Suchergebnisse

Purpose
Pets reflect the identity and moral values of their owners. The purpose of this study is to examine how pet owners' political identity (liberal–conservative) influences the relationship they forge with their pets as well as their purchase behaviors of pet-related products and services.


Design/methodology/approach
This study conducted two surveys of pet owners with different political identities and measured both their relationship with their pets and their purchase intentions of medical-related products and services as well as luxury accessories. Two secondary data sources were used to provide additional support.


Findings
This study shows that, on one hand, pet owners anthropomorphize their pets as if they were human equals. On the other hand, they consider themselves masters and emphasize control. The former aligns with the individualizing values endorsed by liberals, while the latter aligns with conservatives' binding values. Reflecting their different values and owner-pet relationship characteristics, liberals and conservatives exhibit different purchase patterns. Liberals are more likely to buy medical-related products and services, while conservatives are more likely to buy branded luxury accessories for their pets.


Research limitations/implications
Both primary studies are survey-based and data are correlational in nature. In addition, the samples are limited to the USA. While research suggests that the liberal-conservative continuum is universal, additional research is needed to generalize the findings to other countries.


Practical implications
Understanding the owner-dog relationship in the context of political identity and the effect of these relationships on dog owners' purchases offer interesting managerial implications in terms of product offerings, retail assortment decisions of related products and pet product branding.


Originality/value
While dog ownership and related purchases are on the rise, research on owner-pet relationships is scant. This study provides theoretical contributions and implications by going beyond general relationship closeness and bringing in the role of owners' (political) identity.

This open access book introduces the National Health Insurance (NHI) system of Taiwan with a particular emphasis on its application of digital technology to improve healthcare access and quality. The authors explicate how Taiwan integrates its strong Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry with 5G to construct an information system that facilitates medical information exchange, collects data for planning and research, refines medical claims review procedures and even assists in fighting COVID-19. Taiwan's NHI, launched in 1995, is a single-payer system funded primarily through payroll-based premiums. It covers all citizens and foreign residents with the same comprehensive benefits without the long waiting times seen in other single-payer systems. Though premium rate adjustment and various reforms were carried out in 2010, the NHI finds itself at a crossroads over its financial stability. With the advancement of technologies and an aging population, it faces challenges of expanding coverage to newly developed treatments and diagnosis methods and applying the latest innovations to deliver telemedicine and more patient-centered services. The NHI, like the national health systems of other countries, also needs to address the privacy concerns of the personal health data it collects and the issues regarding opening this data for research or commercial use. In this book, the 12 chapters cover the history, characteristics, current status, innovations and future reform plans of the NHI in the digital era. Topics explored include: Income Strategy Payment Structure Pursuing Health Equity Infrastructure of the Medical Information System Innovative Applications of the Medical Information Applications of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Digital Health Care in Taiwan is essential reading for academic researchers and students in healthcare administration, health policy, health systems research, and health services delivery, as well as policymakers and public officials in relevant government departments. It also would appeal to academics, practitioners, and other professionals in public health, health sciences, social welfare, and health and biotechnology law.

Experiences of women who served during the Vietnam War have been described in interviews/anecdotal reports but rarely in empirical literature. Potential positive (versus negative) aspects of service or its impact on well-being are seldom considered. We describe stressful and positive experiences reported by approximately 1,300 female military personnel, Red Cross workers, and others deployed to Vietnam. Prominent stressful (e.g., negative living/working conditions) and positive (e.g., interpersonal relationships) themes and differences based on trauma history, Vietnam experiences, and group membership are explored. We evaluate associations between themes and psychological well-being. Findings provide insight into experiences of this understudied group of women.

Abstract
Building more homes and amenities in the wildland-urban interface (wui) is not a sustainable practice as it is associated with a greater risk of wildfire, social vulnerability, and ecological damage. Yet, the issue of whether or how to regulate the expansion of the wui remains contentious and largely unresolved in understanding sustainable development. There are fewer studies that explore how wildfire risks are compounded by social vulnerability of people who reside in the fire prone wui. Additionally, much of the extant research is focused on the national or regional level management of ecosystems and forest fires, with a clear lack of focus on local level dynamics. To fill these gaps, our analysis outlines the preliminary steps to identify social vulnerability, ecological damage, and wildfire risk in the wui fire hazard zones of the highest severity type. Utilizing gis mapping, wildfire risk, and census data on social vulnerability, our analysis reveals patterns of the wui expansion in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1990 to 2010 and provides policy recommendations from a sustainable development perspective to address social vulnerability, wildfire risk, and ecological concerns over the wui.