Leibniz University of Hanover

About: Leibniz University of Hanover is a education organization based out in Hanover, Niedersachsen, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Finite element method & Computer science. The organization has 14283 authors who have published 29845 publications receiving 682152 citations.

Measuring Consumers' Luxury Value Perception: A Cross-Cultural Framework

Abstract: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In view of the dynamic growth in the luxury market and the availability of luxury goods to a wider range of consumers than ever before, the luxury market has transformed from its traditional conspicuous consumption model to a new experiential luxury sensibility marked by a change in the way consumers define luxury. In a global context, it is critically important for luxury researchers and marketers to understand why consumers buy luxury, what they believe luxury is and how their perception of luxury value impacts their buying behavior. The main contribution of the present paper is to develop an integrated conceptual framework of consumers' luxury value perception for researchers and marketers of luxury goods who may wish to measure the dimensions of individual luxury perception as a general basis for marketing strategies to improve purchase value for different segments of consumers that span the globe. The model illustrates that individual and social as well as financial and functional dimensions significantly impact the consumer's luxury value perception and consumption on an international level. As luxury is a subjective and multidimensional construct, a definition of the luxury concept should follow an integrative understanding. For our purposes, we define luxury as the highest level of prestigious brands encompassing several physical and psychological values. To explain consumers' behavior in relation to luxury brands, apart from interpersonal aspects like snobbery and conspicuousness, personal aspects such as hedonist and perfectionist motives as well as situational conditions (e.g., economic, societal, and political factors) have to be taken into consideration. The consumption of luxury goods involves purchasing a product that represents value to both the individual and their reference group. Referring to personal and interpersonal oriented perceptions of luxury, it is expected that different sets of consumers would have different perceptions of the luxury value for the same brands, and that the overall luxury value of a brand would integrate these perceptions from different perspectives. Even if the overall luxury value level of a certain product or brand may be perceived equally across national borders, a differentiated measurement may reveal that the overall luxury value perception is a combination of different evaluations with regard to the sub-dimensions. Furthermore, this differentiated perception of luxury value may be dependent on the cultural context and the people concerned. Following a comprehensive understanding of the luxury construct, all relevant current and potential value sources of the consumers' luxury perception should be integrated into one single model. A customer's luxury value perception and the motives for luxury brand consumption are not simply tied to a set of social aspects of displaying status, success, distinction and the human desire to impress other people, but also depend on the nature of the financial, functional and individual utilities of the certain luxury brand. Pointing to the fact that luxury value lies in social and individual as well as in functional and financial aspects, it is important to synthesize all relevant cognitive and emotional value dimensions in a multidimensional model. Our model might be a useful instrument for both academics and practitioners who want to better understand consumer behavior; it may also serve as a basis to successfully create, market and monitor luxury brands or products in a cross-cultural context. Even if the world of luxury products is not homogeneous, we believe that the underlying consumer motives and desires transcend national boundaries in a structure that derives from the individual's situation and the luxury value dimensions. Our multi-dimensional model integrates these consumers' value perceptions from different perspectives. Encompassing cognitive and emotional dimensions, it might already lead to a better understanding of the conditions and drivers of luxury product perception and to a broadened view of luxury value which lies in social, individual, functional, and financial aspects. …

Plants in a warmer world

Abstract: Climate is a major determinant for the phenology, physiology, distribution and interactions of plants. The world's recent climate has shown a substantial increase in average temperature which is changing these processes in a perceptible way. The following review compiles and discusses studies reporting recently observed changes in the behaviour, ranges and interactions of species which are thought to be associated with climate change. The multitude of recently published studies providing evidence for the ecological impacts of climate change on many different continents strongly suggests that the last 30 years of warmer temperatures have had a substantial influence on both seasonal patterns, and altitudinal and poleward shifts in vegetation. Common features of change, but also some discrepancies in the response of plants to climate change, are discussed, as well as implications for biodiversity, higher level impacts on community structure and trophic interactions, and some ecosystem consequences.

Selecting skyline services for QoS-based web service composition

Abstract: Web service composition enables seamless and dynamic integration of business applications on the web. The performance of the composed application is determined by the performance of the involved web services. Therefore, non-functional, quality of service aspects are crucial for selecting the web services to take part in the composition. Identifying the best candidate web services from a set of functionally-equivalent services is a multi-criteria decision making problem. The selected services should optimize the overall QoS of the composed application, while satisfying all the constraints specified by the client on individual QoS parameters. In this paper, we propose an approach based on the notion of skyline to effectively and efficiently select services for composition, reducing the number of candidate services to be considered. We also discuss how a provider can improve its service to become more competitive and increase its potential of being included in composite applications. We evaluate our approach experimentally using both real and synthetically generated datasets.

Steam-stable zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-90 membrane with hydrogen selectivity through covalent functionalization.

Abstract: A novel covalent functionalization strategy was developed to prepare reproducible ZIF-90 molecular sieve membranes by using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as a covalent linker between the ZIF-90 layer and Al(2)O(3) support via imines condensation. The ZIF-90 membranes show high thermal and hydrothermal stabilities, and they allow the separation of hydrogen from larger gases by molecular sieving.