Tourism and hospitality service providers have been seeking ways to engage customers into the value creation process to deliver personalized customer experience. Rapid development of information communication technology has facilitated such practice by providing various computer-based or mobile platforms. While online platforms such as social network sites and online communities have received most research attention, mobile instant messaging (IM) remains under-researched in spite of its unique potential for firm-customer interaction and communication. Based on service-dominant logic (Vargo & Lusch, 2004) and computer-mediated communication theories (Walther, 1996), this study examines (1) the factors influencing customers’ perceived co-creation experience facilitated by mobile IM, and (2) customers’ perceived value of personalization results from such experience in the tourism and hospitality context. Data was collected via online survey targeting Chinese users and was analyzed using structural equation modelling. The results found significant positive effects of users’ perceived social presence, perceived media richness and prior experiences on their co-creation experience. The significant positive relationships between customers’ co-creation experience and perceived personalization of the service offering validate the unique potential of mobile IM to engage customers into value co-creation with tourism and hospitality service providers. The findings extend the theoretical framework of value cocreation to a context mediated by mobile IM. Managerial suggestions are provided for tourism and hospitality companies to engage with customers using mobile IM.

Bacillus thuringiensis, an entomopathogenic bacterium belonging to the B. cereus group, harbors numerous extra-chromosomal DNA molecules whose sizes range from 2 to 250 kb. In this study, we used a plasmid capture system (PCS) to clone three small plasmids from B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki K1 using PCS which were not found in B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1, and determined the complete nucleotide sequence of plasmid pK1S-1 (5.5 kb). Of the six putative open reading frames (ORF2-ORF7) in pK1S-1, ORF2 (MobK1) showed approximately 90% aa identity with the Mob-proteins of pGI2 and pTX14-2, which are rolling circle replicating group VII (RCR group VII) plasmids from B. thuringiensis. In addition, a putative origin of transfer (oriT) showed 95.8% identity with those of pGI2 and pTX14-2. ORF3 (RepK1) showed relatively low aa identity (17.8-25.2%) with the Rep protein coded by RCR plasmids, however. The putative double-strand origin of replication (dso) and single-strand origin of replication (sso) of pK1S-1 exhibited approximately 70% and 64% identities with those of pGI2 and pTX14-2. ORF6 and 7 showed greater than 50% similarities with alkaline serine protease, which belongs to the subtilase family. The other 2 ORFs were identified as hypothetical proteins. To determine the replicon of pK1S-1, seven subclones were contructed in the B. t huringiensis ori-negative pHT1K vector and were electroporated into a plasmid cured B. thuringiensis strain. The 1.6 kb region that included the putative ORF3 (Rep1K), dso and ORF4, exhibited replication ability. These findings identified pK1S-1 as a new RCR group VII plasmid, and determined its replication region.