Search results

This research aims to address the need for a more in-depth empirical investigation of exploring the link between the adoption of corporate citizenship (CC) practices and different aspects of customer behavior in a developing country. Also, it develops a research framework and assesses the mediating role of brand image, brand love, brand reputation and brand trust between customer perceptions of CC and customer loyalty.

Working with a sample of 290 private bank customers in Iran, partial least square-based structural equation modeling is used to test the conceptual model.

The findings reveal significant and positive relationships between CC, brand image, love and reputation. Indirectly and in the relationship between CC and customer loyalty, there are significant relationships through the serial roles of image-reputation, image-love and image-trust. Most importantly, the findings add value to the current knowledge by exploring the mediating effect of brand image, love, reputation and trust between CC and customer loyalty. Finally, this study has resulted in an updated prediction model of private banking customer loyalty.

This study makes a unique theoretical contribution to the literature by evaluating and comparing the mediating role of image, love, reputation and brand trust between CC and customer loyalty using the hierarchy of effects model.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of employee live streamers on consumers' purchase behaviors and brand image, as well as to understand the mediating roles of friendship and self-congruity.

A framework was proposed to explain the influence of employee live streamers' qualities on consumers' behaviors and brand image through the mediators of friendship and self-congruity. Primary data was collected from 225 valid survey responses in China, and the PLS-SEM analysis was employed to test the statistical significance of the hypothesized relationships.

The study found that four qualities of employee live streamers – trustworthiness, attractiveness, responsiveness and expertise – had significant effects on consumers' purchase behaviors and brand image through the mediators of self-congruity and friendship.

This research provides valuable insights into the varying roles of employee live streamers in consumers' decision-making and brand image formation. It offers a theoretical basis for scholars to understand the factors of PSI (parasocial interaction) between consumers and an employee streamer, contributing to the growing body of literature on live streaming and consumer behavior.

本研究旨在调查员工直播主对消费者购买行为和品牌形象的影响, 以及了解友谊和自我一致性在其中的中介作用。

本研究提出了一个框架, 以解释员工直播主的特质通过友谊和自我一致性的中介对消费者行为和品牌形象的影响。在中国收集了225份有效的调查问卷数据, 并采用PLS-SEM分析来测试假设关系的统计显著性。

研究发现员工直播主的四种特质 - 可信度、吸引力、反应能力和专业性 - 通过自我一致性和友谊的中介对消费者的购买行为和品牌形象产生了显著影响。

本研究深入探讨了员工直播主在消费者决策和品牌形象塑造中的不同作用, 为学者们理解消费者与员工直播主之间PSI（伪社交互动）的因素提供了理论基础, 为直播和消费者行为领域的日益增长的文献体系做出了贡献。

This study aims to explore the pathway of increasing hotel booking intentions by mapping the linkage mechanism between the antecedents and components of brand equity to ultimately drive followers’ hotel booking intention. In addition, the role of over-endorsement as a moderating variable is also evaluated.

The conceptual model and research hypotheses were each assessed using covariance-based structural equation modeling. Paper-based and online surveys were used to collect data from 443 respondents who are TikTok users and follow at least one TikTok online celebrity, while that online celebrity must have reviewed at least one type of accommodation.

Except for the relationship between virtual interactivity and online celebrity brand image, the results confirmed the relationships between research concepts.

Further studies are needed to validate the results in other cultural contexts, generalize findings and broaden the range of target respondents.

This study contributes to the hotel literature by illustrating how online celebrity brand equity (OCBE) drives hotel booking intentions. The study highlights the importance of antecedent factors – follower-centered drivers (e.g. lifestyle congruence, friendship) and online celebrity-led drivers (e.g. virtual interactivity, expertise) – to achieve a hierarchical relationship between OCBE components and followers’ booking intentions.

This study aims to examine how halal-friendly attributes at non-Islamic destinations affect the tourist attitude and visiting intentions of Muslim tourists of different genders from ASEAN countries.

The study used a structured survey with a non-probability, convenience sampling approach, targeting residents of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. To assess the impact of halal-friendly attributes on destination image, tourist attitude and visiting intentions, a structural equation model was applied, analyzing the data across different genders.

The results indicate that the social environment exerts a positive influence on tourist attitudes for both males and females. In contrast, facilities have a negative impact on visiting intentions in both groups, with a more pronounced effect among males. While food and beverages positively influence the attitudes of female tourists, this effect is not observed in male tourists. Local factors and staff interactions show a strong positive impact on visiting intentions for males but only a marginal effect for females. The quality of service significantly boosts visiting intentions in both genders. Interestingly, tourist attitudes appear to have a negative effect on visiting intentions, with this trend being more evident in the female sample.

The study is limited by its use of convenience sampling and self-reported data, which may not represent broader Indonesian perspectives and could introduce biases. Its focus on Indonesian perceptions and unexpected findings regarding tourist attitudes limit its generalizability and suggest unexplored factors affecting travel intentions.

This study offers new insights into how gender differences among Muslim tourists shape their intentions toward visiting non-Islamic destinations, emphasizing the role of halal-friendly attributes. These findings equip tourism operators and marketers with essential knowledge for developing inclusive, culturally sensitive practices, enhancing the travel experience for this significant segment of the global tourism market.

The purpose of this study is to examine crisis effects on customer satisfaction and underlying drivers by adding a new set of data to previous research. The core questions are: are the findings from Hallencreutz and Parmler (2019, 2021) sustained or can new customer demands, needs, expectations and behaviours be traced in the wake of the ongoing crisis?

A first study covering 2005–2017 was completed in 2018, published online in 2019 and in print in 2021 (Hallencreutz and Parmler, 2021). This new study adds the years 2018–2023 to the data set and reuses the partial least squares (PLS) approach to structural equation models, also known as PLS path modelling.

This additional study sustains the results from the initial study (Hallencreutz and Parmler, 2019, 2021). The variable product quality has been substituted by service quality as one of the most crucial drivers for customer satisfaction together with brand image, and the current state of permacrisis has not changed that.

The study is built on Swedish data from the EPSI Rating Initiative (Eklöf and Westlund 2002) covering customer perceptions in banking, insurance (life and non-life), telco (mobile operators, broadband and Pay-tv) and energy (trade, distribution and heating) over the years 2005–2023.

The study emphasizes the importance of understanding how customer satisfaction drivers evolve over time in different industries and societal sectors, especially during crises. This additional study sustains the paradigm shift in the studied industries – product quality has been substituted by service quality as one of the most crucial drivers for customer satisfaction, and the current state of economic downturn has not changed that.

Society will have to learn to live with political and economic instability and unpredictability for the foreseeable future. To recognize the increasing value deriving from firms’ intangible assets while providing flawless deliveries seems to be a way forward in troublesome times. This is also a catalyst for existing societal trends: the necessary reforms to master sustainable transformations will require an ongoing adaptation process, with both winners and losers across continents.

The world has coped with a global pandemic, and Europe is currently experiencing a humanitarian, political and economic crises caused by a war in Ukraine. This extended period of global instability and insecurity could be called a permacrisis (Collins dictionary, 2022). This study offers a unique quantitative analysis built on Swedish data from EPSI Rating initiative.

This study, based on signaling theory, examines the pre-recruitment employer branding strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. It investigates the relationship between spontaneous word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations for companies and prospective candidates' job application intentions. Specifically, the study explores serial mechanisms mediating the characteristics of company online career pages, including the perceived informativeness of online job advertisements (ads), candidates' preferences for its web approach to them and the company’s reputation.

Reflecting prospective candidates from students and young alumni of universities, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed on a sample of 737 individuals representing various fields of study from Greek universities.

The findings highlight the effectiveness of positive WOM recommendations during the initial stages of recruitment, particularly amidst COVID-19 challenges in the labor market, notably impacting young candidates. The study suggests that spontaneous WOM, originating from trustful sources, motivates job seekers to actively engage with the company’s web career channels, seeking information and favorable indications of the company’s approach toward its candidates. Positive WOM, combined with informative content and a friendly communication style, plays a critical role in shaping the company’s reputation. Consequently, this encouragement motivates individuals to start their job search efforts and consider applying for positions within the specific organization.

This research provides valuable empirical evidence in the pre-recruitment field, particularly in unforeseen crisis circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines how spontaneous, positive WOM from sources, like peers and alumni, significantly influences young job seekers' perceptions and preferences regarding the company’s career web channels as sources of information and signals about working conditions. The combination of positive WOM with informative content and a friendly communication style in the web approach plays a crucial role in shaping a positive company reputation. Consequently, this encourages candidates to consider applying for positions within the company.

This research contributes to pre-recruitment studies, especially amidst crises like COVID-19. It examines how positive WOM from trusted sources like peers and alma mater alumni influences young job seekers' views on the company’s career web channels. By emphasizing the importance of combining positive WOM with informative web content and a friendly communication style, the study offers insights into effective recruitment strategies. It highlights the significance of positive and spontaneous WOM in attracting young talent and its impact on job seekers' decision-making, even in uncertain conditions. Overall, it advances recruitment practices for attracting candidates.

This study focuses on anti-corruption disclosure (ACD) as a critical indicator of a bank’s commitment to combat corruption. It seeks to measure the level of ACD in banking companies. Emphasizing the pivotal role of board directors in ensuring corporate accountability and transparency, the study further explores the connection between board composition and ACD.

This study adopts automated content analysis (using keyword search) to measure the level of ACD in the annual reports of listed banks in Bangladesh. Drawing upon agency theory and resource-dependence theory, the study proposes that the collective monitoring and resources facilitated by a well-structured board (size, gender diversity and independence) significantly influence a bank’s commitment to combat corruption. The paper employs linear regression to examine the hypotheses. The reliability of the findings is further validated through the application of the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) and Quantile Regression.

The results indicate a steady rise in ACD over the sample period (2014–2022). The analysis establishes that larger board sizes and a greater presence of female directors are positively associated with ACD. Notably, the study identifies a critical mass of at least three female directors for a significant positive relationship between gender diversity on the board and ACD. However, no significant relationship is observed between board independence and ACD.

The study sheds light on the current state of ACD within the banking companies of a least-developed country. The findings carry significant implications for regulators to gauge banks' dedication to anti-corruption efforts and make informed decisions on issuing guidance for enhanced ACD. These findings can also assist regulators in assessing the implications of board composition and formulating guidelines within the corporate governance code.

This study contributes to the literature on ACD in the context of a least-developed economy. Notably, the study fills a research gap by exploring ACD in the banking industry. A key aspect of this study is its exploration of the determinants of ACD, explicitly emphasizing how board composition is likely to influence ACD.

This study investigates the relationship between female CEOs and SMEs’ financing decisions. The study also examined the moderating role of ownership structure (female, foreign, and state ownership) in female CEO-SMEs’ financing decisions.

The study has applied Generalized Least Square (GLS) and Binomial Logistic Regression. The study has used firm-level data from 2,700 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Chinese economy.

The results suggest that female CEOs use debt financing. However, the financing decision of female CEOs varies if we account for female ownership, foreign ownership, state ownership, firm association with big firms, and the industry in which the firm operates. This study also provides robust evidence that female CEOs utilize debt financing under certain conditions and that female CEOs prefer long-term debt financing to short-term debt financing when considering debt maturity choices.

Recent studies report a negative relationship between female CEOs and financing decisions based on the rationale that females are risk-averse and choose less risky financing compared to their male counterparts. This study posits new evidence that female CEO financing decisions are not always risk averse if we consider female ownership, foreign ownership, state ownership, firm association with big firms, and the industry in which the firm operates. Thus, we contribute to the corporate governance literature, and this study implies a corporate financing policy.

Two-sided messages in advertising, which contain both negative and positive information, can have varying effects on persuasion. Thus, it is crucial to understand the conditions under which such messages are more or less effective compared to one-sided messages that only contain positive information. This research investigates the moderating role of the visual angle (close-up vs. long shot) of an image by drawing upon construal level theory.

This research reports two experimental studies employing a 2 (message: two-sided [positive and negative information], one-sided [positive information as a control condition]) × 2 (visual angle: near [close-up], distant [long shot]) between-subjects design.

The results demonstrate that two-sided messages paired with a close-up image decrease positive electronic word of mouth (eWOM) due to increased feelings of ambivalence, while two-sided messages paired with a long-shot image increase positive eWOM due to increased perceived authenticity.

These findings provide insight into the impact of two-sided messages on advertising persuasion and provide guidance for marketers in developing effective communication strategies to leverage positive eWOM.

This study aims to uncover the ongoing discourse on generative artificial intelligence (AI), literacy and governance while providing nuanced perspectives on stakeholder involvement and recommendations for the effective regulation and utilization of generative AI technologies.

This study chooses generative AI-related online news coverage on BBC News as the case study. Oriented by a case study methodology, this study conducts a qualitative content analysis on 78 news articles related to generative AI.

By analyzing 78 news articles, generative AI is found to be portrayed in the news in the following ways: Generative AI is primarily used in generating texts, images, audio and videos. Generative AI can have both positive and negative impacts on people’s everyday lives. People’s generative AI literacy includes understanding, using and evaluating generative AI and combating generative AI harms. Various stakeholders, encompassing government authorities, industry, organizations/institutions, academia and affected individuals/users, engage in the practice of AI governance concerning generative AI.

Based on the findings, this study constructs a framework of competencies and considerations constituting generative AI literacy. Furthermore, this study underscores the role played by government authorities as coordinators who conduct co-governance with other stakeholders regarding generative AI literacy and who possess the legislative authority to offer robust legal safeguards to protect against harm.