The fast-food service industry has been growing rapidly across China over the last few decades. In accordance with the rising consumption level in the country, Chinese customers care increasingly about their food choices. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that can influence customer satisfaction, loyalty, and happiness, with a particular focus on the moderating role of gender. Data were collected through an online survey completed by customers who visited Western fast-food restaurants (KFC, McDonalds, etc.) in China. The structural equation model was applied to test 12 hypotheses. Results showed that perceived price, food, service, and physical environment quality positively affected customer satisfaction. Perceived price can significantly influence customers’ judgement of the quality dimensions of a restaurant. Moreover, customer satisfaction and happiness can lead to a sense of loyalty. Happiness functions as a mediator between satisfaction and loyalty. Nonetheless, our findings indicated that customers’ perceptions of food quality based on price and satisfaction levels based on service quality differ significantly between the genders, which demonstrated that gender moderation exists in food consumption. This study will contribute to a better understanding of managerial and theoretical perspectives, which will be beneficial for subsequent research.

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Currently, living with COVID-19 under certain protective measures still continues as the “new normal” for most of the world. The disruption that the pandemic has caused to societies and economies, especially to the restaurant industry, may last longer than some had thought. This study intended to find out the key drivers of consumers’ dining-out intentions and their internal relationships. We adopted the structural equation modeling (SEM) method with 508 surveys collected from China and Korea. The results were as follows: perceived psychological risks, subjective norms, and enjoyment are influential to consumers’ dining-out intentions but not restaurant precautionary measures or perceived physical risk; subjective norms have direct implications on both perceived psychological and physical risks, while restaurant precautionary measures can only significantly affect perceived physical risk; enjoyment can be negatively influenced by perceived psychological and physical risks; country can moderate the relationships between subjective norms, perceived physical/psychological risk, and enjoyment. This study provides further understanding of the current food consumption patterns, which will help restaurants set up strategies accordingly to sustain their businesses and get them more prepared for any future outbreaks.

Unexpected incidents are driving global supply chains to the brink of collapse. To effectively manage contingency events like the COVID-19 pandemic and improve operational performance, factors such as information technology (IT), relational competencies, cooperation with supply chain partners and integration of supply chain systems that contribute to cooperation are essential. This study found that IT and relational competencies positively influence the integration of supply chain systems, and relational competencies have a stronger implication on supply chain integration and collaboration. In addition, supply chain collaboration, strengthened by supply chain integration, positively affects contingency management. Finally, contingency management positively influences operational performance. In this study, we adopted partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method in the analysis with 102 surveys collected from business managers. Through the evaluation of determinants of contingency management and supply chain performance, this study widens the theoretical base of supply chain management and provides managers with optimal ways to build a more resilient supply chain system to cope with unexpected incidents. Consequently, with collaboration-based contingency management, companies can solve problems properly and reduce additional loss, which will enhance operational performance and enable sustainable business success.

Emerging technologies have made tremendous changes in people’s daily lives, and they have profoundly influenced their economic and consumption activities. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has also drastically increased individuals’ usage of contactless payment technologies, such as mobile and facial recognition payments, which has accelerated the transformation of digital transaction services in China. In this study, the findings show that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and service security can affect the perceived value and user satisfaction of using contactless payment. Moreover, a higher perceived value and satisfaction level may encourage more post-adoption behaviors, such as continuous and habitual usage of contactless payment methods or encouraging others to use contactless payment methods via word-of-mouth; however, perceived value did not have a direct effect on continuous usage. In addition, there are certain differences in user behavior depending on whether facial recognition payment or mobile QR-code payment is used. For QR-code payment users, overall, their satisfaction and post-adoption behaviors are more strongly bonded with each other compared with the behaviors of facial recognition payment users. This study has generated more information and insight into the transformation of digital payment and can help managers align their strategies more efficiently in the post-pandemic era.

Technological change has drastically shaped developments in the manufacturing and service industries. Integrating Industry 4.0 technologies in business practice is an emerging trend for future-oriented enterprises. By linking the TOE (technology-organization-environment) framework with product innovation, process innovation, and company performance, this research proposes a TOE-based innovation model to investigate Industry 4.0. The test results identified that Industry 4.0 technology adoption can be determined by compatibility, top management support, and competitive pressures, unexpectedly, not cost or employee capability; technology adoption can only indirectly influence company performance through mediation effects of product and process innovation. Results also revealed that industry type and global trade could play moderation roles in the technology adoption process: compared to the manufacturing industry, employee capability seems to be more influential on technology adoption in the service industry; global trade activities cannot significantly impact the technology adoption process, but trade companies are more likely to achieve more process innovation after such adoption. This study can enrich the theoretical bases of Industry 4.0 and confer a better understanding of the ongoing technological revolution in developing countries, which may offer some new insights for practitioners and academics.