基于NCA与fsQCA的城市营销效应研究

No abstract available

The optimization of the business environment helps to create a good market ecological environment and promote industrial development. Based on the theory of institutional complexity, this study constructs the evaluation index system of China's urban business environment and analyzes the influencing factors using the NCA method. It is found that there is no necessary condition for a single element to constitute the high-level development of the tourism industry, but improving public service, total market volume, and innovation environment play universal roles in promoting the high-level development of the tourism industry. Using fsQCA for configuration analysis, two business environment configuration paths with high-level development of the tourism industry are obtained, which shows that there is no single path to promote the development of the tourism industry. In addition, the antecedent paths of high- and low-level tourism industry development are not the opposite, presenting an asymmetric causal relationship. The above findings reveal the realization path of the business environment for the development of China's urban tourism industry. Under the logic of multiple systems, cities can find the business ecological environment that best matches the development of the local tourism industry.

ABSTRACT This study examines how Lucerne residents perceive the impact of tourism across economic, socio-cultural, urban environment, and behavioural dimensions, focusing on its effect on their perceived quality of life and the perceived significance of tourism to the city. The study investigates three types of regulatory controls (i.e. distribution and flow, tourist characteristics, and marketing communication) imposed on the destination as mediators of these desirable outcomes. By analysing data from 1,530 residents using Integrated Generalised Structured Component Analysis (IGSCA) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA), the findings reveal that while economic benefits to local businesses reduce the need for restricting tourist markets, economic drawbacks for individuals, such as higher living costs, lead to calls for stricter tourist controls. Additionally, the study suggests that the cultural aspect of the socio-cultural dimension is a necessary condition for tourists to perceive that tourism enhances the quality of life, whereas the social aspect is not. The research highlights the crucial role of regulatory controls in enhancing residents’ quality of life and the perceived significance of tourism, thereby supporting sustainable tourism practices at the urban destination. Limitations and potential future research are also addressed.

Purpose This paper aims to explain the causal complexity between ecosystems of doing business and living standards based on the theoretical model of the ecosystem of doing business proposed by Li (2019) and Du et al. (2020). By integrating ecological theory, transaction cost theory and institutional logics theory, this study explored effective ecosystems of doing business that achieve high living standards and explained the interpretive mechanisms behind different ecosystems of doing business. Moreover, this study also analyzed whether there were any necessary elements that lead to high living standards and discussed how the interactions between these elements influence carrying capacity and transaction costs from government logic and market logic, thus affecting living standards. Design/methodology/approach In this study, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) were combined to analyze the data from the 2020 China City Statistical Yearbook, covering the main socioeconomic statistical data of cities at all levels in 2019. Findings This study found that no individual factor of the ecosystems of doing business was necessary to achieve high living standards, but the high level of human capital, innovation capacity, financial access and market demand play a significant role in achieving high living standards. Furthermore, two effective types of ecosystems of doing business lead to high living standards, namely, market dominance (government’s “invisible hand” or “nudging hand”) and government–market logic mutualism/symbiosis (government’s “helping hand”). Originality/value First, this work found that individual elements were not a necessary condition for high living standards, not only in kind but also in degree, complementing fsQCA with NCA, which indicates that environmental elements can be substituted by others. Second, this study considered the complex effects and explained the mechanisms behind different ecosystems of doing business, drawing on ecological theory, transaction cost theory and institutional logics theory from a configurational perspective. This study deepened the theories’ applications in the field of living standards and further discussed the elements interactions. Third, this study introduced configurational perspective and QCA into living standards research and adopted a mixed method that combines fsQCA and NCA to analyze the causal complexity between ecosystems of doing business and people’s living standards.

PurposeThis paper aims to identify different combinations of causal conditions (celebrity attributes) that explain our outcome: destination image. More specifically, three main research questions guide our work: (1) Which attributes should an outstanding sportsperson have to enhance the image of his/her country as a destination image? (2) Are these the same for different product categories? (3) Do tourists and residents differ?Design/methodology/approachTo this end, the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) was used with a sample of 187 participants (105 tourists and 82 residents).FindingsResults show that some attributes of a sports celebrity are more critical than others in enhancing destination image. Those attributes of sports celebrities appearing in the intermediate and parsimonious analysis should be prioritized. This is the case of trustworthiness. Second, experience is a peripheral requirement (only appeared in the intermediate analysis). Third, attractiveness is unnecessary and an even and undesired attribute in many solutions. Fourth, when comparing tourists and residents, both groups value the role of football players, while residents also appreciate the role of marathon runners. Tennis players are the less relevant sports celebrities to build Spain’s destination image.Originality/valueFirst, a new statistical analysis in the marketing discipline, QCA, has been used. The use of qualitative approaches to investigate destination images has been scarce. Second, the study of the role of sports celebrity endorsement on brand–place attachment has yet to be investigated. Third, studies about the role of residents in the image of a tourism destination/city are scarce. Tourists and residents must be investigated because they can benefit from sports celebrities' activities.

ABSTRACT In China’s fast-paced economic development, the current focus is cultivating ‘Specialized, Refined, Distinctive, and Innovative’ (SRDI) enterprises. This paper aims to advance high-quality SRDI development in Chinese cities through the lens of the big data knowledge ecosystem. By constructing a framework for this ecosystem, the article explores how its elements collectively contribute to SRDI development in major Chinese cities. Utilizing a combined research approach, incorporating Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), the study, based on data from 38 Chinese cities, innovatively designs variables for a configurational analysis framework. The findings reveal four pathways for promoting SRDI development, each with unique core driving conditions and a substitution relationship between antecedent conditions. This research’s contribution lies in the creative construction of an empirical analysis framework examining how the various elements of the big data ecosystem impact SRDI development levels in cities. It addresses existing research gaps in SRDI development and the study of the big data knowledge ecosystem. The paper uncovers how various elements of the big data knowledge ecosystem enhance overall SRDI development in Chinese cities and provides scientific research support for understanding the facilitation of SRDI development by the big data knowledge ecosystem.

As governments in various countries and regions issue tourism-friendly policies in the post-pandemic period, the voices for tourism consumption recovery and innovative transformation have attracted great attention. Many scholars, experts and industry professionals in the field of festivals are actively exploring efficient solutions for festival marketing and sustainability. It is worth rethinking tourists’ consumption psychology and perceived image regarding exiting festival products as well as the antecedents that affect festival loyalty. The Qingdao International Beer Festival, as one of the most influential festivals in China, was selected as the research case for this study. The main goal of this study was to investigate festival consumption promotion mechanisms by proposing a conceptual framework in which the associations between destination familiarity, product familiarity and loyal intentions (re-patronage and recommendation) were examined with mediators of overall festival image, perceived value and overall satisfaction. The moderating role of visitor involvement in the proposed framework was also adequately demonstrated. Moreover, the causal recipes for loyalty intentions have also been identified by employing a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and a necessary condition analysis (NCA). The research findings are expected to provide a significant reference for the recovery and improvement in competitiveness of the entire festival industry.

This study investigates how Michelin-starred restaurants in Thailand can strategically configure their marketing mix to maximize customer value creation. Leveraging a novel integration of opinion-oriented language analysis and necessary condition analysis, we offer an innovative methodological framework for aligning marketing communications with customer perceptions. Our two-step text analysis of TripAdvisor reviews and restaurant-generated content reveals critical linguistic patterns across five core marketing mix elements—product, price, place, promotion, and people—guiding the development of more authentic and resonant messaging. Necessary condition analysis results pinpoint product, people, process, and physical evidence as essential conditions for achieving high customer satisfaction, supported by robust consistency (0.996) and coverage (0.672) metrics. Further analysis using SmartPLS defines precise threshold levels required for each element to yield varying degrees of satisfaction. Strikingly, only 4 out of 35 restaurants exhibit strong alignment between their marketing narratives and customer feedback, revealing a significant opportunity gap. By bridging linguistic alignment with empirical necessity, this research delivers actionable insights for luxury restaurant operators seeking to enhance strategic content development, optimize marketing investments, and foster deeper customer engagement in premium dining experiences.

This study examines shared transport systems as a potential solution to the traffic congestion in urban tourist destinations, which presents challenges for both visitors and residents. Using survey data from Taiwanese tourists who travel within urban areas, it examines how functional benefits, user‐friendly design, social influence, service resources, experiential value, cost efficiency, and usage patterns influence continuance intention and destination attractiveness. The analysis identifies both sufficient causes and necessary conditions for these outcomes. Multi‐group analysis shows that intense users prioritise service resources, while casual users emphasise experiential value. Combined importance‐performance map analysis highlights priority areas for improvement and offers policymakers guidance to enhance sustainable mobility within urban settings.

Purpose This study aims to identify necessary conditions for innovative entrepreneurship in cities and determine similarities in entrepreneurial configurations among them. Design/methodology/approach The authors assessed the necessary conditions for various levels of entrepreneurial output and categorized cities based on similar patterns by applying necessary condition analysis (NCA) and cluster analysis in a sample comprised of 101 cities from the entrepreneurial cities index, representing a diverse range of urban environments in Brazil. A comprehensive data set, including both traditional indicators from official Bureau of statistics and nontraditional indicators from new platforms of science, technology and innovation intelligence, was compiled for analysis. Findings Bureaucratic complexity, urban conditions, transport infrastructure, economic development, access to financial capital, secondary education, entrepreneurial intention, support organizations and innovation inputs were identified as necessary for innovative entrepreneurship. Varying levels of these conditions were found to be required for different entrepreneurial outputs. Research limitations/implications The static nature of the data limits understanding of dynamic interactions among dimensions and their impact on entrepreneurial city performance. Practical implications Policymakers can use the findings to craft tailored support policies, leveraging the relationship between city-level taxonomy and direct outputs of innovative entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs). Social implications The taxonomy and nontraditional indicators sheds light on the broader societal benefits of vibrant EEs, emphasizing their role in driving socioeconomic development. Originality/value The cluster analysis combined with NCA’s bottleneck analysis is an original endeavor which made it possible to identify performance benchmarks for Brazilian cities, according to common characteristics, as well as the required levels of each condition by each city group to achieve innovative entrepreneurial outputs.

PurposeThis study explores the mechanisms by which online attention, destination image, and perceived value influence tourists' travel intentions, as well as the configurational pathways that promote or inhibit travel intentions, providing a new perspective for tourism marketing strategies in the digital age.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses fsQCA to identify the pathways that influence tourists' travel intentions, collecting 238 valid responses through questionnaires. It examines how six factors—social and information attention, cognitive and affective image, functional and social value—affect these intentions, uncovering a complex causal mechanism.FindingsThe study reveals that no single necessary condition dictates tourists' high or low travel intentions. High travel intentions are driven by two distinct pathways: one where cognitive and emotional images interact, and another where emotional image and social value intersect. Low travel intentions stem from a singular pathway characterized by the joint absence of social attention and cognitive image.Practical implicationsThe findings of this research demonstrate that tourism destinations and organizations need to strengthen their brand image and emotional connection with tourists. This study also shows that personalized services and special events contribute to building emotional connections, allowing tourists to feel a sense of belonging and happiness during their travels, thereby enhancing their loyalty and satisfaction.Originality/valueThis study applies fsQCA to the tourism industry, providing a new analytical perspective, revealing the asymmetric logic of causal relationships in tourism behavior, and providing a detailed understanding of the formation of travel intentions.

This study introduces Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) as an alternative to traditional additive models such as regression analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM), which are commonly used in tourism and hospitality research yet have theoretical and practical limitations. While conventional methods focus on average effects and sufficient conditions, NCA identifies essential conditions that must be met for a desired outcome to occur. This approach offers a more nuanced understanding of causal relationships, especially in complex behavioral contexts. As an illustrative case, this study examines whether cognitive and affective destination images act as necessary conditions for tourists’ behavioral intentions. By conducting NCA using SmartPLS 4.0, the study finds that both cognitive and affective images are indeed necessary for the formation of behavioral intention. Notably, affective image requires a higher threshold to generate strong behavioral intention, underscoring the critical role of emotional perceptions in tourist decision-making. These findings demonstrate the theoretical value of NCA in identifying asymmetrical causality that traditional additive models may fail to capture. Practically, the results suggest that tourism managers should ensure minimum levels of emotional and cognitive appeal to promote visitor behaviors effectively. The study advocates for broader application of NCA in tourism research to better understand bottleneck conditions and guide strategic planning in destination marketing and experience design.

In recent decades, the Korean Wave has surged as a global cultural force, captivating audiences across diverse geographical, cultural and linguistic landscapes, particularly in Asia—including Malaysia. To contribute to knowledge on this dynamic cultural phenomenon, this paper introduces a new analytical approach known as necessary condition analysis (NCA). The study initially investigates how a celebrity's credibility, encompassing attributes such as attractiveness, expertise and trustworthiness, alongside consumer self-satisfaction, influences perceptions of the endorsed brand image. Furthermore, the research aims to pinpoint the essential factors shaping a celebrity's credibility and their impact on consumer perceptions. An online survey was conducted with 100 young Malaysian consumers, and their responses were examined using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that credibility traits such as expertise and self-satisfaction significantly enhance perceptions of the endorsed brand. Additionally, NCA underscores the pivotal role of credibility traits (including expertise, trustworthiness and attractiveness) and self-satisfaction in shaping brand image. Notably, both self-satisfaction and expertise emerge as critical and substantial conditions influencing consumer perceptions. Conversely, whilst attractiveness and trustworthiness are not individually impactful on brand image, they are identified as necessary conditions for the outcomes. This study underscores the strategic importance of Korean celebrity endorsements in refining marketing and promotional strategies across diverse industries, leveraging the influential power of the Korean Wave in global consumer markets.

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to analyze the country-level causal configurations of digital enablers that result in entrepreneurial innovation in new ventures. Entrepreneurial innovation is a complex phenomenon that draws on a combination of context-dependent causal conditions, which explain the configurations of external factors that integrate into the entrepreneurial process. In this paper, we focus on the contextual role of information and communication technologies (ICT) from an organizational center-edge approach.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs case-oriented techniques, specifically fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and necessary condition analysis (NCA), to identify the necessary and sufficient conditions that lead to entrepreneurial innovation. A dataset comprising 61 countries was merged from the World Economic Forum’s Networked Readiness Index and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor in order to explore the causal combinations of ICT adoption, online transactions business-to-business, business model innovation and organizational innovation.FindingsThe fsQCA demonstrates that entrepreneurial innovation can be attributed to two causal configurations. The first configuration includes ICT adoption, online business-to-business transactions and the absence of organizational innovation. The second configuration is characterized by ICT adoption, online business-to-business transactions and business model innovation. The NCA reveals that the conditions in question possess varying degrees of importance, with each condition exerting a distinct degree of influence on the generation of varying levels of entrepreneurial innovation. The case-oriented techniques employed in this research paper have yielded preliminary insights into the relationship between digital enablers and entrepreneurial innovation, particularly in groups of countries with varying degrees of necessity to these enablers.Practical implicationsOur research provides a framework for the development of more effective digital strategic mixes for each identified group of countries. It also raises theoretical questions about the national conditions that encourage a particular digital enabler to stimulate a specific form of entrepreneurial innovation in new ventures.Originality/valueIn lieu of pursuing definitive causal explanations, this study proposes alternative configurations. While fsQCA demonstrates that entrepreneurial innovation is contingent upon distinctive causal conditions, extending the analysis to NCA reveals the level of necessity required for a condition to yield varying degrees of entrepreneurial innovation. The integration of fsQCA and NCA offers a more nuanced understanding of context-dependent factors that define entrepreneurial innovation in new ventures than fsQCA alone.

PurposeHow to accurately identify the realization path of realizing the value of enterprise data asset is the key to improving enterprise data management ability and building an efficient data governance mechanism.Design/methodology/approachFrom the perspective of information ecosystem theory, an empirical study was conducted using necessity condition analysis (NCA) and fuzzy set qualitative comparison method (fsQCA) based on 285 questionnaire data. Analyze the impact of multi factor linkage in the dimensions of subject, object, and environment on the realization of enterprise data asset value.FindingsThe results show that a single factor is not the necessary condition for the formation of enterprise data asset value. There are three configuration paths of Enterprise Data Asset Value Formation: subject-object-environment joint driving type, subject-environmental dual drive type and environmentally dominant supported by big data capabilities. In addition, absorption capacity, technology maturity and data resource base are particularly prominent in the process of enterprise data asset value formation.Originality/valueThe research clarifies the path for realizing the value of enterprise data assets and provides insights for data asset management for enterprises.

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In practice, the new generation of knowledge-based employees often exhibits a “lying flat” attitude. This reflects the failure of organizational incentive mechanisms. In order to improve the incentive system and encourage employees to be proactive, the study explores and compares the synergistic effects of different rewards tools on various forms of proactive behavior in the new generation of knowledge employees. After conducting fsQCA and NCA analyses on paired data from 93 leaders and 210 employees based on the ERG theory, the findings indicate that no single reward tool is a necessary condition for triggering high proactive behavior. Instead, different reward tools need to work in synergy to produce effective motivation. Three patterns drive employees to exhibit high individual task proactivity. They are the “Dual-Drive Salary Security and Moderate Labor Dominant” pattern, the “Moderate Labor Dominant” pattern, and the “Salary Security Dominant” pattern. Two patterns drive employees to demonstrate high team member proactivity, namely the “Employee Care Dominant High-Investment” pattern and the “Pay Fairness Dominant High-Investment” pattern. Additionally, good work experience (i.e., colleague relationships) in the workplace has a significant impact on both types of proactive behavior. The research conclusions will provide insights and references for enterprise managers to design more targeted compensation incentive policies and unleash the vitality of the new generation of knowledgeable employees.

The adoption of smart granary systems is critical for safeguarding national grain security, yet the determinants of adoption intention in grain enterprises remain insufficiently understood. Based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, this study develops a configurational model to investigate how six antecedents, which are organizational compatibility, technological fit, resource readiness, competitive pressure, operational risk, and privacy risk, interactively relate to adoption intentions. Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) on cross sectional survey data from 46 middle and senior managers of grain enterprises in Fuzhou, China. (1) Adoption intention stems from combinatorial causality rather than isolated factors, with no single necessary condition identified; (2) Two dominant pathways drive high adoption intention: “technology fit support driven path” (four pathways) and “resource readiness support driven path” (five pathways); (3) Privacy risk emerges as a significant association factor in both pathways. The results uncover the key factors and driving pathways associated with the adoption of smart grain storage technology in grain enterprises, providing theoretical insights and practical references for promoting the widespread application of smart grain storage systems.

It is imperative for Specialized, Sophisticated, Distinctive and Innovative Enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation, as this is a fundamental requirement to break through technical "bottlenecks" and secure a leading competitive advantage. From the perspective of TOE theory framework, this paper adopts the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis(fsQCA) method, selecting 27 listed Specialized and Innovative Enterprises in Guangzhou as the research sample to explore the configurationa adaptation paths of their digital transformation. It is found that there is no single antecedent factor that constitutes a necessary condition for the digital transformation of specialized and special enterprises, but there are three configuration paths that drive their high digital transformation, namely, "technology-led-policy support", "market-led-scale empowerment", and "multi-dimensional collaboration-environmental support"; However, the non-high digital transformation is restricted by two configuration paths: "double shortage of technology-weak policy support", "weak organization-poor market adaptation". Among them, R&D investment at the technical level and antecedent conditions of human capital at the organizational level are particularly important, which are the key supporting elements for the high digital transformation of specialized and innovative enterprises. This paper enriches the related research on digital transformation of specialized and innovative enterprises, and provides a reference for formulating the adaptation path of digital transformation of specialized and innovative enterprises.

This study aims to examine the corporate values of IBEX35-listed companies and compare them with the sustainability governance information in their Non-Financial Statements (NFSs) to identify cultural patterns indicating high sustainability governance maturity (HSGM). The study uses the Cultural Fit Assessment Method (CFAM©) based on the Competing Values Framework (CVF) and six cultural archetypes (People, Goals, Digital, Innovation, Norms, ESG). It also incorporates sector-specific indicators related to sustainability governance from the IV Comparative Report of the NFS of IBEX35-listed companies published in 2021 by Ernst and Young (E&Y). A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted to identify patterns of corporate culture that explain the high maturity levels of sustainability governance. The results reveal two sector-level paths to HSGM in which Digital emerges as a core presence condition and ESG appears as a core absence condition (~ESG). ESG does not emerge as a necessary condition; instead, HSGM arises configurationally. The first combination encompasses the presence of people, goals, and digital cultures, coupled with the absence of innovation, norms, and ESG archetypes, resulting in an HSGM model. The other alternative to obtaining HSGM is through a cultural combination of the absence of people, goals, and ESG cultures alongside a strong emphasis on digital, innovation, and norms archetypes. This study offers a unique approach to assessing the maturity of sustainability governance based on corporate culture. Identifying patterns of corporate culture that indicate high maturity levels of sustainability governance offers practical guidance on how organizations can enhance their sustainability practices.

Nowadays, personalization is key to connecting with consumers. However, it comes with a caveat: privacy concerns, which lead to a personalization-privacy paradox. This study aims to examine how young consumers respond to personalized digital advertising, considering both the benefits and potential downsides. It investigates how these perceptions shape affective ad involvement and how that, in turn, influences key online behaviours. Data from an online survey of Instagram consumers were analysed using necessary condition analysis. Results show that achieving high affective involvement requires communication to be perceived as highly personalized, highly useful and minimally intrusive. Affective involvement is a necessary but not sufficient condition for purchase intention. Similarly, positive eWOM is necessary to drive purchase intention, while negative eWOM does not significantly deter it. The research examines both bright and dark sides of personalized advertising from the perspective of young consumers, offering a balanced view. By applying a necessary conditions analysis approach, it identifies the minimum levels of perceived benefits and concerns that must be met/avoided to trigger young consumers’ emotional engagement, sharing behaviour and purchase intentions. This approach provides more actionable and precise insights for designing digital marketing strategies that resonate with today’s privacy-aware, tech-savvy youth.

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The emphasis on green development in China underscores the critical role of green environmental performance in achieving sustainability. This study introduces a multi-stakeholder governance perspective to evaluate enterprises’ green environmental performance, utilizing a framework with five factors categorized into firm, government, and societal dimensions. Employing a combination of Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), it investigates specific conditions enhancing green environmental performance in new energy vehicle enterprises, drawing on a sample of 49 companies in 2021. Results indicate that high levels of green environmental performance are influenced by multiple factors, including incentives, pressures, resources, and media attention. Additionally, the study identifies a potential complementary relationship between government subsidies and green technology innovation in driving high-level green environmental performance, subject to specific conditions. These findings contribute to our understanding of corporate green environmental performance and provide practical implications for fostering sustainability in the new energy vehicle industry.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the intention to use and actual usage of medicine vending machines (MVMs) in China and to close the existing literature gap by examining the relationship between perceived convenience (PC), perceived trust, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence, on the intention to use MVM in a comprehensive manner. The impact of facilitating conditions on MVM adoption was also examined. Finally, customer age was tested as a moderator. Methods This was a cross-sectional study that used data collected through a self-administered questionnaire. A combination of partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) technique was used to analyze and discuss the 308 valid questionnaires, test the hypotheses, and conduct an in-depth analysis. Results The results showed that PC, perceived trust, and performance expectancy were significantly related to the intention to use MVM. Effort expectancy was a non-significant predictor of intention to use MVM. Social influence was a significant negative predictor of the intention to use MVM. More importantly, performance expectancy was found to be a necessary factor for MVM intention, providing new marketing ideas for MVM owners. Age had a significant moderating effect on the facilitating conditions and intention to use vending machines. The relatively young population is more conscious of the facilitating conditions. Conclusions The findings of this study are of considerable importance as a guide for the main user group of vending machines. The combined analysis and discussion of PLS-SEM and NCA provide a sound theoretical basis for the practical implications of this study. In the future, we will attempt to use this technique in other areas of study. In terms of theoretical implications, this study provides technical references for future research.

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In the context of rapid digital transformation, smart seaports have emerged as crucial entities for enhancing operational efficiency and promoting sustainable port governance. To achieve sustainable development, the integration of advanced technologies into seaport operations has become essential. However, the existing literature primarily highlights the construction achievements of smart seaports, with limited investigation into the configuration mechanisms that account for variations in efficiency. This study analyzes eight representative smart seaports in China from 2019 to 2024. Based on the Technology–Organizational–Environment (TOE) framework, six condition variables are identified. Comprehensive technical efficiency is measured using the three-stage super-efficiency Slack-Based Measure (SBM) model. Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) are then employed to identify the configuration pathways leading to either high or non-high smart seaport operational efficiency. The findings indicate that no single factor is a necessary condition for high efficiency; instead, operational efficiency results from the synergistic interplay of multiple factors. Four distinct configuration pathways that lead to high efficiency are identified. Furthermore, a significant causal asymmetry exists between efficient and inefficient configurations, highlighting the contextual complexity inherent in smart seaport operational efficiency. This study provides a configurational perspective on the operational efficiency of smart seaports in order to offer policy and management insights for sustainable seaport operations.

The development of smart teller machines (STMs) which incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) raises new research questions around customer satisfaction. This study provides insights into satisfaction factors amidst the AI-driven transformation of banking services. We reveal complex dynamics between factors that are vital for developing customer-centric strategies. A conceptual framework is established by using variables from the American customer satisfaction index (ACSI) model with the variable of trust. A hybrid SEM-fsQCA approach is employed to examine data collected from 252 samples. The findings substantiate positive and significant impacts of perceived quality, customer expectations, perceived value, and trust on overall satisfaction, and reveal that perceived quality and customer expectations exhibit indirect effects through perceive value. Meanwhile, the fsQCA analysis explores intricate non-linear dynamics and reveals that no isolated factor is necessary for high satisfaction, but combinations of condition variables can play a pivotal role. The sufficiency analysis emphasizes the requirement of at least two condition variables for achieving high satisfaction. Overall, we highlight the necessity for comprehensive strategies in shaping the banking ecosystem undergoing rapid adoption of AI. JEL classification codes: C19, C83, O14, O33.

Understanding the factors that contribute to sustained user use is critical to the design and marketing of smart interactive cabinets, which have gained great popularity in recent years. This study investigates the factors that impact users' intentions to continue using smart interactive cabinets and examines how these factors influence product design and marketing strategies. However, existing research has mainly focused on the development and performance evaluation of smart interaction technologies, with less attention paid to users' continued willingness to use smart interaction cabinets and their determinants. To address this gap, 304 valid samples were randomly collected for empirical analysis and hypothesis testing, and a questionnaire survey was administered to 304 young Chinese urban Chinese users born in the 1980s and 1990s. By synthesizing and analyzing the usage patterns and influencing factors among young consumers, the study employs a combination of covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to evaluate the data. The analysis highlights the significance of perceived usefulness, ease of use, and innovation in predicting users' intentions to continue using smart interactive cabinets. This study offers insights into the factors influencing continued use and provides valuable guidance for manufacturers and marketers in designing and marketing smart interactive products to enhance user experience and satisfaction.

Urban Air Mobility (UAM), represented by drones and electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOLs), has facilitated the emergence of a nascent and more sustainable intra- and inter-city transportation modality. Nevertheless, extant research has predominantly concentrated on consumers’ intentions to embrace UAM from the viewpoints of technology acceptance and diffusion, disregarding the crucial aspect of resistance. To address this disparity, this study put forward a framework integrating the Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT) and prior experience to examine the antecedents and potential strategies regarding UAM resistance. Data were collected via an online survey and subsequently analysed using a symmetrical PLS path model and an asymmetrical fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). It was disclosed that usage, value, risk, and tradition barriers, in conjunction with AV and trust, were significant antecedents of consumers’ resistance intention towards UAM. The results of fsQCA offered six sufficient solutions that might account for the resistance to UAM. All four perceived barriers constitute a sufficient condition for UAM, with the risk barrier being the most persuasive one, while Autonomous Vehicle (AV) experience and trust are only the peripheral causal conditions. The findings are anticipated to assist manufacturers, operators, and the government in mitigating consumers’ resistance towards UAM.

The high-quality development of urban innovation provides important support for implementing new development concepts, constructing new development patterns, and promoting high-quality development. Based on the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) theoretical analysis framework, this paper takes 19 first-tier cities and 30 second-tier cities as research samples, explores the multiple path combinations of the business environment on urban high-quality development from a configuration perspective, and uses the fsQCA method. The research results show that the following are true: (1) The innovation ecology is the sole necessary condition for the high-quality development of urban innovation development; (2) efficient financial services and comprehensive market size play a crucial role in enabling cities to achieve high-quality innovation development; and (3) there are three configurations driving high-quality urban innovation development, namely the “Balanced Synergy Pathway”, the “Organizational Synergy Pathway”, and the “Technological Synergy Pathway”. This study explores the impact of the coupling of the business environment on the high-quality development of urban innovation, reveals the diverse configuration relationships of the business environment in urban high-quality development, and has important theoretical and practical significance for the high-quality development policies of cities.

County-level innovation capability is a key link in promoting the deepening development of the national innovation system. Although there has been extensive research on the factors that affect county-level innovation capabilities, most studies have a mismatch between theory and methods. In theory, it is most appropriate to explain the reasons for improving county-level innovation capabilities from the perspective of complex systems. However, research methods lack the ability to capture the complex interactive effects between various conditions that affect innovation capability. In addition, it is necessary to seek new explanatory perspectives for the many conflicting findings in the literature. This study is based on the theories of complex systems and regional innovation systems, utilizing relevant data from 52 counties in Zhejiang, China, and using the fsQCA method from a holistic configuration perspective to study the multiple paths and mechanisms that promote synergy between the government and the effective market, attract factors to "reverse flow," and drive the improvement of county innovation capabilities. Research has found that a single factor is not a necessary condition to enhance the high county innovation capacity. The configuration that generates high county innovation capabilities can be summarized into four types: the joint driving model of innovative entities and responsible government; the joint driving model of collaborative production factors and responsible government; driven by the traditional industrial upgrading model; and the joint driving model of traditional industrial upgrading and responsible government. The research conclusion also reveals that the business environment plays an important role in the process of enhancing county innovation capabilities, but the innovation main body is the new force in enhancing county innovation capabilities. The various elements that affect the innovation capacity of the county adapt to each other, co-evolve, and evolve into different ecosystems, forming a diversified and differentiated driving path.

PurposeThis study aims to explore the necessary and sufficient causal relationships between various influencing factors and digital fatigue among hotel employees, relying on the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory framework. It seeks to reveal the diverse configuration paths that lead to digital fatigue among hotel employees.Design/methodology/approachSix influencing factors, namely digital work overload, digital information overload, digital platform support, organizational support, employee digital literacy and employee resilience, are selected as antecedent variables, with digital fatigue among hotel employees as the outcome variable. The study employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze sample data from 188 hotel employees in China.FindingsThe results indicate that (1) no single antecedent variable constitutes a necessary condition for the occurrence of digital fatigue among hotel employees; (2) three types of configuration pathways leading to digital fatigue are identified: “Personal literacy response deficiency type,” “High-pressure environment stress type” and “Multiple scarcities of job resources type” and (3) three types of configuration pathways for alleviating digital fatigue among hotel employees are also identified: “Engagement moderation type,” “Low-pressure adaptation type” and “Resource-oriented coping type.”Originality/valueThis research not only deepens our understanding of the complexity and multidimensionality of the causes of digital fatigue among hotel employees but also provides practical guidance for hotel managers in effectively preventing and alleviating employee digital fatigue.

Understanding the mechanisms by which the combination of green marketing components fosters local sustainable development is crucial for global regions in achieving the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. Utilizing panel data from China’s provinces from 2011 to 2022, this study employs the DEA model to assess both the static and dynamic efficiencies of sustainable development across China’s 31 provinces. Subsequently, drawing on the 6P theory of marketing element combination, this study selects human input, capital input, energy input, technological output, economic output, and ecological output as causal variables, with the local sustainable development index serving as the outcome variable. By integrating the fsQCA method, the study identifies four distinct configurations: a “single input–multiple output” model, a “multiple input–single output” model, an “input–output” linkage model, and an “input-driven” model. This conclusion can enhance the comprehension of the dynamics through which various combinations of green marketing components contribute to local sustainable development from a regional macroeconomic perspective, offering a theoretical foundation for achieving sustainable development globally.

No abstract available

PurposeIt is unclear what constitutes the tourism live streaming (TLS) servicescape and how it affects users' travel intention (TI). The study aims to explore the composition of the TLS servicescape, the influence mechanism of the TLS servicescape on users' TI and the formation of users' TI.Design/methodology/approachBased on stimulus organism response theory (SOR), we develop a mediation model to explore the influence of TLS servicescape on users' TI. This study collected data from 432 Chinese TLS users through an online questionnaire, and we used the structural equation model and the SPSS PROCESS macro to test the proposed model. In addition, we tested the variable relationships using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).FindingsTLS servicescape is a second-order variable that can be categorized into physical element (PE), social element (SOE), symbolic element (SYE) and natural element (NE). TLS servicescape influences TI by affecting social presence (SP) and customer engagement (CE). The fsQCA reveals seven combinations of PE, SOE, SYE, NE, SP and CE that form a high TI for TLS users.Originality/valueUsing multiple data analysis methods, the study emphasizes the significance of the TLS servicescape for TLS. It explores how to evoke users' TI in TLS and provides a reference for TLS marketing.

Biomedical industry is a strategic emerging industry in China, especially the outbreak of the Covid pandemic. The biomedical industry is characterized by high risk, high investment, high technology and long cycle, and each stage contains risks and challenges. How to optimize the policy environment and financial environment, explore the unique “policy” and “finance” model for the development of the biomedical industry, and improve the innovation performance has become an important issue. This paper analyzes the relationship among industry policy, financial institution and innovation performance in the biomedical industry from the configuration perspective, combining necessary condition analysis (NCA) and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) research methods, using the A-share listed enterprises in Shanghai and Shenzhen in the biomedical industry from 2012 to 2020 as the research objects. It is found that (1) individual policy preference or financial institution dimension cannot constitute a necessary condition for generating high innovation performance of biomedical company, but increasing tax incentive and raising the proportion of equity-based financing method play a significant role in generating high innovation performance; (2) four “political” and “financial “synergistic grouping paths can generate high innovation performance, including tax incentives, financial institutions’ professional level and institutional background synergistic drive type; government subsidy, financing method and financial institutions’ professional level synergistic drive type; tax incentive and financing method synergistic drive type; tax incentive and institutional background drive type. Different synergistic grouping paths represent various ways to achieve high innovation performance of biomedical enterprise. In addition, the results show that the two “political” and “financial” groupings lead to low-to-medium innovation performance, which indicates that industry policy plays a very important role in the innovation performance and that the government’s support for emerging industries through policy is a significant force for the innovation development. This paper introduces the “political” and “financial” aspects to investigate the configuration effect of industry policy and financial institutions on the innovation performance of biomedical enterprise. The findings have important theoretical and practical implications for revealing the synergistic path of high innovation performance in the Chinese biomedical industry.

This study investigates how different configurations of external institutional pressures and internal green resources jointly drive the implementation of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices in the hotel industry. A three‐phase research design is adopted. Study 1 conducts a content analysis of environmental and sustainability reports and identifies 85 GSCM practice indicators. Study 2 conducts a questionnaire survey of 86 hotels and the results of exploratory factor analysis extract three driving factors for GSCM implementation: external pressure, marketing and industry. Study 3 applies fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify the combinations of the three driving factors for GSCM implementation. The results show three types of driving configurations: external pull, self‐directed and dual drivers. Case illustrations further demonstrate how various hotel types implement these configurations. This study identifies the configuration of driving factors and provides hotel companies with an overview of how to drive the implementation of GSCM effectively.

This study aims to explore the configurations of potential relevant antecedents in 3D printing medical Market for achieving high user satisfaction from both the suppliers’ and users’ perspectives. The important antecedents in this study include relationship marketing, innovation, 3D printing perceived values, and 3D printing perceived risk. Firstly, this study investigates the relationships among potential relevant antecedents and user satisfaction. Furthermore, to explore the gap between users’ evaluation and innovation suppliers’ perception, this study addresses this issue based on both perspectives of suppliers and buyers. To assess the applicability of the proposed model, we employed questionnaires survey and collected primary data from 3D printing suppliers and their customers. Moreover, the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach has been applied for evaluating the effectiveness of relationship marketing and innovation in 3D printing medical market. Finally, the numerical results indicate that there is one causal configuration (i.e., 1A) found to be sufficient for high user satisfaction for the perspectives of 3D printing suppliers and three configurations for the perspectives of 3D printing customers. In the perspectives of 3D printing suppliers, the combination of relationship marketing, innovation, and 3D printing perceived value is sufficient conditions causing high user satisfaction. However, there are three causal configurations (i.e., 1B, 2B, and 3B) found to be sufficient for high user satisfaction for the perspectives of 3D printing customers.

Quantitative studies in marketing are dominated by variance-based approaches. These have limitations for understanding macromarketing outcomes that often derive from different combinations of causal conditions, and where factors productive of the same outcome may be different from those impeding it. In this paper we draw on set-theoretic theory and propose qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) as an analytical method able to complement and extend macromarketing research programs. Fuzzy-set QCA is used to explore combinations of conditions influencing COVID vaccine adoption, with readers provided with detailed guidance through the process and current best practices. We consider a number of important but often neglected issues in fuzzy-set QCA; outlining how to conduct robustness checks, appropriateness of a two-step approach, identifying individual cases with specific conditions for further analysis, and examining the problems and opportunities provided by irrelevant cases and contradictions. A summary of macromarketing issues that may benefit from QCA, and recommended practices for conducting a QCA, are provided.

PurposeThe paper examines whether the hybrid strategy can generate high performance and what hybrid strategy configurations are more conducive to high performance.Design/methodology/approachThis paper explores the complex causal relationships between six strategic elements (marketing, growth, R&D, capital, efficiency, stability) and firm performance. From a configurational approach, the authors utilize necessary condition analysis, time-series qualitative comparative analysis, and typical case extraction techniques to analyze 944 balanced panel data from 118 Chinese ICT firms during 2013–2020.FindingsChinese ICT sector firms do not rely on pure strategies (prospector or defender) to achieve high performance. The hybrid strategy is conducive to high performance. Only specific hybrid strategy configurations, including stable growth, innovative efficiency, and two-way player types, could enable firms to perform well. Six strategic elements do not constitute a necessary condition for high performance.Originality/valueThis paper proposed an integrated qualitative comparative analysis scheme, proved the effectiveness of the hybrid strategy on firm performance, and revealed how hybrid strategy configurations generate high performance.

With a global focus on environmental sustainability, hotels worldwide are actively transitioning their services from conventional to eco-friendly practices. This study aims to comprehensively understand the factors that contribute to visitors’ satisfaction in eco-friendly hotels and how this satisfaction influences customers’ future reactions towards such environmentally conscious establishments. Employing the Stimulus-Organism-Response theory, this study collected data from 277 respondents using a robust quantitative research strategy. A combined approach of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) was employed, to uncover deep insights into visitors’ satisfaction and their reactions towards eco-friendly hotels. The PLS-SEM results reveal significant associations between customers’ satisfaction towards eco-friendly hotel services and service quality, green practices, perceived value, and environmental sensitivity. Moreover, this study highlights a positive correlation between satisfaction and crucial outcomes like revisit intention (RVI), willingness to pay a premium (WTPP), and word-of-mouth intention (WOMI). Complementing these findings, the fsQCA analysis uncovers intricate causal relationships among antecedents that influence customer satisfaction in eco-friendly hotels. By offering critical marketing insights, this study provides guidance for hotels, the tourism industry, and policymakers on attracting customers to eco-friendly hotels, to meet the increasing demands for environmental sustainability.

PurposeFuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is explored as a transformative tool rooted in complexity theory, shedding light on uncertainties shaping real-world decisions in tourism, with a focus on its application in the hospitality domain.Design/methodology/approachThis study systematically evaluates fsQCA’s application in hospitality and tourism research, employing bibliometric analysis to scrutinize the published literature since its induction in 2011. The research seeks to understand the evolving usage by qualitatively reviewing impactful studies based on total citations.FindingsThe study reveals the ascendancy of fsQCA as a predominant approach in hospitality and tourism studies, particularly in illuminating decision-making paradigms in key sectors like destination and hotel selections and entrepreneurial orientations. However, an absence of fsQCA applications in gastronomy and wine tourism is identified, signaling uncharted territories for future inquiry.Research limitations/implicationsTheoretical implications include paradigm shifts to complexity theory, configural analysis and asymmetric algorithms. Practical implications involve improved decision-making and tailored marketing, benefiting industry practitioners. Limitations include potential academic bias, while future research suggests exploring sub-sectors, sustainability and emerging technologies.Originality/valueThis study identifies gaps in the fsQCA application and pioneers its examination within the hospitality domain, offering a unique perspective on understanding intricate relationships and configurations among variables. The study emphasizes the efficacy of asymmetric methodologies in elucidating behavioral nuances in hospitality and tourism, providing a foundation for future inquiries to expand horizons and unravel the nuanced applications of fsQCA in this research domain.

Corporate physical investments are an important foundation for sustainable economic development. This study investigates the causal relationships and complex mechanisms of the five antecedent conditions under the “Merger–Organization–Environment” (MOE) framework with corporate physical investments. These antecedent conditions include green mergers and acquisitions (M&A), financing constraints, main business performance, corporate governance capacities, and government environmental concerns. Combining the necessary condition analysis and fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis, a sample of 40 heavily polluting listed enterprises in China's A‐share market from 2016 to 2020 is used. The results found that (1) individual antecedent conditions do not constitute the necessary conditions for corporate physical investments; (2) there are four configurations that generate high corporate physical investments, i.e., proactive change‐oriented type, main business focus‐oriented type, performance‐driven oriented type, and passive change‐oriented type; and (3) there are four configurations that generate non‐high corporate physical investments, i.e., performance‐bound type, funding‐bound type, M&A‐bound type, and strategically bound type. This demonstrates the asymmetry of the configurations that generate high and non‐high corporate physical investments, which helps to formulate incentives for corporate physical investments from multiple perspectives.

No abstract available

PurposeThis research aims to comprehensively examine the factors influencing destination image (DI) formation in emerging markets by using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).Design/methodology/approachThe research employs the fsQCA method, which facilitates asymmetric and configuration-focused testing of theoretical propositions, enabling advanced theoretical insights. Data were gathered from 528 international travelers who visited Egypt.FindingsThe fsQCA results reveal that no single necessary condition is identified for achieving a highly positive DI. Instead, the results identify that destination attributes, tourists' intrinsic motivations, tourists' experiences and tolerance collectively serve as essential conditions for forming a highly positive DI.Originality/valueThis investigation adds value to the travel research agenda by developing and testing a configurational model of the factors influencing DI formation using the fsQCA approach. Notably, it is the first to utilize this method to uncover the combined impact of key antecedents in shaping DI, offering a novel perspective for both researchers and practitioners.

Complex interactions among human behaviour, organisational processes, and consumer experiences characterise the tourism, leisure, and hospitality field. Traditional symmetrical research methods often impose rigid models and linear relationships, resulting in oversimplified conclusions that fail to capture the complexities of these domains. In contrast, asymmetrical Qualitative Comparative Analysis, such as fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Necessary Condition Analysis, provides a more detailed framework for understanding these complexities. Therefore, by integrating fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis’s configurational insights with Necessary Condition Analysis’s identification of necessary and sufficient conditions, this study demonstrates how these methodologies effectively bridge gaps in symmetrical qualitative and quantitative approaches. A total of 82 articles from the Scopus and Web of Science databases were selected and analysed. The fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis allows researchers to explore causal relationships among multiple configurations without rigid dichotomisation. This flexibility is particularly beneficial in this research field, where a variety of factors are examined. Conversely, Necessary Condition Analysis emphasises the identification of sufficient and necessary conditions that must be met for specific outcomes to occur, providing clarity on the constraints within which these outcomes manifest. The study illustrates the synergistic application of fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Necessary Condition Analysis through a compelling case study, revealing a complex causal recipe that enhances understanding of the factors that lead to operational efficiency and sustainability in the hospitality industry. This dual methodological framework enables scholars and practitioners to gain deeper insights into the complexities of the field and to drive impactful practices.

Background.The article is devoted to the analysis of the prospects for the formation of a tourist brand in the city of Verkhoyansk (Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)), a settlement with an officially registered absolute minimum temperature in the Northern Hemisphere (-67.8°C). Based on a comparative analysis of successful international urban branding cases (Rovaniemi (Finland), Oslo (Norway), Irkutsk (Russia), Veliky Ustyug (Russia)), the authors have developed a multi-level positioning strategy that includes phases of identification, productive development and promotion. Purpose.The aim is to develop scientifically based and practical recommendations for creating an attractive international tourism brand for the city of Verkhoyansk based on the adaptation of successful practices of international urban branding. Materials and methods.The methodological basis of the research is a synthesis of qualitative approaches, including a comparative analysis of successful international cases, an assessment of Verkhoyansk’s internal potential and external conditions using SWOT analysis, as well as strategic modeling based on the theoretical framework of Simon Anholt’s place branding (the “Hexagon of Nations” model) and Philip Kotler’s place marketing. Results.Special attention is paid to the balance between the commercialization of extreme climate and the preservation of the authentic cultural environment of the indigenous peoples of the North. The result of the research is a roadmap that provides for the creation of a cluster model and a set of communication solutions for target audiences.

With the advent of digital technologies (i.e., social media), tourism has evolved its marketing strategies. Even though published literature discusses the importance of tourism content on social media from various consumer perspectives, much more work must be done to examine how consumers make travel decisions based on tourism content. This study proposes a model for analyzing travel intent based on consumer motivations (e.g., novelty, entertainment, and relaxation) to watch social media travel videos. Consumers' travel intentions are influenced by trust and parasocial relationships. Through an online survey, 215 responses were collected and analyzed using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach using Smart-PLS 3.0 and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). In the study, relaxation ranked most highly among the three motivations for viewers to watch travel videos on YouTube for building parasocial relationships. In contrast, consumers seeking entertainment are more likely to form trust, which will result in consumers' intentions to travel. Based on intermediate solutions generated by the fsQCA, two causal configurations can be used to explain consumer travel decisions influenced by social media tourism content. The study also discusses theoretical and practical guidelines in depth. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-03-015 Full Text: PDF

Purpose The business ambiguity because of COVID-19 has brought the tourism industry under stress. Using the service-dominant-logic and elaboration-likelihood-model, this study tested the effects of destination-based cognitive, affective and behavioral customer brand engagement (CBE) on customer brand co-creation (CBC). This research also examined the effects of involvement and CBC on customer revisit intention (CRI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also tested the moderating role of customers’ age among the modeled relationships. Design/methodology/approach Investigating these matters, a sample of 315 tourists was recruited and adopted a mixed-method approach, including structural equation modeling (SEM) as well as fuzzy set qualitative-comparative analysis (fsQCA). Findings SEM results render that CBE’s dimensions exercise different impacts on CBC, which affect revisit-intention. Results ascertain customer involvement’s direct effects on CBC and revisit intention. Multi-group analysis uncovers that consumer age significantly moderates the CBC and CRI relationship, and their effect increases as consumers get older. The fsQCA results revealed more heterogenous combinations to predict CBC and revisit intention. Research limitations/implications This study focuses on CBE, CBC and involvement, and contributes unique insight to tourism marketing research; thus, it identifies plentiful opportunities for further research, as summarized. Practical implications This study offers key implications for destinations to build tourism/marketing strategies to strengthen the CBE/CBC or tourist/destination–brand relationship. Originality/value Though CBE/CBC and involvement are identified as important research priorities, empirically derived insights among these and related factors remain limited in the course of the COVID-19 crisis.

ABSTRACT Wellness tourism is very popular because modern society imposes a range of stressors. This research is designed to examine the drivers of tourist revisit and word-of-mouth intentions for Thailand as a wellness destination, using necessary condition analysis (NCA) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Perceived price and perceived quality were identified as the most salient core conditions that induce Chinese tourists’ repeat visit and word-of-mouth. Furthermore, a combination of perceived price, perceived quality, hedonic wellbeing, and destination love contributed to Chinese tourists’ revisit and word-of-mouth intentions for Thailand. These findings not only provide academic and industrial implications relating to wellness tourists’ experiences and psychological mechanisms, but also offer practical implications for wellness tourism development in Thailand.

No abstract available

Prior studies have identified the complexity involved in explaining the relationship between wellness tourism attributes and tourist behavior. This study investigated the configurational effects of 10 constructs in predicting the ambiguous area between overall satisfaction and destination behavioral loyalty. To achieve this, the study used a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and necessary condition analysis (NCA). The results of the fsQCA generated a range of models that effectively predicted tourists’ high or low levels of overall satisfaction and behavioral loyalty. Furthermore, the NCA results identified perceived quality as an essential construct for achieving the combination of overall satisfaction and behavioral loyalty. The study enhances our current knowledge by broadening our comprehension of the intricate aspects of tourists’ decision-making processes and the formation of their behaviors. Additionally, it provides a roadmap for the industry to effectively address challenges in managing wellness tourism resources.

Urban short videos have become an important vehicle to promote city branding, cultural communication and economic development. This study adopts the fuzzy set stereotyping comparative analysis (fsQCA) method to analyse 120 sample cases based on the Jieyin platform by focusing on two dimensions, namely, social and technological, and refining antecedent variables such as content theme, emotional tendency, topic guidance, title length, content duration and presentation form. It is found that there are three configurations of high communication effect of urban short videos, namely, socially dominant, technologically dominant and socio-technical synergistic. Positive emotional tendency and medium content length are indispensable conditions for efficient communication of urban short videos, and at the same time, based on the precise grasp of the communication subject on the tone of the content, we should also flexibly adopt differentiated strategies, and maximise the communication effect of urban short videos through the coupling of multi-dimensional elements. The effect is maximised through the coupling and linkage of multi-dimensional elements.

Innovation is the driving force for achieving sustainable economic development, and healthy business–government relationships are the foundation and guarantee for promoting the sustainability of digital innovation and entrepreneurship. However, current academic research on the impact of business–government relations on digital innovation and entrepreneurship often neglects the configurational effects of various factors. Therefore, this study constructed an analytical framework from the new dimension of “close” and “clean” business–government relationships, selected 292 Chinese cities as research subjects, and employed the Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and Time-Differencing Qualitative Comparative Analysis (TDQCA) methods. From a configurational perspective, it explored the relationship between business–government relations and digital innovation and entrepreneurship. The results showed the following: Firstly, the various business–government relationship factors did not have a single linear impact on digital innovation and entrepreneurship, and configuration was more crucial than a single factor. Secondly, based on the integration of research findings and the theoretical framework, five successful configurations were proposed. However, these configurations possess certain adaptability and need to be tailored to local conditions. Thirdly, analyzing the three “non” condition variables in these five configurations, including “clean” business–government relationships, government efficiency, and new infrastructure, also contributed to enhancing the sustainability of digital innovation and entrepreneurship outcomes. Additionally, the study analyzed the implications of these critical configurations for five key stakeholders: government, enterprises, research institutions and academia, policymakers, and the public. Specifically, the government can implement policies tailored to local conditions to promote the sustainable development of digital innovation and entrepreneurship. These policies include increasing investment in digital infrastructure, simplifying approval processes, and enhancing the efficiency of government services.

This study investigates the residents’ perceptions of governance and technology in tourism operation as well as economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits or costs, and adopt a multi-analytical approach. The first step empirically tests the effect of residents’ perceptions of tourism on their anti-tourism attitude by using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (symmetric analysis). The second step tests a configural model with a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) (asymmetric analysis). Data were collected through a survey of 221 residents, and the perceptions were adopted from the sustainable tourism attitude scale (SUSTAS) and divided into two categories: perceived benefits and perceived costs. Both analyses show perceived benefits are stronger predictors than perceived costs. That is, residents’ negative attitudes are more likely to result from the absence of perceived benefits than from the presence of perceived costs. Based on these results, this study provides researchers and policy makers with theoretical and practical implications.

Against the backdrop of the digital economy and the strategic importance of strengthening China's cultural power, cultural and tourism IP has become a crucial engine driving economic transformation and upgrading in regions rich in cultural resources. This paper integrates value chain theory with survival field theory. Based on panel data from 17 prefecture-level cities in Henan Province and 10 prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province from 2018 to 2023, it constructs a three-dimensional mechanistic model encompassing the "digital empowerment IP value chain, IP field value transformation, and high-quality development." This empirical research utilizes mediation effect testing, heterogeneity analysis, and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis ( fsQCA ). reconstructs the cultural and tourism IP value chain through the five core links of value mining, creation, dissemination, operation and monetization , and the contribution of data elements to IP value creation reaches 37.2%; cultural and tourism IP mainly empowers regional high-quality development through four paths of "innovation ecosystem cultivation, cross-industry integration, consumption scenario activation, and brand capital aggregation". Among them, the mediating effect values of industrial integration and consumption scenario activation are 0.213 and 0.187 respectively, indicating that the two are key mechanisms for value transmission; the interaction term between digital infrastructure and cultural resource endowment produces a significant positive regulatory effect (coefficient 0.089), which is particularly prominent in intangible cultural heritage activation IP and county-level IP. A comparative study of Henan and Anhui provinces shows that Henan excels in the explosive creative power of IP, while Anhui excels in sustainable IP operations and long-term value creation. Based on these findings, this article proposes a differentiated development strategy centered on "value chain collaboration, co-development of venues, and regional complementarity." This strategy provides a theoretical basis and practical paradigm for achieving high-quality IP-led development in regions with similar cultural resources.

Comprehensively integrating eco-farms and rural tourism represents a crucial pathway for advancing rural revitalization and sustainable development; however, existing research has pre-dominantly focused on the net effects of individual factors, failing to reveal the underlying complexity of multiple co-occurring factors and their interactive logics. With the aim of addressing this theoretical gap, we employ a configurational approach that integrates Necessity Condition Analysis (NCA) with fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), and data was collected from 1041 Chinese ecological farms (ecological farm operators) using a structured questionnaire, to systematically explore the integrated complex configurational driving logic. Our findings reveal that no single necessary condition independently causes high-level integration. The fsQCA results further reveal that high-level integration is attainable via two distinct, yet equivalent pathways. First, the “Endogenous–Technological–Economic Synergistic Drive Model” emphasizes the intrinsic development needs of business entities, requiring extensive synergy with external technological empowerment and the regional economic environment; second, the “re-source–market–integration linkage-driven” pathway leverages unique resource endowments and achieves value transformation through efficient resource integration capabilities, guided by clear market demand. Both pathways exhibit functional substitutability among their conditions, demonstrating strategic systemic flexibility. Additionally, in the analysis of non-high-integration configurations, we draw upon structural hole theory to categorize systemic failures caused by missing key connections or factor misalignment.

No abstract available

As wellness tourism destinations face increasing competitive pressures and environmental challenges, there is a heightened emphasis on implementing innovative service strategies that promote community engagement and sustainable development. The study proposes an integrated model grounded in generativity and service innovation theory to investigate the factors influencing resident engagement in service innovation performance (SIP). Four hundred-eight valid responses are using a snowball sampling technique. This research employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess the impact of individual variables, complemented by fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore the synergistic effects of multiple variables. The SEM results indicate that place attachment, generativity, and digital technology significantly enhance resident engagement in SIP, whereas knowledge management does not exhibit a statistically significant effect. Furthermore, fsQCA identifies three configurations linked to high-quality SIP and two configurations associated with low-quality SIP. The complementary insights gained from SEM and fsQCA enhance theoretical frameworks and provide practical implications for stakeholders in the tourism sector.

Folk festivals and other intangible cultural heritage have received widespread attention, and their socio-cultural value can be used to promote tourism, strengthen local identity, and build city brands. However, it remains unclear how these intangible cultural heritage festivals transform their multi-dimensional and multi-configuration material characteristics into economic benefits and image enhancement. This study proposes a practical decision-making framework aimed at understanding how different festival design and governance strategies can work synergistically under different cultural conditions. Based primarily on a literature review and expert questionnaire survey, this study identified six stable materialized practice modules: productization, spatialization, experientialization, digitalization, branding/communication, and co-creation governance. At the same time, this framework also incorporates two other conditional intervention properties: classicism and novelty. The interactions between these modules shape people’s understanding of intangible cultural heritage festivals. Subsequently, this study used a multimodal national dataset that included official statistics, industry reports, e-commerce and social media data, questionnaires, and expert ratings to construct module scores and cultural attributes for 167 festival case studies. Through rough set analysis (RSA), this study simplifies the attributes and extracts clear “if-then” rules, establishing a configurational causal relationship between module configuration and classic/novel conditions to form high economic benefits and enhance local image. The findings of this study reveal a robust core built around spatialization, digitalization, and co-creative governance, with brand promotion/communication yielding benefits depending on the specific context. This further confirms that classicism reinforces the legitimacy and effectiveness of rituals/spaces and governance pathways, while novelty amplifies the impact of digitalization and immersive interaction. In summary, this study constructs an integrated and easy-to-understand process that links indicators, weights, and rules, and provides operational support for screening schemes and resource allocation in festival event combinations and venue brand governance.

: Based on the theory of industry city people and the perspective of configuration, an analytical framework of "industry support city function human orientation" was constructed. Under this framework, five conditional variables were selected: industrial structure, economic function, social function, population quality, and population structure. The top ten cities with good development momentum in China's e-sports industry were selected as the analysis samples, and the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method was used to explore the combined factors that affect the development of the e-sports industry in cities. The results showed that "industrial structure" is an indispensable condition for the development of the electronic sports industry in cities, while "economic function," "social function," "population quality," and "population structure" are not necessary conditions for constituting outcome variables. This indicates that the development of the e-sports industry in a city is the result of multiple intertwined factors, rather than a single factor playing a significant role. Research has found that there are three paths that can positively affect the development of the e-sports industry in cities, condensed into a dual wheel drive of industrial structure and economic function, a tripartite drive of industrial structure, social function, and population quality, and a co drive of industrial support and humanistic orientation. From the perspective of configuration, industrial structure, economic composition, and population quality are key conditions that affect the development of the e-sports industry in cities. The research conclusion indicates that to enhance the development of urban e-sports cities, it is necessary to reasonably layout the industrial structure, improve the level of urban economic development, and strengthen the comprehensive level of human capital.

ABSTRACT Cultivating responsible tourist behavior (RTB) is critical for promoting sustainable development in tourism destinations. This study explored the symmetric and asymmetric effects of causal antecedents on RTB through the lens of the cognitive–affective model and complexity theory. Survey data from 566 Chinese tourists were analyzed using PLS-SEM (symmetric method) and fsQCA (asymmetric method). The PLS-SEM results indicated that perceived DSR enhanced tourists’ destination attachment, thus facilitating low-effort and high-effort RTB. The fsQCA results substantiated and refined these findings by providing particular antecedent configurations for the outcomes. This study concluded by discussing the theoretical and practical implications arising from these findings.

No abstract available

This study investigates the determinants and outcomes of business intelligence (BI) adoption within Vietnam's rapidly evolving retail sector, addressing critical gaps in understanding how technological capabilities drive strategic performance enhancement in emerging economies. Employing a mixed-method approach combining structural equation modelling (SEM) with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the research examines data from 312 retail enterprises across Vietnam's major urban centres. The theoretical framework synthesises the technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework with dynamic capabilities theory to explicate the complex pathways through which BI adoption influences operational efficiency, customer relationship management, and competitive advantage. The findings reveal that technological readiness, organisational culture, and environmental complexity collectively explain 68% of the variance in BI adoption intensity, whilst BI capabilities demonstrate significant positive effects on strategic performance outcomes (β = 0.742, p < 0.001). The fsQCA results identify four distinct configurational pathways to high performance, suggesting that successful BI implementation requires synergistic combinations of technological infrastructure, managerial support, and environmental alignment. This research contributes to the literature by advancing a comprehensive theoretical model that integrates institutional theory with technological diffusion perspectives, whilst providing practical insights for retail executives navigating digital transformation in emerging markets. The study's implications extend beyond Vietnam's retail context, offering valuable frameworks for understanding BI adoption patterns across developing economies experiencing rapid technological modernisation.

The high-quality development of specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises (SRDIEs) is essential for advancing an innovation-driven strategy. This paper investigates the impact of financial technology (Fintech) on sustainable innovation within SRDIEs that face financing challenges, analyzing it from supply-side, demand-side, and environmental perspectives. We utilize fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fSQCA) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) to explore the configurational paths and complex causal effects of Fintech in facilitating the innovation of SRDIEs amid financing challenges. By employing a combination of NCA and fsQCA, this study identifies several effective pathways through which Fintech enhances the innovation efficiency of SRDIEs. We develop an integrative model to enhance innovation inputs, outputs, and sustainability. The key findings include the following: (1) Fintech significantly enhances innovation output, supported by business efficiency and digital intelligence; (2) two distinct pathways for achieving high-innovation inputs are identified, driven by Fintech intensity and effective credit allocation, with specialization and financial mismatches serving as auxiliary factors; (3) the core conditions of Fintech intensity and the financing environment, along with competitive banking, promote innovation motivation and sustainability in highly specialized enterprises. The conclusions of this study provide both theoretical and practical insights for SRDIEs to tackle innovation challenges characterized by an “inability to innovate”, a “lack of willingness to innovate”, and “ineffectiveness in innovation”, enabling their transition from merely being “able to innovate” and “daring to innovate” to becoming “proficient in sustainable innovation”. These findings offer differentiated sustainable innovation solutions for enterprises through three avenues: capacity building on the demand side, channel optimization on the supply side, and ecological cultivation on the environmental side.

PurposeThe aim of this research is to unravel how the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) elements can be configured to generate a higher density of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship (KIE) dedicated to blended value creation (BVC).Design/methodology/approachBased on two asymmetric techniques, necessary condition analysis (NCA) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), we conducted a quantitative analysis with Brazilian projects participating in the Innovative Research in Small Businesses Program, an initiative dedicated to nurturing KIE in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.FindingsThe results show six paths related to EE elements driving BVC with adequate consistency and coverage. No EE dimension appeared as a necessary condition to promote higher levels of BVC. On the other hand, findings highlight the “market” and “innovation” dimensions as core causal conditions in three of six configurational paths. Surprisingly, the absence of the “regulatory environment” and “human capital” dimensions appeared as a core condition in three alternative configurations associated with improved BVC levels.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes to the literature on EE and BVC in the context of a developing country. However, our sample’s specificity may limit our findings’ generalizability to EE embedded in different macro-level contexts.Practical implicationsThe paper is addressed to academicians, practitioners, policy decision-makers and educators. Given the regulatory environment’s low significance, practitioners can leverage government initiatives and programs that support small companies with environmental and social significance. Additionally, the human capital shortage underscores the potential to implement more flexible work arrangements to facilitate BVC in entrepreneurial firms.Originality/valueThis is the first study that analyzes the interaction between KIE, EE and BVC. The findings suggest that creating social, environmental and economic value is loosely associated with several key pillars of EE within the examined sample, highlighting low levels of ecosystem “readiness” to support knowledge-intensive ventures.

The survival and sustainable development of new technology-based ventures (NTBVs) have become challenging due to the unpredictable and dynamic technological environment as well as the scarcity of their own resources. Considering the tension between “conformity” and “distinctiveness” faced in NTBVs’ growth, based on the optimal distinctiveness perspective, we develop a configurational framework to investigate how combinations of multiple factors (i.e., political guanxi, business guanxi, exploratory innovation, exploitative innovation, environmental dynamism, and environmental munificence) lead to high enterprise growth. This study analyzes survey data of 30 Chinese NTBVs by conducting a necessary condition analysis (NCA) to inspect the necessary relationships between each condition and the outcome and employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to determine the configurations to achieve growth. It is shown that individual elements do not compose the necessary conditions for yielding high enterprise growth, and high levels of new venture growth require different configurations of antecedents to be achieved. Furthermore, four types of driving pathways are identified for the NTBVs’ growth, each of which contains different compositions of enterprise strategy and external environment. These findings enhance the literature on enterprise growth and its influencing factors and provide implications for NTBVs to achieve high-quality growth and development.

PurposeThe investigation on the complexity of customer retention towards green products/services requires more solid analytical approaches. This study evaluated the net effects of antecedents of customer retention and the validity of configurational causal recipes that lead to customer retention in the green hotel context.Design/methodology/approachThis study combined structural equation modeling (SEM), a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and a necessary condition analysis (NCA). An online survey was conducted in China to evaluate the green hotel consumption.FindingsResearch findings showed that cognitive factors (perceived health benefits, green product performance, responsible employee performance and green physical environment performance) and affective factors (emotional well-being, feeling of happiness, attractiveness of green product and feeling of pride), played a distinctive role in generating customer retention toward green hotel products. The NCA found no factor was essential in order to achieve customer retention, which indicates that green hotel performance and brand management should pay more attention to emotional factors alongside cognitive factors.Practical implicationsResearch findings provide significant managerial implications for improving green hotel services and business operations and enhancing consumers’ approach intention toward green hotel products.Originality/valueThis study adopted mixed approaches to investigate both the linear and nonlinear impacts of cognitive and affective factors that potentially lead to customer retention for green hotel products.

Digital transformation is an important strategic decision for the sustainable development of enterprises, which helps enterprises achieve sustainable performance, sustainable management, and even sustainable business models. While there have been a number of useful studies discussing the impetus of digital transformation, most of them have neglected the role from employees, especially their attitudes and perceptions towards transformation. Focusing on employees’ openness to digital transformation, we selected six antecedents to construct a configuration model, using fsQCA and NCA methods to explore the complex causal relationship between each antecedent and openness to digital transformation. This aims to derive the activation paths for employees’ openness to digital transformation, so as to help the enterprises’ digital transformation and further achieve sustainable development. Through the data analysis of 462 employees of Chinese enterprises, the following conclusions are drawn: firstly, single antecedents are not necessary conditions for high/non-high digital transformation openness activation; secondly, there are three configurations associated with the high openness activation of digital transformation: a comprehensive collaboration type under internal environment dominance (S1a + S1b), the consideration of both an internal and external environment type under mindfulness characteristics’ dominance (S2), and a mindful substitution type under internal environment dominance (S3); and finally, there are four configurations associated with non-high digital transformation openness activation and an asymmetric relationship exists with the high digital transformation openness activation path.