceived risk was divided into four constructs: privacy risk, performance risk, legal concern, and trust. Linear regression analyses were performed to determine the associations between these perceived risk constructs and the intention to use mHealth applications. RESULTS: Linear regression per perceived risk factor showed that each of the four constructs is significantly associated with the intention to use mobile medical applications among older adults (adjusted for age, sex, education, and health status). Performance risk (ß=-.266; P=<.001), legal concern (ß=-.125; P=.007), and privacy risk (ß=-.100; P=.03) were found to be negatively correlated to intention to use mHealth applications, whereas trust (ß=.352; P=<.001) was found to be positively correlated to the intention to use mHealth applications. CONCLUSIONS: Performance risk, legal concern, and privacy risk as perceived by older adults may substantially and significantly decrease their intention to use mHealth applications. Trust may significantly and positively affect this intention. Health care professionals, designers of mHealth applications, and policy makers can use these findings to diminish performance risks, and tailor campaigns and applications to address legal and privacy concerns and promote mHealth uptake and health care access for older adults, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Morale and Perceived Threats as Predictors of Psychological Coping with Distress in Pandemic and Armed Conflict Times.

The present study investigated predictors of psychological coping with adversity responses during the COVID-19 pandemic and an armed conflict. Two paired samples that represented the Israeli population that was exposed to both adversities were compared. Respondents rated five different psychological coping responses associated with the two adversities, such as anxiety or individual resilience. Perceived security, pandemic, economic, and political risks, as well as level of morale, were rated. Two major findings were disclosed by two path analyses. Morale improved the predictions of the varied coping responses in both the pandemic and conflict and was the best predictor of four out of five responses and the second-best predictor of the fifth response. Contrary to previous studies, our findings revealed that the concept of a single major predictor of coping responses under distress is an overgeneralization. In both cases, the coping responses were better explained by other perceived risks rather than by the risk of the investigated adversity. Rather than assume that a perceived security threat accounts for low levels of public moods, it is vital to study the antecedents of coping responses and to empirically examine additional potential predictors.