Study of Customer Sentiment Towards Smart Lockers

Understanding customer sentiment associated with delivery solutions, such as smart lockers, is an area of increasing interest for package delivery companies. Applications of this data could result in cost savings through vehicle route planning, cross docking, fleet size optimization, and increased placement of smart locker technology for stop reduction. However, there has been little effort applied to gathering information related to public sentiment applications to last mile package delivery. Therefore, through a survey instrument we gather sentiment data related to smart lockers for review and analysis. Sentiment analysis by region (suburban, urban, and rural) is accomplished through a survey instrument with the goal of understanding the difference in sentiment by region and the effects of COVID-19 on customer sentiment towards the use of smart lockers. Some significant findings were that suburban residents were willing to travel further to pick-up a package from a smart locker (α = 0.01) and previous experience was correlated with increased sentiment (α = 0.05). © 2022, ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.

Development and Content Validation of a Comprehensive Health Literacy Survey Instrument for Use in Individuals with Asthma during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Individuals with chronic conditions have been faced with many additional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individual health literacy (HL) as the ability to access, understand, evaluate, and apply pandemic-related information has thus become ever more important in these populations. The purpose of this study was to develop and content-validate a comprehensive HL survey instrument for people with asthma based on an integrated framework, and on previous surveys and other instruments for use in the general population and vulnerable groups. Beside HL, assumed determinants, mediators, and health outcomes were embraced in the framework. A mixed-method design was used. A comprehensive examination of the available literature yielded an initial pool of 398 single items within 20 categories. Based on content validity indices (CVI) of expert ratings (n = 11) and the content analysis of cognitive interviews with participants (n = 9), the item pool was reduced, and individual items/scales refined or modified. The instrument showed appropriate comprehensibility (98.0%), was judged relevant, and had an acceptable CVI at scale level (S-CVI/Ave = 0.91). The final version comprises 14 categories measured by 38 questions consisting of 116 single items. In terms of content, the instrument appears a valid representation of behavioural and psychosocial constructs pertaining to a broad HL understanding and relevant to individuals with asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regular monitoring of these behavioural and psychosocial constructs during the course of the pandemic can help identify needs as well as changes during the course of the pandemic, which is particularly important in chronic disease populations.

Implementing strategic responses in the COVID-19 market crisis: a study of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies. This paper aims to examine how India's SMEs implement their strategic responses in this crisis. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses dynamic capability theory to explore the strategic responses of SMEs. Strategy implementation theory helps to explain how they implement innovative practices for outcomes. A research model defines the COVID-19 challenges, strategic responses and performance outcomes. The study reports the findings of an initial pilot study of 75 firms and follow-up case study results in the context of COVID-19. Findings: Firms choose their approaches according to their perceived market risks. Case studies illustrate that firms display diverse attitudes depending on their strategic direction, leadership vision and organizational culture. They achieve different outcomes by implementing specific styles of risk management practices (e.g. risk-averting, risk-taking and risk-thriving). Research limitations/implications: Although the study context is Indian SMEs, the findings suggest meaningful lessons for other emerging economies in similar crisis events. The propositions may be extended to future research in broad contexts. Practical implications: Even in the extraordinary COVID-19 market crisis, SMEs with limited resources display their strategic potential by recognizing their unique capabilities, translating them into effective actions and achieving desirable outcomes. Social implications: In the COVID-19 pandemic, top leaders' mental attitude, strategic perspective and routine practices are contagious. Positive leadership motivates both internal and external stakeholders with an enormous level of collaboration. Originality/value: This rare study of Indian SMEs provides a theoretical framework for designing a pilot survey and conducting a case study of multiple firms. Based on these findings, testable propositions are articulated for future research in diverse organizational and national contexts. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.