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Consumers' selections and decision-making processes are some of the most exciting and challenging topics in neuromarketing, sales, and branding. From a global perspective, multicultural influences and societal conditions are crucial to consider. Neuroscience applications in international marketing and consumer behavior is an emergent and multidisciplinary field aiming to understand consumers' thoughts, reactions, and selection processes in branding and sales. This study focuses on real-time monitoring of different physiological signals using eye-tracking, facial expressions recognition, and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) acquisition methods to analyze consumers' responses, detect emotional arousal, measure attention or relaxation levels, analyze perception, consciousness, memory, learning, motivation, preference, and decision-making. This research aimed to monitor human subjects' reactions to these signals during an experiment designed in three phases consisting of different branding advertisements. The nonadvertisement exposition was also monitored while gathering survey responses at the end of each phase. A feature extraction module with a data analytics module was implemented to calculate statistical metrics and decision-making supporting tools based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Feature Importance (FI) determination based on the Random Forest technique. The results indicate that when compared to image ads, video ads are more effective in attracting consumers' attention and creating more emotional arousal.

The following Arbitration practice note provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on Arbitration as a dispute resolution method in Macau

This paper examines the extent to which China’s aid policies integrate poverty alleviation as a goal of their aid in general, particularly in Guinea. More specifically, the paper analyzed how aid donors focus on poverty alleviation and which policies and mechanisms are in place to address poverty in the countries receiving aid. Regarding the methodology, the author collected data from secondary sources, including government declarations of donors, policy documents at both the donor and recipient levels, as well as from scholarly publications. The following findings resulted from study:  China’s aid policies have progressively incorporated poverty alleviationobjectives and identified sectors for intervention against poverty. However, the limitations of China approach to poverty is that China adopts a top-down approach to poverty reduction and lacks of an impact evaluation mechanism based on poverty alleviation.

Purpose Research on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has typically considered environmental concern a key determinant of behavioral intention that leads individuals to prefer electric vehicles. This paper challenges this assumption and argues that technology frameworks may require new variables to capture consumers' preferences. A UTAUT2-based study has been developed to assess the role of environmental concern in the BEVs context and put forward the technology show-off (TS) concept to explain the technology's acceptance. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative and cross-sectional look at behavioral intention is adopted. The study uses structural equation modeling to analyze a sample of 236 Macau residents to determine the relevance of the factors behind the choice to adopt BEVs. Findings The findings indicate that environmental concern and price may be relevant to explain behavioral intention to adopt the BEVs technology. Furthermore, the UTAUT2 framework seems to benefit from adding new variables, with TS playing a pertinent role in explaining technology acceptance. Social implications The findings show that environmental concern fails to build an argument for the shift to full electric mobility and promote the desired behavioral change toward adopting BEVs. Herein lies the necessity to consider new variables that can better describe the characteristics of modern society. Originality/value This paper proposes the TS construct, combining visibility and trialability as significant determinants of behavioral intention to use technology. The study also stresses the need to reconsider the role of environmental concerns' impact on consumer decision-making.

It is argued that the role of the Chinese government to support the cross-border operations of Chinese firms is to assist these firms in overcoming their limited established brands, and their disadvantages in technology and managerial resources, which were also the reasons why such firms decided to enter emerging markets instead of developed markets. This strategic choice is preferred to avoid direct confrontation with established firms from developed countries endowed with superior ownership advantages. Therefore, Chinese resources seeking firms innovate by increasing investment in developing and emerging markets to develop unique ownership advantages for sustainable market development and competitive advantage. This research investigates the ownership advantages of resources seeking Chinese firms in these markets using the OLI theory. The paper contributes to explaining the specific advantages of Chinese MNEs when entering emerging markets. The study applied a two-stage qualitative methodology to examine Chinese firms operating in Nigeria. The first stage included an exploratory study based on interviews with key informants and experts while the second stage included a case study methodology. The study focused on resources seeking Chinese MNEs operating in Nigeria.

Employees are vital for enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty in service organizations because their proactive involvement is an essential part of delivering the services offered. With the recent rapid growth of tourism in the Macau SAR, service employee workloads are clearly increasing, and consequently one would expect that the incidence of job burnout is rising. This study uses the well-known Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to investigate the relationship between service employees' burnout and their willingness to deliver quality services. Self-administered questionnaires from 110 operational staff in three hotels in Macau have been analyzed. The results indicate that job burnout reduces staff's willingness to deliver quality services and that this effect is moderated by individual staff's level of affective organizational commitment, and their perceptions of the extent of organizational and supervisor support provided by the organization. Based on these results, practical managerial strategies to improve service performance are identified.

The importance of empowerment in service industries is recognized by practitioners and scholars in the West but there has been limited investigation of its impact on the willingness of service personnel in a high power-distance culture. This study examines how empowerment can be facilitated in the high power-distance context of China. Regression and path model analysis using a sample of 290 service employees from six 4-star to 5-star hotels in the Macau SAR China indicate that empowerment positively leads to higher service willingness and this relationship is mediated by performance-based rewards, and organizational and supervisor support. These findings have implications for HR managers considering or using empowerment.

Purpose – Given the diversity which exists among various groups of consumers, the purpose of this paper is to explore students' consumption of non‐alcoholic beverages in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach – Three focus groups and 20 in‐depth interviews were conducted with students in three universities located in Lagos, Nigeria. Findings – Initial findings indicate that these students' consumption of non‐alcoholic beverages is influenced in many ways. Nevertheless, the most striking of these influences are found to be convenience of purchase, along with availability, price, health concerns, and culture/social reasons. Originality/value – The main contribution of the study lies in the relevance of segmentation, targeting, and positioning activities of business organisations in respect of marketing of non‐alcoholic beverages. Based on the findings, the empirical study will serve as a valuable input to marketers in their planning, analysis, and implementation of appropriate marketing strategies to students vis‐à‐vis the highlighted influences on their consumption of this category of food. It will thus serve as a tool for creating competitive advantage in this prevailing volatile business environment.

We critically review studies of subjective wellbeing conducted in China by the International Wellbeing Group, and we evaluate the International Wellbeing Index (IWI), a new instrument they developed. Subjective wellbeing was positive and similar in studies across China, and conformed to the normative range. Its resilience (PWI = 61.2–67.1) mirrors survey findings conducted in Western countries, in agreement with Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis. Reliability, validity and psychometric analyses support the utility of the IWI as a measure of subjective wellbeing. Our conclusions have implications for research and social development in China, discussed further in this review.

This chapter explores Quality of Work Life (QWL) in Macau. We investigate the meanings and importance of QWL and its implications in terms of happiness and business performance. Although QWL is central to people’s lives, research on this topic is still in its infancy in Macau. Our interviews revealed three salient themes of QWL: Work context, the perceived benefits and demands of the job; Organization, mainly work environment and factors within the organizational context mediating QWL; and the implications of QWL on overall living and happiness.

Hydrology modeling became a relevant topic for the Cidade da Praia, Cabo Verde, Africa, due to negative impact risk to local population and its assets. The modeling via Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can help the decision-making process of space occupation and characterization for this type of risk. Under the municipalities of Praia, the phenomenon of flash flood is common, causing soil erosion and landslide. This constitutes a risk for the local habitat, particularly in districts with a lack of strong human infrastructures. To simulate, analyze and generate risk maps using GIS to help this county governance authorities for decision-making, thus, becomes the main aim of this article.

This article reviews the role that the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) plays in China’s cultural and public diplomacy through training programmes organised by the Macao Forum and tailored for the elite of the world’s Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs). It begins with a review of China’s approach to key instruments of its soft-power offensive and strategy towards the developing world, followed by an overview of Beijing’s linkages with each PSC. Formulated as an expression of China’s cultural diplomacy towards the PSCs, the seminars of the Macao Forum serve as a kind of cooperation in which the provider party—rather than delivering tangible goods and services such as food, money, loans or infrastructure—actually offers grey matter in the form of ideas for initiatives in public policies and reforms, in order to foster further economic development and administrative rationalisation. Adding to an intense debate and substantial literature that discuss quantitatively and qualitatively China’s role in and aid provision to Africa, the authors argue that China, through the Macao Forum’s training programmes, courts the developing PSCs by building the capacity of their human capital, targeting in particular those in the public and private sectors who are in a position to implement their ideas.

One of the purposes of this study is to evaluate how the choice of teaching method can be assisted by knowledge of a student’s personality type and learning style. The present research is undertaken in the context of Web 2.0 tools use within the Portuguese literature subject at Escola Portuguesa de Macao (EPM). The Felder-Soloman index of learning style (ILS) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) based upon Jung’s theory of psychological nature were used as measures of learning style and personality type with 8th grade EPM students. Descriptive and chi-squared correlation statistical results of the associations between personality and learners types are presented. These results are discussed positing that the knowledge of student’s personality traits and learning styles together may have a notable implication for teaching methods.

One of the six gaming concession holders in Macao, Macao Entertainment Corp (MEC)1, undertook to centralize three casino/entertainment properties through utilization of a centralized Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in April 2010. The Supply Chain (SC) department was the first to apply the ERP in...

This paper starts to address the affect and side-effects of social media on people’s live in a pure contemplation perspective. Social networks are revised and some issues regarding its impact on education was not forgotten such as the teacher role in the digital classroom, formal versus informal learning or Web 2.0 tools use. Since Moodle is the first Learning Management System whilst Facebook is the first social network in the world, a survey was accomplished with two independent classes of e-business students at University of Saint Joseph, Macao, China, on their attitudes toward both online services in a learning framework. In general, the results confirms to a certain extent others previous studies on the question of whether using Facebook as an educational tool is more effective than Moodle.

This article explores how state and society relations have been affected by the development of information technology in China over the past 20 years. It argues that despite all the transformative changes that such technology has helped bring about, ?benefits? have to be weighed in terms of both empowerment of society and strengthening of state capacity. Ultimately, the digital challenge has not translated into a weakening of the authoritarian state, and this can be explained by the very nature of the party-state in China and how it has managed to make use of communication tools that prove to be both constructive and divisive.

Information contained within documents is an essential ingredient of any office operation. A content management application (CMA) is an organization plan for the conception, use, retention, disposal and selective preservation of its data. Using an appropriate CMA framework can greatly help Macao Government agencies, for instance, that are increasingly using electronic means to create, exchange and store a major variety of records daily. By definition, a record is information, in whatever form, for government functions, activities, decisions and other important transactions. As expected, as the volume of electronic information increases, so does the complexity of managing electronic records. This project goal was to evaluate the software capabilities of the Alfresco© Enterprise Content Management (ECM) against a set of functional requirements, aimed by the Macao Government agency. Drawing on the results of this evaluation, the present analysis concludes that Alfresco© ECM is capable of supporting an entire agency needs related to the management of its records content.