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1 – 10 of 33
Article
Publication date: 9 January 2024

Mei-Jung (Sebrina) Wang, Emmanuel Kwame Opoku and Aaron Tham

This study aims to explore factors that affect gendered consumption (male and female), willingness to pay (economic attributes) and the socio-cultural context of Gen-Z consumers…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore factors that affect gendered consumption (male and female), willingness to pay (economic attributes) and the socio-cultural context of Gen-Z consumers towards specialty coffee as compared to other types in Taiwan.

Design/methodology/approach

Samoggia and Riedel’s (2018) theoretical framework is adopted to examine the concepts of interest. A mixed method approach comprising interviews and experimental taste tests was used to collect data from Gen-Z specialty coffee consumers in a purposive sampling manner.

Findings

The findings suggested the effect of price elasticity of demand where specialty coffee was perceived as an expensive commodity by young consumers, and hence, not a regularly purchased item. Nevertheless, specialty coffee was linked to health benefits, and a signal for conspicuous consumption – where café experiences facilitated self-promotion on sites like Instagram and Facebook. Finally, the findings alluded to a potential gender effect, with more female young consumers likely to consume specialty coffee as compared to their male counterparts.

Originality/value

This study is located within the context of Taiwan, which has been a tea-dominated consumption landscape for numerous decades. The use of an experimental design also presents a unique angle to elucidate sensory elements surrounding specialty coffee as a research design for Gen-Z research projects. The study points to the relevance of social context in the consumers’ behavioural patterns, which has been largely implicit within consumer behaviour scholarship.

Details

Young Consumers, vol. 25 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-3616

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2023

Elizabeth Agyeiwaah, Prosper Bangwayo-Skeete and Emmanuel Kwame Opoku

Building on the social exchange theory, this study aims to investigate the impact of perceived workgroup inclusion on migrant subjective well-being, organization identification…

Abstract

Purpose

Building on the social exchange theory, this study aims to investigate the impact of perceived workgroup inclusion on migrant subjective well-being, organization identification and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling was applied to 440 surveyed migrant workers in Macau’s tourism and hospitality industry.

Findings

Perceived workgroup inclusion has a positive influence on migrant workers’ subjective well-being and organizational identification, which both in turn positively affect their OCBs.

Originality/value

Based on the social exchange theory, this study formulates a model that explains how migrant workers' inclusion impacts their well-being, identification and organizational behaviors. It provides theoretical and practical insights into how migrant workers’ inclusion could serve as a talent management strategy that promotes OCBs.

设计/方法/方法

采用结构方程模型对440名澳门旅游和服务业流动劳工进行了分析。

目的

基于社会交换理论, 本研究旨在探讨感知工作小组融入对流动劳工主观幸福感、组织认同、组织公民行为的影响。

调查结果

感知工作组融入对流动劳工的主观幸福感和组织认同有正向影响, 而反过来这两者都积极影响它们的组织公民行为。

创意/价值

本研究基于社会交换理论, 建构了流动劳工融入对其幸福感、认同和组织行为的影响模型。它为流动劳工融入如何成为促进组织公民行为的人才管理战略提供了理论和实践见解。

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Se aplicó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales a 440 trabajadores inmigrantes encuestados en la industria del turismo y la hostelería de Macao.

Objetivo

Partiendo de la teoría del intercambio social, este estudio pretende investigar el impacto de la inclusión percibida en el grupo de trabajo sobre el bienestar subjetivo de los inmigrantes, la identificación con la organización y el comportamiento de ciudadanía organizativa (OCB).

Conclusiones

La inclusión percibida en el grupo de trabajo influye positivamente en el bienestar subjetivo de los trabajadores inmigrantes y en su identificación con la organización, lo que a su vez afecta positivamente a su OCB.

Originalidad/valor

Basándose en la teoría del intercambio social, este estudio formula un modelo que explica cómo la inclusión de los trabajadores inmigrantes influye en su bienestar, su identificación y sus comportamientos organizativos. Aporta ideas teóricas y prácticas sobre cómo la inclusión de los trabajadores inmigrantes podría servir como estrategia de gestión del talento que promueva los OCB.

Article
Publication date: 18 May 2022

Emmanuel Kwame Opoku, Mei-jung Sebrina Wang, Shirley Guevarra, Martin Bazylewich and Aaron Tham

This paper aims to reconceptualise entrenched supply chains associated with coffee production and consumption to digital supply chains for sustainable development.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to reconceptualise entrenched supply chains associated with coffee production and consumption to digital supply chains for sustainable development.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study of seven small businesses involved with Philippine coffee is employed to examine how coffee value chains should be envisioned following COVID-19.

Findings

The COVID-19 pandemic reveals truncated barriers concerned with the lack of infrastructure, poverty cycles, sporadic workforce development policies and financial pressures that need to be redefined for coffee production and consumption to be more sustainable in the future.

Research limitations/implications

The study is restricted to a single country and a small pool of respondents that may not reflect similar practices in other regions or contexts.

Originality/value

This paper illuminates the plight of coffee farmers in an emerging production landscape of the Philippines, and develops new propositions to envision a digital value chain post-COVID-19.

Details

Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, vol. 13 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-0839

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2023

Ja Young (Jacey) Choe, Emmanuel Kwame Opoku, Javier Calero Cuervo and Raymond Adongo

This study profiles and segments potential tourists on the basis of their various attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) services. Furthermore, this study distinguishes…

Abstract

Purpose

This study profiles and segments potential tourists on the basis of their various attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) services. Furthermore, this study distinguishes descriptors among the different clusters, such as preference for using diverse AI services, overall image of AI services, willingness to use AI services (WUAI), willingness to pay more for AI services (WPAI) in tourism and hospitality, and characteristics of respondents.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was conducted in South Korea. Data on 758 potential tourists were used for K-means cluster analysis.

Findings

This study identified three distinct tourist segments with differentiated attitudes toward AI services: the group aspiring to use or fantasizing about AI services (Cluster 1), the group being knowledgeable and supportive of AI services (Cluster 2), and the group having low interest about AI services (Cluster 3).

Practical implications

Members of Cluster 2 were the most marketable as this segment exhibited the greatest knowledge of and support for AI services, while Cluster 1 would be an ideal segment to launch and test novel AI services.

Originality/value

This study extends the authors’ knowledge of AI scholarship by unpacking the existing market segments, which could be tapped to sustain AI penetration in the tourism industry. Hence, this study contributes to existing debates on AI scholarship, which is predominated by conceptual reflections and issues of AI services in the tourism and hospitality field.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 August 2022

Emmanuel Kwame Opoku, Aaron Tham, Alastair M. Morrison and Mei-jung Sebrina Wang

The main aim of this research was to explore specialty coffee experience dimensions and what drives revisit intentions through experiencescapes. The theoretical framework on…

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Abstract

Purpose

The main aim of this research was to explore specialty coffee experience dimensions and what drives revisit intentions through experiencescapes. The theoretical framework on experience co-creation in food and wine consumption by Carvalho et al. (2021) was employed to explore the dimensions of specialty coffee shop experiences and specialty coffee consumer revisit intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the interpretivist epistemology, this research explored these factors from the perspectives of customers, coffee shop baristas, and managers and owners to better understand consumer behaviour in the context of urban coffee shops. In-depth interviews were employed to collect data to obtain first-hand, emic perspectives.

Findings

The notion of specialty coffee and its experiencescape were examined in the context of a region of tea-dominated landscapes. This research highlighted the significance of baristas as agents of coffee connoisseurship, being able to introduce the beans and the art of coffee making to customers in active ways. The findings amplified that olfactory encounters triggering a myriad of senses are crucial to the specialty coffee experiencescape.

Originality/value

This is among the first studies to explore the driving factors for customer visits and revisit intentions to urban coffee shops. The findings point to greater sophistication and engagement in-person and online for urban coffee shops. More importantly, the olfactory encounters differed for solo and group customer.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 125 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 August 2023

Kwame Oduro Amoako, Keith Dixon, Isaac Oduro Amoako, Emmanuel Opoku Marfo, James Tuffour and Beverley Rae Lord

With the recent increasing relevance of sustainability, multinational enterprises are faced with divergent stakeholder demands and persistently shifting priorities. This study…

Abstract

Purpose

With the recent increasing relevance of sustainability, multinational enterprises are faced with divergent stakeholder demands and persistently shifting priorities. This study aims to examine stakeholders’ perceptions of the sustainability performance of a gold mining subsidiary in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a purposive sampling technique, the authors interviewed managers and employees of the case enterprise, officials of regulatory institutions and host community members on their perceptions of the case enterprise’s sustainability performance. The authors triangulated the opinions expressed by these stakeholders with data from annual reports. The data were analysed through the lens of stakeholder theory.

Findings

The authors found that while members of the host community and the regulatory institutions were keenly interested in the case enterprise’s social and environmental activities, they perceived their performance as unimpressive, considering the economic benefits derived from the mining operations. On the contrary, the managers and employees of the case enterprise were satisfied with their environmental compliance and social intervention programmes, even though the company’s economic position had declined. The authors submit that the variations in the sustainability performance perceptions among the stakeholders are due to the lack of a deeper understanding of the other stakeholders’ expectations.

Practical implications

To equitably satisfy diverse stakeholder expectations, the study highlights the role of stakeholder collaborations in understanding the expectations of more salient stakeholder groups such as community members and employees, as well as the lesser salient groups such as academics. It also demonstrates the fluidity of sustainability and its benefits in designing a consensual sustainable management strategy. This implies that managers of the case mining enterprise make the necessary efforts to meet the diverse stakeholder needs while attaining their primary objective of creating wealth for shareholders.

Originality/value

Compared to advanced economies, studies on sustainability performance in emerging economies are limited. Nonetheless, these limited studies leave out stakeholder perceptions, focusing more on quantitative performance indicators. Using thematic and content analyses, the authors investigate stakeholder perceptions on the sustainability performance of a case mining subsidiary operating in Ghana. The study focused on Ghana because it is ranked with South Africa as the top two producers of gold in Africa. Nonetheless, unlike South Africa, Ghana faces more sustainability challenges from the mining sector due to weak institutions in enforcing sustainability standards.

Details

Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, vol. 20 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1832-5912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2023

Kwame Oduro Amoako, Emmanuel Opoku Marfo, Ellis Kofi Akwaa-Sekyi, Newman Amaning and Nicholas Yankey

This paper explores stakeholder perceptions on the nature and extent of sustainability reporting on the websites of technical universities (TUs) in Ghana.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper explores stakeholder perceptions on the nature and extent of sustainability reporting on the websites of technical universities (TUs) in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data from the websites of the 10 TUs in Ghana and interviewed the stakeholders of the TUs. In analyzing the data, the authors used thematic analysis for the interview responses. The authors also adopted the global reporting initiative (GRI) guidelines and campus sustainability assessment tools for the presentation and analysis of the sustainability disclosures on the websites of the TUs.

Findings

The authors found that due to weak institutional coercions, there were limited disclosures on the websites of the TUs, which aimed at gaining stakeholders' legitimacy; the disclosures were more focused on organizational profile, governance and educational aspects of sustainability. To a large extent, while some external stakeholders such as parents, regulators and alumni appear to be less interested in the disclosures on the TU's websites, internal stakeholders such as employees (teaching and non-teaching staff) and students who frequently visited the TU's websites perceived limited reporting and were not impressed with the extent of sustainability disclosures on these websites.

Practical implications

The findings of this study are intended to assist policy-makers in the educational sector to appreciate the importance of sustainability reporting on their websites. The results of this study will assist higher educational institutions (HEIs) in increasing the success rate of sustainability implementation by overcoming the lack of sustainability disclosures on their websites. Thus, the results of this study have implications for sustainability implementations, particularly those in emerging economies and policy-makers of universities worldwide.

Originality/value

This study could provide two significant values. First, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study has explored stakeholder perceptions of sustainability reporting in implementing sustainability within the education sector. Second, the results were arrived at by combining stakeholder consultations with content analyses, which could be a good guideline for sustainability implementation in the educational sector of developing countries.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 30 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 February 2023

Emmanuel Otchere-Darko, Laura Atuah, Richard Opoku and Christian Koranteng

Green roofs are strategies for the ecological intensification of cities and a measure of meeting some of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). They have widely been adopted as…

Abstract

Purpose

Green roofs are strategies for the ecological intensification of cities and a measure of meeting some of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). They have widely been adopted as an adaptation strategy against an urban heat island (UHI). However, they are conventionally soil-based making it difficult and expensive to adopt as a strategy for greening existing buildings (GEB). This paper, therefore, develops a novel green roof system using climbers for thermal-radiative performance. The paper explores the vitality of climbing species as a nature-based strategy for GEB, and for the ecological improvement of the predominantly used cool roofs in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Design/methodology/approach

Simulation for the same building Kejetia Central Market (KCM) Redevelopment; the existing aluminium roof (AL), soil-based extensive green roof (GR1) and the proposed green roof using climbing plants (GR2) were performed using ENVI-met. The AL and GR1 were developed as reference models to evaluate and compare thermal-radiative performance of the conceptual model (GR2). The long wave radiation emission (Qlw), mean radiant temperature (MRT) and outdoor air temperature (Ta) of all three roofing systems were simulated under clear sky conditions to assess the performance and plant vitality considering water access, leaf temperature (Tf) and latent heat flux (LE0) of GR1 and GR2.

Findings

There was no short wave radiation (Qsw) absorption at the GR2 substrate since the climbers have no underlying soil mass, recording daily mean average Qlw emission of 435.17 Wm−2. The soil of GR1, however, absorbed Qsw of 390.11 Wm−2 and a Qlw emission of 16.20 wm−2 higher than the GR2. The AL recorded the lowest Qlw value of 75.43 Wm−2. Also, the stomatal resistance (rs) was higher in GR1 while GR2 recorded a higher average mean transpiration flux of 0.03 g/sm3. This indicates a higher chance of survival of the climbers. The Ta of GR2 recording 0.45°C lower than the GR1 could be a good UHI adaptation strategy.

Research limitations/implications

No previous research on climbers for green roof systems was found for comparison, so the KCM project provided a unique confluence of dynamic events including the opportunity for block-scale impact assessment of the proposed GEB strategy. Notwithstanding, the single case study allowed a focussed exploration of the novel theory of redefining green roof systems with climbers. Moreover, the simulation was computationally expensive, and engaging multiple case studies were found to be overly exhaustive to arrive at the same meaningful conclusion. As a novelty, therefore, this research provides an alternative theory to the soil-based green roof phenomenon.

Practical implications

The thermal-radiative performance of green roofs could be improved with the use of climbers. The reduction of the intensity of UHI would lead to improved thermal comfort and building energy savings. Also, very little dependence on the volume of soil would require little structural load consideration thereby leading not only to cheaper green roof construction but their higher demand, adoption and implementation in SSA and other low-income economies of the global south.

Social implications

The reduction of the consumption of topsoil and water for irrigation could avoid the negative environmental impacts of land degradation and pollution which have a deleterious impact on human health. This fulfils SDG 12 which seeks to ensure responsible consumption of products. This requires the need to advance the research for improvement and training of local built environment practitioners with new skills for installation to ensure social inclusiveness in the combat against the intractable forces of negative climate impacts.

Originality/value

Climbers are mostly known for green walls, but their innovative use for green roof systems has not been attempted and adopted; it could present a cost-effective strategy for the GEB. The proposed green roof system with climbers apart from becoming a successful strategy for UHI adaptation was also able to record an estimated 568% savings on topsoil consumption with an impact on the reduction of pollution from excavation. The research provides an initial insight into design options, potentials and limitations on the use of climbers for green roofs to guide future research and experimental verification.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 January 2021

Esther Gyedu-Akoto, Eric Kumi Asare, Stephen Yaw Opoku, Abu Mustapha Dadzie and Emmanuel Ofosu-Agyei

Roasted coffee provides a complex blend of different flavours which produce a range of sensory qualities. With the development of protocols for the production of fresh juices…

Abstract

Purpose

Roasted coffee provides a complex blend of different flavours which produce a range of sensory qualities. With the development of protocols for the production of fresh juices, jams and marmalades from cocoa and cashew pulp juices at Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, this paper aims to study the effects of roasted coffee powder on fermented cocoa and cashew juices to diversify the uses of these two juices.

Design/methodology/approach

Cocoa and cashew juices were fermented with the incorporation of 2% roasted coffee powder using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast starter. The fermenting juices were monitored by measuring pH, temperature, specific gravity and titratable acidity. At the end of the fermentation, the juices were poured into clean, sterilized containers to mature. They were then analysed for their physicochemical, microbiological and sensory qualities. These were repeated with cocoa and cashew juices without coffee powder to determine the effects of the roasted coffee on the fermented juices.

Findings

The addition of roasted coffee powder to cocoa and cashew juices did not have any significant effect on the fermentation performance of the juices. Three out of the four juices took a total of 13 days to complete fermentation with an average final specific gravity of 0.99. The quality of the fermented juices was not compromised by microbial activities. However, the addition of roasted coffee powder reduced the alcohol content of fermented cocoa juice from 9.0 to 5.0% and that of cashew from 11.0% to 7.5%. Sensory analysis using untrained panellists, who were ordinary consumers, showed significant differences among the four fermented juices in terms of appearance, taste and aroma. Their mean scores for coffee aroma ranged from 0.3 to 2.0 with coffee incorporated fermented juices having higher rankings.

Originality/value

These findings have shown the possibility of processing cocoa and cashew juices, which under normal circumstances would have been discarded along their value chains, into coffee-flavoured wines. They are also important to cocoa, cashew and coffee farmers, processors, as well as wine enthusiasts.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 51 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 May 2021

Kofi Agyekum, Seth Yeboah Botchway, Emmanuel Adinyira and Alex Opoku

Recent reports based on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have revealed that no country is in line with achieving the targets of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable…

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Abstract

Purpose

Recent reports based on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have revealed that no country is in line with achieving the targets of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, with the slowest progress being witnessed mainly on goals that are focused on the environment. This study examines environmental performance indicators for assessing the sustainability of building projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses an explanatory sequential design with an initial quantitative instrument phase, followed by a qualitative data collection phase. An extensive critical comparative review of the literature resulted in the identification of ten environmental sustainability indicators. One hundred and sixty-seven questionnaire responses based upon these indicators from the Ghanaian construction industry were received. Data were coded with SPSS v22, analysed descriptively, and via inferential analysis. These data were then validated through semi-structured interviews with six interviewees who are fellows of their respective professional bodies, a senior academic (professor in construction project delivery) and a government official. Data obtained from the semi-structured validation interviews were analysed through the side-by-side comparison of the qualitative data with the quantitative data.

Findings

The findings from the study suggest that all the indicators were important in assessing building projects' environmental sustainability across the entire life cycle. Key among the identified indicators is the effects of the project on “water quality, air quality, energy use and conservation, and environmental compliance and management”. The interviewees further agreed to and confirmed the importance of these identified indicators for assessing the environmental sustainability of building projects in Ghana.

Originality/value

Compared to existing studies, this study adopts the exploratory sequential design to identify and examine the critical indicators in assessing the environmental sustainability across the entire lifecycle of building projects in a typical developing country setting, i.e. Ghana. It reveals areas of prime concern in the drive to place the local construction industry on a trajectory towards achieving environmental sustainability.

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