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This study investigated how sources of information across social media platforms influence fantasy users’ sport consumption and enhance their performance expectancy. Specifically, we examined the effects of social media-related motivation on fantasy users’ playing skills, sense of competition and performance expectancy based on the uses and gratifications theory.

Data were collected from 453 fantasy sport users on social media platforms. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis to assess a measurement model and used serial mediation techniques to examine the relationship between social media-related motivation and fantasy sport users’ performance expectancy.

Results showed that social media-related motivation had significant and positive impacts on fantasy users’ playing skills, sense of competition and performance expectancy. Additionally, we found that fantasy users’ playing skills increased their sense of competition and performance expectancy. A sense of competition was found to positively affect fantasy users’ performance expectancy.

This study provided a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge on social media by investigating the influence of social media-related motivation on fantasy sport users. The findings reveal that sharing content-based information on social media platforms plays a vital role in attracting and motivating individuals to engage in fantasy sports. The updated information enhances the playing skills of fantasy users, fosters a sense of competition and improves performance in virtual sport.

Social media is replete with malicious and unempathetic rhetoric yet few studies explain why these emotions are publicly dispersed. The purpose of the study is to investigate how the intergroup counter-empathic response called schadenfreude originates and how it prompts media consumption and engagement.

The study consists of two field surveys of 635 in-group members of two professional sports teams and 300 residents of California and Texas with political party affiliations. The analysis uses SEM quantitative methods.

Domain passion and group identification together determine the harmonious/obsessive tendencies of passion for an activity and explain the schadenfreude response toward the rival out-group. Group identification is a stronger driver of obsessive passion compared to harmonious passion. Schadenfreude directly influences the use of traditional media (TV, radio, domain websites), it triggers social media engagement (posting), and it accelerates harmonious passion's effects on social media posting.

The study is limited by the groups used to evaluate the research model, sports, and politics.

The more highly identified and passionate group members experience greater counter-empathy toward a rival. At extreme levels of group identification, obsessive passion increases at an increasing rate and may characterize extremism. Harboring feelings of schadenfreude toward the out-group prompts those with harmonious passion for an activity to more frequently engage on social media in unempathetic ways.

This study links the unempathetic, yet common emotion of schadenfreude with passion, intergroup dynamics, and media behavior.

The current study investigated the relationship between nostalgia, conspicuous consumption, and impulse buying and compared gender differences in the effects of nostalgia on conspicuous consumption and impulse buying.

A total of 307 college students in western Singapore were recruited. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the scales and estimate model path coefficients. A multi-group analysis was conducted to test if the path coefficients in the research model varied across genders.

This study found that nostalgia had a positive influence on consumers’ conspicuous consumption, which in turn had a positive impact on their impulse buying of sport products. The results of the multi-group analysis also revealed significant differences across gender groups in that the impacts of nostalgia on conspicuous consumption and impulse buying were stronger for male consumers.

This study forges new ground by investigating the intricate dynamics among nostalgia, conspicuous consumption, and impulse buying in the context of sport. By delving into the relationships between them and exploring gender disparities in their effects, this study enhances our understanding of the pivotal role nostalgia plays in shaping consumer behavior in sport. In addition, the identification of gender-specific patterns underscores the significance of tailored marketing approaches for effectively engaging both male and female consumers. Overall, this study presents fresh perspectives that can inform the development of targeted marketing strategies for sport marketers and retailers aiming to optimize their offerings and promotional endeavors.

This study aims to explore the relationship between Generation Z (or Gen Z) consumers’ decision-making styles and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) use in the tourism sector. Drawing on the consumer style inventory (CSI) model and the theory of reasoned action (TRA), the research examines how specific decision-making styles influence Gen Z’s propensity to use eWOM recommendations for accommodation choices.

The study uses structural equation modelling to analyse data collected from 296 Gen Z users of Booking.com. The CSI model is adapted to the analysed context and attributes – impulsive, recreational, sustainable, fashion-conscious and perfectionist attitudes – are examined to determine their impact on eWOM use intention and actual eWOM use.

Three of the hypothesised relationships in the model were validated. Specifically, the results suggest that the attitudes of sustainable and perfectionist consumers influence the intention to use eWOM. Furthermore, use intention is positively associated with the actual use of eWOM.

For marketers and tourism businesses, understanding the decision-making styles of Gen Z can inform the development of targeted marketing strategies that emphasise quality and sustainability. Highlighting these aspects in online reviews and eWOM platforms can enhance engagement with Gen Z consumers.

This research advances the understanding of eWOM behaviour by integrating CSI and TRA theories in the context of Gen Z’s tourism decision-making. It provides empirical evidence on the significant role of perfectionist and sustainable attitudes in shaping eWOM intentions, contributing to the literature on consumer behaviour and digital marketing in tourism.

This paper's purpose is twofold. First, based on a case study, it aims to comprehend the consequences of COVID-19 on the demand and supply shocks of the freight transportation system in Mexico. Second, it seeks to provide an integrated perspective of four transportation modes, which would help prepare public policies for future global pandemics.

Analyzing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the freight transportation system, which affects national and global economies, is essential to drawing valuable insights for the future. To facilitate international comparative analysis, conducting case studies at a country level was deemed necessary. As a result, a case study was conducted in Mexico using an integrated approach involving four transportation modes.

To manage disruptions in freight flow during uncertain conditions, a comprehensive perspective on the four modes of transportation and data-driven decision-making is crucial. Under this context, three initiatives can be identified: 1) establishing a National Center for Intelligence in Logistics to improve data-driven governance; 2) appointing the “Integrated Transportation Corridor Management Manager” (ITCMM) function to coordinate multiple authorities with different acting in critical freight transport corridors, and 3) creation of a digital tool based on millions of GPS data to monitor freight flows, allowing for collective intelligence among logistics actors.

This research's limitations are related to using non-standardized databases to gather information on four transportation modes. However, this limitation is also an interesting discovery. Mexico is becoming a strategic logistics hub between North America and Latin America, especially under the “Nearshoring” trend. Unfortunately, the lack of an integrated public policy in logistics and transportation reduces Mexico's capacity to deal with disruptions and its economic competitiveness.

This research has identified practices that could be crucial in improving public policies to optimize shipping routes and reduce wait times while minimizing disruptions caused by unforeseen events. A concrete example is the digital platform called “eraclitux,” a computer tool similar to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system companies use. This tool can enable a “Control Tower” that monitors freight flow in transportation corridors under the supervision of “Integrated Transportation Corridor Management Managers.” The tool can make reactive and predictive decisions that help to enhance the logistics value provided by transportation infrastructure.

The importance of a well-coordinated and integrated public policy for freight transportation was identified to ensure better performance during disruptions. Delays in the flow of goods can significantly impact the supply of essential items such as food and medicine, ultimately affecting the population's quality of life.

Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the extent of vulnerability and the impact of COVID-19 on freight transportation. However, most of these studies assume a developed market context or a single-mode transportation approach, which only applies to some situations. To gain a comprehensive understanding of how pandemics-induced demand and supply shocks affected freight transportation in developing countries such as Mexico, this paper offers insights from a four-transportation mode perspective. Mexico is facing a challenging Nearshoring trend in manufacturing, making it a significant logistics node between North and South America.

Physical activity is an eminent practice for the maintenance of physical and mental health. Physical fitness always enables students to perform their various tasks efficiently specifically in academic performance. Student health is a principal factor for the performance of all kinds of activities particularly in academic performance. This study aimed to evaluate physical activity among university students and the factors for being inactive.

A questionnaire was designed and distributed among the students via WhatsApp, Skype and email, however, some responses were collected physically to maintain the quality of data. The questionnaire was categorized into demographic factors, current physical activity status and reasons for physical inactivity. Each section was further divided into questions and total 24 questions were asked from each individual for evaluation of inactiveness.

The finding of this research explored that enormous number of students are doing part time jobs and unable to find enough time for relaxation. The research was limited and evaluated limited factors and explored that 60.6% of students had less time for entertainment and this is only 2 h for this 60.6% of students. Among all factors of physical activity walking was preferable for 48.34% of the students. Students want to participate in healthy activities. Moreover, students are unable to perform physical exercise due to busy schedules of jobs (47.02%), part-time job burden (15.89%), study burden (35.10%) and poor health conditions (1.32%).

This study concluded that higher percentage of students have stress of limited resources and under this stress condition they are unable to take a balanced diet which they considered cost-effective. They did not perform maximum in their academic and daily activities and did not participate in sports activities. It was also observed that institutions did not provide a sufficient platform for physical activity for students. The research shows the factors which affect the student’s academic performance as being physically inactive. Evaluation of results explored that numerous students have limited resources during their career development and their attention remain diverted to overcome their limited resources which keep them physically unfit. The findings also explored that physically inactive students have heavy study and job burden which is not overcome and analyzed by their institutions.

The use of technology in 4th industrial revolution is at its peak. Industries are trying to reduce the consumption of resources by effectively utilizing information and technology to connect different functioning agents of the manufacturing industry. Without digitization “Industry 4.0” will be a virtual reality. The present survey-based study explores the factual status of digital manufacturing in the Northern India.

After an extensive literature review, a questionnaire was designed to gather different viewpoints of Indian industrial practitioners. The first half contains questions related to north Indian demographic factors which may affect digitalization of India. The latter half includes the queries concerned with various operational factors (or drivers) driving the digital revolution without ignoring Indian constraints.

The focus of this survey was to understand the current level of digital revolution under the ongoing push by the Indian government focused upon digital movement. The analysis included non-parametric testing of the various demographic and functional factors impacting the digital echoes, specifically in Northern India. Findings such as technological upgradations were independent of type of industry, the turnover or the location. About 10 key operational factors were thoughtfully grouped into three major categories—internal Research and Development (R&D), the capability of the supply chain and the capacity to adapt to the market. These factors were then examined to understand how they contribute to digital manufacturing, utilizing an appropriate ordinal logistic regression. The resulting predictive analysis provides seldom-seen insights and valuable suggestions for the most effective deployment of digitalization in Indian industries.

The country-specific Industry 4.0 literature is quite limited. The survey mainly focuses on the National Capital Region. The number of demographic and functional factors can further be incorporated. Moreover, an addition of factors related to ecology, environment and society can make the study more insightful.

The present work provides valuable insights about the current status of digitization and expects to facilitate public or private policymakers to implement digital technologies in India with less efforts and the least resistance. It empowers India towards Industry 4.0 based tools and techniques and creates new socio-economic dimensions for the sustainable development.

The quantitative nature of the study and its statistical predictions (data-based) are novel. The clubbing of similar success factors to avoid inter-collinearity and complexity is seldom seen. The predictive analytics provided in this study is quite elusive as it provides directions with logic. It will help the Indian Government and industrial strategists to plan and perform their interventions accordingly.

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of three coping strategies (i.e. active, expressive, and denial coping) in the relationships between service failures (i.e. high- and low-contact service failures) and negative behavioral intentions (i.e. switching intention).

The critical incident technique (CIT) was used to identify the conceptually categorized service failure types in the fitness industry, and then confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed to examine the mediating effect of coping strategies among high-contact service failure and switching intention (study 1) and the mediating effect of coping strategies among low-contact service failure and switching intention (study 2).

While the mediating effect of coping strategies was significant in the relationship between high-contact service failures (study 1) and negative behaviors (i.e. switching intention and complaints), it was not significant in the relationship between low-contact service failures (study 2) and switching intention. Out of the three coping strategies, the impact of active coping was significant.

This study extends the understanding of the mediating effect of coping strategies in the relation between high- and low-contact service failures and switching intention.

This study aims to understand the mechanisms driving individuals to utilise and engage in edu-business and contribute to the industry’s development, even when they face criticism. To that end, this paper, focussing on corporate stories, explores the cultural strategies education companies employ to expand their businesses overseas.

This paper examines the case study of Kumon Institute of Education, a key player in the Japanese edu-business sector. The analysis is based on interviews conducted between 2019 and 2021 with four public relations officers who possess extensive knowledge of the company’s history. Additionally, it draws on government and company documents, as well as newspaper articles. The analysis focusses on the narrative isomorphism between the company and the government from the provider’s perspective.

Kumon’s corporate stories and narratives have been shaped by the history, culture and policies of Japan, its country of origin, rather than adopting a bottom-up approach or embracing neoliberal values. As the company expanded its international reach, its Japanese identity became a cornerstone of its narrative, heightening the appeal of its stories through the use of expert discourse and historic cultural resources. Recently, a synergy has developed between the public and private sectors in the realm of education export, reinforcing the distinctly Japanese nature of the company, which is particularly appealing to both users and employees.

This paper focusses on the edu-business itself, analysing cultural strategies that go beyond the functional aspects of management or services to understand how edu-businesses have attracted people.

Despite the plethora of scholarship outputs on masculinity showing it as a fertile research domain, there are noteworthy lacunae on the topic especially in relation to its dynamics among ethnic minority groups. Accordingly, this paper aims to address masculinity and symbolic consumption among Black African consumers in the UK.

The study is interpretive in nature with the use of in-depth interviews conducted with 20 participants in London and the data analysis follows the grounded theory orientation.

It shows masculinity-oriented categorisations of market offerings but with an incidence of cultural tension. It suggests the prevalence of symbolic consumption among participants as demonstrated in their quest for admiration and commendation about their consumption and how masculinity is communicated. A new masculinity typology emerged from the study which depicts men in this context as falling into four categories of gay, conservative, contemporary and men on acme.

The study unpacks issues around masculinity, and multiculturalism, and proposes a novel typology on the topic vis-à-vis the discourse on segmentation, targeting and positioning strategy.