ABSTRACT
Electrical home appliances (EHA) are necessary for modern life. Some of these items are costly. Customer needs cognitive decision before purchasing. COVID-19 and its impact on humanity are disastrous and devastating (lockdown, social distance, joblessness, low/no income, death, and long health crisis). Like other businesses, EHA purchases and their usage have been affected. The study investigated customer satisfaction and the repurchase intention of EHA. The study was conducted in Malaysia and data were collected from 400 Malaysians using structured questions through social media and emails. Collected data were analysed with PLS-SEM (SmartPLSv.3). The study found that product quality, customer perceived value, and social media usage were significant with customer satisfaction and customer satisfaction and fear of the pandemic were also influential on repurchase intention. Besides, customer satisfaction is mediated fully with repurchase intention. Moreover, the contributory part is to investigate the moderating effect of fear of the pandemic on the relationship between satisfaction and repurchase intention was significant. Fear of the pandemic was a successful exogenous and interaction construct. The study used two prominent theories to support the framework and the relationships: Stimulus Organism Response theory and Perceived Risk Theory were successfully buttressed by current findings. These findings were very insightful for practitioners and knowledge-builders. © Penerbit UMT
ABSTRACT
PurposeThis study investigates how customer experience mediates the relationship between online innovation and repurchase intention in the hotel industry in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from 167 clients from a two-star hotel in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the relationship between the variables.FindingsResults from the analysis indicate that online innovation positively leads to higher repurchase intentions and better customer experience, affirming that customer experience leads to repurchase intentions. Thus, while online innovation leads to repurchase intentions, the strength of this repurchase intention depends on customer experience. Therefore, customer experience mediates the relationship between online innovation and repurchase intention in the hotel industry.Research limitations/implicationsThis study addressed only the customer's point of view;future studies could investigate the subject from the managers and other stakeholders' point of view to get a holistic view. Also, the sample size could be improved, and the study could be conducted in other African countries for comparison purposes.Practical implicationsThe study shows that online innovation does not automatically lead to increased positive repurchase intention. Hotel managers must, therefore, enforce good customer experience for better profitability.Originality/valueAs far as the researchers know, limited studies have been conducted into how customer experience mediates online innovation and repurchase intention in the hotel industry in Ghana using structural equation modelling. This makes this research unique in Ghana. This study makes an original contribution by measuring the real effect of innovation on repurchase intentions in the hotel industry in Ghana.
ABSTRACT
This study is dedicated to m-commerce and examines the key factors determining loyalty to online food delivery (OFD) services in Indonesia, Taiwan, and New Zealand, as these countries have faced varying degrees of pandemic severity. The data analysis using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) shows that the quality of both food and e-service, satisfaction, perceived value, and trust are significant predictors of loyalty in all countries. Food quality drives consumer loyalty, contentment, and perceived value in Indonesia and Taiwan, but e-service quality is the main determinant in New Zealand. These differences can be attributed to the status quo of the OFD service market in the three countries pre-Covid, cultural factors, the pandemic severity, and consumer access to other distribution channels. Best practice recommendations for marketing managers associated with OFD are presented.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Identify the influence of perceived value (quality, emotion, price and reputation), trust (company and third parties) and the need for interaction in the repurchase intention, considering travel agencies in relation to physical and online stores. Methodology/Approach: A survey was carried out with 155 respondents. The statistical technique used was Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), through which the conceptual model was tested.Originality/Relevance: In a competitive market environment and with the result of technologies and the incidence of the COVID-19, it is important to identify the elements that affect new purchases in players that have physical and virtual stores, as well as the users' preference.Results: The results suggest that the possibility of negotiations and knowledge about the company can be fundamental factors for the behavior of new purchases.Theoretical/Methodological contributions: Elements related to price have a greater influence on repurchase intention in stores with physical format. The study shows that emotional aspects have a greater influence on repurchase intention in stores in the virtual format, in addition to suggesting that quality and trust in third parties are no longer a barrier in the virtual environment based on the repurchase behavior.
ABSTRACT
Live commerce (L-commerce) is an emerging distribution channel that has transformed consumer shopping preferences. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers' need for non-face-to-face (NFTF) commerce increased rapidly. However, unlike face-to-face (FTF) commerce, NFTF commerce has disadvantages. It lacks interactivity. The newly emerged L-commerce addresses this deficiency using real-time streaming technology. It is positively evaluated in various business segments. This study investigated the structural relationships between the characteristics of L-commerce, customer satisfaction, repurchase intention, and customer loyalty to L-commerce. The moderating effects of security and privacy (SP) and the perceived price advantage (PPA) were further examined. The findings represent a priori research that empirically proves the effectiveness of L-commerce.
ABSTRACT
Digital technologies have dramatically changed business practices and consumer buying behavior. This study integrates artificial intelligence technology, consumer engagement on social media, conversion rate optimiza-tion, and satisfying consumer experience to examine consumer repurchase intentions in the hospitality industry. Data was collected from 308 hotel customers from different regions of Oman who had an online hotel booking experience. SmartPLS was used to examine the data and proposed hypotheses. The findings of this study revealed that artificial intelligence technology positively influences consumer engagement on social media and conversion rate optimization. Similarly, consumer engagement on social media and conversion rate positively influence satisfying consumer experience, leading to increased consumer repurchase intentions. Finally, consumer habit positively moderates the relationship between satisfying consumer experience and repurchase intention. This study facilitated the understanding of artificial intelligence technology to influence consumer engagement on social media and conversion rate to boost consumer satisfaction and repurchase intention and offers suggestions for developing impeccable service business strategies. Marketers must think about making posts more interesting through videos, images, and animations, which will satisfy consumers, ultimately boosting their desire to use, share, and generate content on social media platforms for hospitality organizations.
ABSTRACT
Los tiempos de COVID-19 han generado aislamiento social en las personas y —también— se ha incrementado la compra online. El presente artículo basado en el estudio en 371 consumidores peruanos busca evaluar el efecto actual de la calidad del sitio web, la satisfacción del cliente y la confianza del cliente sobre la recompra en línea. Fue un estudio transversal que utilizó una encuesta en línea. Veintidós preguntas evaluaron la intención de recompra de los consumidores. Se utilizó un análisis técnico SEM-PLS. Se encontró que la calidad del sitio web tuvo una influencia positiva en la satisfacción del cliente e influyó positivamente en la confianza del cliente;asimismo, la satisfacción del cliente tuvo una influencia positiva en la confianza del cliente y en la intención de recompra en línea;y la confianza del cliente tuvo una influencia positiva en la confianza en línea y la intención de recompra. El modelo explicó el 20,6% de la intención de recompra online. Los resultados de la prueba de arranque se utilizaron para evaluar si los coeficientes de trayectoria son significativos. Los resultados pueden ayudar a las empresas a desarrollar planes estratégicos para aumentar las compras en línea. La novedad se basa en el uso de la técnica de modelado de ecuaciones estructurales de mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS-SEM)Alternate : COVID-19 has led to social isolation and a subsequent increase in online shopping has been observed. The present study is based on theory of reasoned action and focused on 371 Peruvian consumers, it seeks to evaluate the current effect of the website quality, customer satisfaction, and customer trust in online repurchases. The current study is cross-sectional and uses an online survey with 22 questions that evaluated consumers repurchase intentions. A technical SEM-PLS analysis was used. It was found that website quality had a positive influence on customer satisfaction, website quality positively influenced customer trust, customer satisfaction had a positive influence on customer trust, customer satisfaction had a positive influence on online repurchase intention, and customer trust had a positive influence on online repurchase intention. The model explained 20.6% of online repurchase intention behavior. Outcomes of the bootstrapping test were used to evaluate if path coefficients are significant. The outcomes can help companies to develop strategic plans to increase online purchasing. The novelty is based on using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (SEM-PLS) technique
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The research on consumerism has been dramatically rising in recent decades. However, in the food industry, little research has been empirically conducted in the beverage industry. This research empirically tests the consequences of consumer perceptions: perceived price (PPR), perceived quality (PQ), perceived packaging (PPG) and perceived taste (PT) on repurchase intention (RI) particularly;it unveils the consumer attributes, e.g. gender, age and ethnicity between consumer perceptions and RI of the consumers. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected from 403 consumers of the beverage industry (e.g. Nestle, Mitchell's Fruit Farms, Murree Brewery and OMORE) in Pakistan. The researchers used online survey questionnaires followed by a cross-sectional approach because data collection physically was not possible due to COVID-19. Findings: Data were analyzed by Smart partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) 3.3.3, and the results supported the significant influence of consumer perceptions separately, e.g. PPR, PQ, PPG and PT on RI. Additionally, gender, age and ethnicity were found to have a moderating role between consumer perceptions and RI, so, the truth of having consumer attributes has been revealed. Practical implications: The managers of beverage industries should provide ethical and operational strategies to tackle consumer's problems based on cultural norms. Furthermore, they should make sensible measures for the quality branding of the beverage products. In this way, the consumers will have a better experience of quality, price, taste and packaging, in turn, to RI. Originality/value: This research targeted the beverage industry that needs facts and figures based on consumer attributes, e.g. age, gender and ethnicity. This research also disclosed the behaviors of consumers according to their gender, age and area of residence. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
ABSTRACT
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.
ABSTRACT
Increased use of social media, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, affects consumer behavior in making purchases, one of which is transactions made by followers of online travel agencies (OTA). This research was conducted to study the relationship between followers of the Instagram account Online Travel Agency (OTA) and the Online Travel Agency (OTA). The type of research design used is quantitative survey research using the SEM (Structural Equation Model) method and the analysis tool using Smart-PLS 3.0. People in DKI Jakarta, Indonesia, who have utilized online travel agencies were the study's unit of analysis (OTA). The results showed that Stimuli significantly affected Perceived Content Quality, Stimuli significantly affected Perceived Entertainment, Stimuli significantly affected Perceived Service Quality, and Site Attachment significantly affected Repurchase Intention. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Mobile devices are ubiquitous in the lives of modern consumers, who use them for information‐seeking and purchasing activities, fostering the emergence of m‐commerce. This trend has been exacerbated by the COVID‐19 pandemic, which has boosted m‐commerce growth in both developed and developing countries. Hence, there is a need for cross‐cultural research concerning the factors affecting behavioural intentions. Drawing upon the hedonic information systems model, we measure the impact of utilitarian factors on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and eWOM through the mediation of enjoyment across two countries characterized by different stages of m‐commerce readiness and culture: China and Italy. Findings suggest that the impact of utilitarian factors on satisfaction is stronger among Italian users than Chinese users. On the contrary, for Chinese users, who use their mobile phones as a primary device to shop online, the mediation effect of enjoyment on satisfaction and eWOM is stronger. With this study, we contribute to cross‐cultural research in m‐commerce and provide guidelines to mobile retailers operating in diverse international markets.
ABSTRACT
Technology use to buy products online as a new innovation on marketing is significantly influencing the buyer's behavior in marketing and important to understand. The way suppliers present their product is interesting, especially to encourage people repurchase from their shops. The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between advertisement, promotion, and lifestyle towards repur-chase intention of the university students doing online shopping at e-commerce Shopee platform during the pandemic of COVID-19. The study uses a quantitative method for research. The data were collected using an electronic questionnaire on Microsoft Forms from 212 university students who used the e-commerce Shopee platform during the COVID-19 pandemic to shop. The purposive sampling method was used to collect the data from all the students. SEM-AMOS was used to analyze the data. The results indicated as follows: the advertisement variable has no significant effect on repurchase intention. Promotion and Lifestyle variables have a significant effect on the repurchase intention of university students at Jabodetabek area in shopping online at Shopee during the COVID-19 pandemic. From this study we can conclude that technology to advertise products has no relationship with repurchase intention of students while promotion and lifestyle has a significant relationship for students to repurchase products in the transformation of new normal activities in Indo-nesia. © 2023 by the authors;licensee Growing Science, Canada.
ABSTRACT
Purpose Trust has emerged as a crucial research topic in the sharing economy. However, scholarship on trust in sharing accommodation remains limited. By using stakeholder theory, this study aims to provide a systematic framework for integrating trust among multiple stakeholders and identify potential knowledge gaps and future research directions for trust in sharing accommodation. Design/methodology/approach The authors select papers using a combination of multiple keywords from EBSCOhost and Web of Science. The analysis includes 172 journal papers published between 2011 and 2021. The authors conduct a systematic review through thematic content analysis, and each paper is analyzed using manual coding. Findings The analysis shows that key stakeholders for trust building in sharing accommodation include consumers, hosts, platforms, residents and governments, with most studies focusing on the consumer perspective. The study integrates various trust antecedents and outcomes from the above multistakeholder. Second, this study summarizes the most commonly used theories, and more diversified theories could be applied to future research. Third, this study finds that most studies use quantitative methods, and researchers should introduce more integrated methodologies such as machine learning on a large scale. Furthermore, the current research disciplinary paradigm should be extended to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to promote innovation in trust research. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought both challenges and opportunities to industry as well as researchers, and more institutional rather than commercial perspectives need to be addressed. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to the trust and the sharing economy literature by providing a systematic framework for integrating trust from multistakeholder perspectives. The study also points out several future research directions by combining micro and macro multistakeholder perspectives, identifying more diversified theories and methodologies and specifying multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. Originality/value The study advances knowledge by providing a systematic framework for integrating trust among multiple stakeholders and proposing future research directions for trust in sharing accommodation.
ABSTRACT
Mobile food order applications have become a phenomenal disruption in the food delivery industry. Customers demand better and more consistent experiences when making most purchases, including in food choices. Food delivery platforms have also been seen as the most convenient feature for customers during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Although food delivery applications have been widely used, there is only a scarce literature that focuses on the factors that optimize user experience and repurchase intention. The current study attempted to explore customer repurchase intention, driven through cognitive and affective experience, towards food delivery applications. In the current study, we conceptualized and empirically confirmed an integrated model of antecedents for cognitive and affective experience and its influence on application satisfaction and repurchase intention. The model also incorporated situational factors (distance to restaurant and availability of time to visit restaurant) as a moderating variable. To test the proposed model, data were collected from 350 regular users of different food delivery applications. Subsequently, the data were analyzed using partial least square-structural equation modeling where the findings substantially supported the significance of cognitive and affective experience on application satisfaction and repurchase intention towards food delivery applications. In addition, the results of multigroup analysis (MGA) also confirmed the positive impact of situational factors as a moderator between application satisfactions and repurchase intention. The findings of the study provide important insights into how food delivery applications can accelerate cognitive and affective experience and use application satisfaction to encourage repeat buying intention. The results also offer guidance in designing and implementing effective approaches and strategies for food delivery retailers.
ABSTRACT
Revenge vacation, or an individual’s strong desire to go on vacation to make up for missed opportunities to travel and escape the stresses of daily life, can take the form of purchasing a flight-to-nowhere service. Although the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, travel restrictions are gradually being relaxed, emphasising the need to investigate the long-term viability of this unique service. This research aims to investigate factors influencing the repurchase intention of the flight-to-nowhere service. Four variables of interest have been identified in this research, namely escapism, aesthetics, temporal illusion and repurchase intention. Purposive sampling yields 126 passengers of flight-to-nowhere service. To analyse the data, this research employs Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using SPSS and AMOS software. The results suggest that escapism and aesthetics are positive predictors of repurchase intention. Meanwhile, temporal illusion moderates the relationship between aesthetics and repurchase intention, such that high temporal illusion (vs low) weakens the relationship between the two variables. Practical suggestions and future research opportunities are detailed at the end of the paper. © The Author(s) 2022.
ABSTRACT
Mobile devices are ubiquitous in the lives of modern consumers, who use them for information-seeking and purchasing activities, fostering the emergence of m-commerce. This trend has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has boosted m-commerce growth in both developed and developing countries. Hence, there is a need for cross-cultural research concerning the factors affecting behavioural intentions. Drawing upon the hedonic information systems model, we measure the impact of utilitarian factors on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and eWOM through the mediation of enjoyment across two countries characterized by different stages of m-commerce readiness and culture: China and Italy. Findings suggest that the impact of utilitarian factors on satisfaction is stronger among Italian users than Chinese users. On the contrary, for Chinese users, who use their mobile phones as a primary device to shop online, the mediation effect of enjoyment on satisfaction and eWOM is stronger. With this study, we contribute to cross-cultural research in m-commerce and provide guidelines to mobile retailers operating in diverse international markets. © 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Consumer Studies published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ABSTRACT
Purpose>This study aims to evaluate the impact of perceived cause- related marketing (perceived-CRM) on the repurchase intention (CRIN). Besides, brand image (BIMA) and customer satisfaction (CSAT) connect this relationship as mediating variables. Especially, the role of perceived corporate social responsibility (perceived-CSR) contributed to this nexus between perceived-CRM and BIMA, perceived-CRM and CSAT in emerging economies.Design/methodology/approach>The paper follows a quantitative approach. Based on a comprehensive literature review on perceived-CSR, perceived-CRM , BIMA, CSAT and repurchase intention, the authors evaluate the impact of those constructs on repurchase intention in an emerging market. The study sample was composed of 395 responses covering customers of consumer goods. The study uses the Smart PLS-SEM version 3.3.2 to analyze the data.Findings>The findings revealed significant contributions to the extant CRM literature in some ways. This study's outcomes contribute to extending the existing literature on CRM and CSR. Specifically, the extension focuses on the mediating and moderating effects of BIMA, CSAT and perceived-CSR, respectively, in the relationship between perceived-CRM and CRIN. Moreover, the novelty of this study lies in providing a new approach to the influence of perceived-CRM on CRIN, with the mediating of BIMA, CSAT and moderating effects perceived-CSR integrated into a conceptual model.Practical implications>From a management perspective, the contribution of this study plays a very important role in strategic planning to enhance competitive advantage and improve business performance on a sustainable basis. This sustainability is founded on an insight into how changes in contextual factors affect the perception and consumer behavior of millennials in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market, especially in a context of Covid-19 global crisis. It is important to emphasize that genuineness and transparency in all activities and communications are a prerequisite in today's sensitive context. The application of acquired insight into practice will help businesses operating in the consumer sector improve brand reputation and CSAT. As a result, this leads to enhanced competitive advantage of the business in the market, improved market performance and ultimately to an improvement in the overall performance of the enterprise.Originality/value>This is the first study that explores the moderating role of perceived CSR on the nexus between perceived-CRM with brand image (BIMA) and CSAT to the best of our knowledge. Besides, the study also discovers the mediating role of BIMA and CSAT between perceived-CRM and repurchase-intention in an emerging economy. Findings in this study provided additional evidence to the increasingly important roles of perceived-CRM and perceived-CSR in creating win-win relationships with customers, aiming to solve specific social causes jointly. Further, the perceived-CRM and perceived-CSR mechanisms help businesses enhance their intangible assets and competitive advantages through enhanced BIMA and stronger CRIN. In the current context, the business environment is changing rapidly due to many factors that lead to increased competition at a global level. Therefore, improving competitive advantage is a mandatory condition for businesses to survive and develop sustainably.
ABSTRACT
With its high population and high rate of young population, Turkey has an important potential in the field of consumer electronics. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, individuals' purchasing power decreased due to economic contractions in every country and individuals showed a more frugal attitude. This study aims to evaluate the Turkish smartphone market and understand the consumer preferences toward smartphones during the pandemic. For this purpose, a conjoint analysis was conducted by obtaining data from 452 respondents who were asked to evaluate products according to their brand, price, second-hand value, camera quality, and storage capacity. As a result of the analysis, it was revealed that the brand, price, and camera features had the highest utility scores reflecting the preferences of the Turkish consumers. Moreover, Chinese and Turkish brands were found to still hold a disadvantageous position in consumer perceptions having negative utility scores.
ABSTRACT
Successive developments in information technologies have brought important developments in the business world, one of which is e-commerce. Undoubtedly, consumers’ continuous adoption of online shopping, which has been specially accelerated as the result of the pandemic, is not likely to end or reduce after the Covid-19 passes, increasing volume and transaction in e-retailing make e-business more challenging. Under these circumstances, the most important requirement of sustainable development and profitability in e-business management is to retain loyal customers rather than one-time buyers. Hence, in an e-commerce setup, understanding the repurchase intention of consumers is essential in sustaining growth. Most previous studies have focused on one or two factors, ignoring the whole picture, depicting the most effective factors both e-satisfaction and e-repurchase intention. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between e-service quality, information quality, e-satisfaction, and e-repurchase intention by involving customer decision-making styles in the context. An online retailer, belonging to a large brick-and-mortar Turkish company was chosen to conduct the survey. Consequently, the data collected from the conveniently selected sample among the members of that e-retailer was used to test the research model using structural equation modeling. The results revealed efficiency, fulfillment, privacy, and information quality to influence both e-satisfaction and e-repurchase intention whereas after-sales e-services influencing e-satisfaction. Meanwhile, e-satisfaction mediates the relationship between the service quality of a website and e-repurchase intention. Furthermore, novelty and recreational shopping style attitude moderates the relationship between e-satisfaction and e-repurchase intention. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
Although electronic word-of-mouth via social networking sites (or sWOM) greatly induced online shopping, its importance in shopping decisions during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has not been holistically considered. Based on the necessity of sWOM, uses and gratifications theory (UGT), and health belief theory (HBT), this study frames a consumer shopping tendency model toward sWOM in the context of the pandemic. A web-based survey was designed to collect data from 403 respondents who are inclined to patronize e-stores during the pandemic. Next, the measurement model is examined using a two-step method of structural equation modeling. The findings specify that sWOM is an influential communication mode for online shopping in the pandemic. sWOM is of primary importance to information quality. Moreover, utilitarian value, social value, perceived threat, and self-efficacy toward shopping tendency are significantly motivated by sWOM. Lastly, information quality, utilitarian value, social value, and perceived threat are major predictors of shopping tendency during Covid-19. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.