The Influence of Purchase Confidence on Information Source Selection: Implications for Hospitality Industry

Whether the product of choice is a restaurant, vacation resort or hotel, it is important for hospitality marketers to understand how consumers treat purchase decisions and the influence purchase confidence and situation play on that decision. This study investigated the role purchase confidence plays with knowledge in the selection of sources of information during purchase decisions. The results indicate sources of information are perceived differently by consumers and depending on the purchase situation, subjective knowledge is influenced by purchase confidence affecting the source of information considered when making a purchase decision. The results also indicated that those with high purchase confidence and subjective knowledge will rely on themselves as a source when making a purchase rather than a retail clerk or published material

The Effectiveness of the Modified Expanded Rational Expectations Model to Explore Adult Consumers’ Functional Foods Consumption Behavior

Since knowledge and health consciousness have been claimed to have a great influence on dietary behavior, subjective knowledge and health consciousness constructs were added to the ERE model in order to develop Modified ERE (MERE) model. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the MERE model in order to explain adult consumers’ functional foods consumption behavior. A convenience sample of 465 adults from a Southwestern university completed the final online survey questionnaire during April and May, 2010. A series of confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling were conducted. Validity and reliability of the measurement model of MERE were confirmed. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that the MERE is a viable model to explain functional foods intention to consume and actual eating behavior. The two new constructs, subjective knowledge and health consciousness, had significant relationships with other constructs of the ERE. In detail, subjective knowledge was a better predictor than objective knowledge in the functional foods context. Health consciousness was a significant predictor of attitude and intention to consume functional foods but not a significant predictor of behavior. However, health consciousness influenced behavior through attitude and intention

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

A framework for systems thinking practice

Presentation slides ©Cranfield UniversityThis paper provides a novel model/framework for OR practitioners to approach and engage in complex situations. Developed over many years by the Systems Thinking Practice team at Cranfield University, this framework builds upon and complements previous multi-methodology theory (Jackson, 2019; Mingers & Brocklesby, 1997) and draws from new methodological developments in philosophy of science (Blaikie & Priest, 2017). Reflective Practice lies at the heart of good systems intervention (Churchman, 1979; Dodd, 2018; Hoverstadt, 2022; Jackson, 2019). The proposed framework uses Reflective Practice as the conduit that coheres three interrelated and interdependent domains: the practitioner-academic interface; systems tools and methods; and philosophical perspectives. The intersection of these three domains highlights additional challenge areas that practitioners need to be aware of. At the intersection of Philosophy and Method is a new methodology that links the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ (Checkland, 1999, p. 163). At the intersection of Practitioner and Method, the practitioner must balance the selection of methods in conjunction with their previous experience, skills and preference for individual tools, in such a way as to be mindful of any biases. The intersection between Practitioner and Philosophy is grounded in the lower levels of the Iceberg Model (Hall, 1976) where the practitioner should be mindful of (and potentially surface) any personal beliefs and values that may inhibit the appreciation of other perspectives. Currently, we apply this model/framework in research in Public Health, Defence and Security and Organisational Resilience; also, in teaching a new generation of systems thinking practitioners who will go on to be active members within the OR community. Going forward, our intention is to generate a set of principles to support practitioners engaging with complex situations within OR

Efficient statistical analysis of trial designs: win ratio and related approaches for composite outcomes

In randomized controlled clinical trials, composite outcomes are often used to study treatment effects. This approach is popular because it increases the number of observed events, enhancing statistical power while reducing the required patient sample size. However, composite outcomes do not provide insight into the effect of individual endpoints. This becomes particularly relevant when mortality is combined with less critical but clinically relevant endpoints or when the clinical importance of individual endpoints varies significantly. As a result, interpreting composite outcomes can be challenging. This narrative review introduces the win ratio (WR), a method for prioritizing individual endpoints within a composite outcome. The WR offers an alternative to composite outcomes by considering the clinical importance of each component and prioritizing the most critical endpoint, such as death, over less significant events. Despite the popularity of the WR among cardiovascular trialists, this approach has not been extensively used in other areas of clinical research. We contend, that perioperative and periprocedural researchers could consider the WR and related approaches when the outcomes of interest are not of similar clinical importance. To this end, understanding the benefits and limitations of the WR will be essential to exploit its benefits, while avoiding potential misuses of the technique

Effect of PCI on Health Status in Ischemic Left Ventricular Dysfunction:Insights From REVIVED-BCIS2

BackgroundIn the REVIVED-BCIS2 (Revascularization for Ischemic Ventricular Dysfunction) trial, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) did not reduce the incidence of death or hospitalization for heart failure (HHF). ObjectivesThis prespecified secondary analysis investigated the effect of PCI on health status measured with the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) combined with the primary outcome in a win ratio. MethodsParticipants with severe ischemic left ventricular dysfunction were randomized to either PCI in addition to optimal medical therapy (OMT) (PCI) or OMT alone (OMT). The primary outcome was a hierarchical composite of all-cause death, HHF, and KCCQ–Overall Summary Score (OSS) at 24 months analyzed using the unmatched win ratio. The key secondary endpoint was a KCCQ-OSS responder analysis. ResultsA total of 347 participants were randomized to PCI and 353 to OMT. Median age was 70.0 years (Q1-Q3: 63.3-76.1 years). Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 27.0 ± 6.7%. PCI did not improve the primary endpoint (win ratio for PCI vs OMT: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.88-1.26; P = 0.58). PCI resulted in more KCCQ-OSS responders than OMT at 6 months (54.1% vs 40.7%; OR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.41-2.71; P &lt; 0.001) and fewer deteriorators (25.2% vs 31.4%; OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.47-1.00; P = 0.048). PCI did not impact KCCQ-OSS responders or deteriorators at 12 or 24 months. ConclusionsPCI did not improve the hierarchical composite of death, HHF, and health status at 2 years. PCI improved KCCQ-OSS at 6 months, but this benefit was not sustained to 1- or 2-year follow-up.</p