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This study aims to examine the mediating role of product judgement in the relationship between electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and purchase intention. Additionally, it explores the moderating effects of source credibility and consumer ethnocentrism on the relationship between eWOM and product judgement, with a specific focus on Halal products. We utilise the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to investigate how individuals navigate the processing of information, distinguishing between central and peripheral routes. This exploration aims to enhance our understanding of how the ELM framework influences product judgement and purchase intention in the context of eWOM, with a focus on Halal products.

To achieve these objectives, an online survey was conducted in the United Kingdom. The study employed a moderated-mediation model, analysed using PLS-SEM.

The findings highlight the significant role of source credibility in the central route of information processing and purchase judgements. This study confirms that Halal product judgement fully mediates the relationship between eWOM and purchase intention. Additionally, it reveals that higher source credibility amplifies the impact of eWOM on consumer judgement. However, no significant moderating effect of consumer ethnocentrism on the relationship between eWOM and product judgement was observed in this context.

This study enhances our understanding of how Halal products are adopted in non-Muslim societies, shedding light on persuasive processes. Additionally, it refines the ELM in the context of cross-cultural consumer behaviour. The findings underscore the importance of prioritising source credibility in communication to shape information evaluation and persuasion.

Public sector employees’ contributions play a crucial role in improving public service quality and promoting the image of public organizations. The aim of this research is to unravel how and when human resource (HR) flexibility activates citizen-oriented boundary-spanning behaviors among public sector employees.

The data were collected from 427 public sector employees and 102 supervisors working for governmental agencies from the districts of a major city in Vietnam. Multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) was employed to analyze the data.

The positive associations between HR flexibility and the three dimensions of citizen-oriented boundary-spanning behaviors were supported. Harmonious passion demonstrated a mediating path for such linkages. Employee perceptions of normative public values were found to exert a positive moderating effect on the positive link between HR flexibility and harmonious passion, as well as their indirect link via harmonious passion.

This study advances the literature by identifying how and when HR flexibility shapes citizen-oriented boundary-spanning behaviors among public sector employees.

Loading the work on social capital theory, we have tried to check the influence of social currency (SC) on social media usage (SMU) and its subsequent impact on the brand experience (BE). The study attempted to ascertain the mediation of loyalty (LT) between the SC and SMU as well as the moderation of perceived ease of use (PEU) in the SMU and BE relationship.

The data were collected from 384 respondents employing snowball sampling technique by administering a questionnaire on seven-point Likert scale. The respondents were the active internet users, who devote the significant part of their daily routine to social media activities. Structural equation modelling was used to study the path of the considered variables.

The result of the study strengthened the findings of earlier studies on SC dimensions. This study elaborated about the positive impact of SC on SMU, SC on LT, LT on SMU, SMU on BE. The study also found the mediating effect of LT in the SC and BE relationship. The study did not identify a moderating role of PEU in the SMU and BE relationship.

By taking into account SC, SMU, LT, PEU and BE, the study adds the knowledge to the social capital theory.

This study aids marketers in adjusting social media strategies for the effective use of SC aimed to deliver enhanced BE. Additionally, it demonstrates the value of customer LT in the context of SC and SMU by customers.

This study is among the few research on the SC of the Indian user and its impact on SMU and BE. Checking the mediation of LT and the moderation of PEU in the SC context makes this study novel and different from any study conducted earlier.

This paper aims to explore the determinants of the level of minibonds issued by companies. In doing so, it discusses the importance of minibonds in providing a market-based funding source. In the empirical analysis, special attention is paid to the study of the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

The analysis is carried out through an econometric approach, on the basis of a high-quality empirical dataset related to the Italian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The reference period covers the recent pandemic. From a theoretical point of view, a regression model is implemented, including a multicollinearity analysis and an outlier detection procedure.

The results of the study indicate that factors such as leverage, cash flow, firm collaterals and seniority can explain the amount of minibonds issued. These findings provide valuable insights into the drivers of minibond issuance and highlight the potential benefits of minibonds as a funding option for Italian SMEs.

Importantly, results highlight relevant managerial implications at two levels. On one side, we carry on a managerial discussion about the worthiness of accessing the minibonds market; on the other side, we give insights on the managerial implications related to the features of the companies issuing minibonds.

The paper investigates an innovative financial instrument that has been introduced recently and has not yet been studied in depth. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first contribution assessing the main drivers for minibonds issuance level, which is a timely and relevant managerial research topic. In addition, this study also takes into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on minibond issuance, making the analysis appropriate for explaining the current economic context.

Mobile health (mHealth) technologies, in particular, have been sought after and advocated as a means of dealing with the pandemic situation. Despite the obvious advantages of mHealth, which include monitoring and exchanging health information via mobile applications, mHealth adoption has yet to take off exponentially. Expanding on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, this study aims to better comprehend consumers’ receptivity to mHealth even after the pandemic has subsided.

Through purposive sampling, data were collected from a sample of 345 mobile phone users and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural networks (ANN) capture both linear and nonlinear relationships.

Effort expectancy, performance expectancy, social influence, pandemic fear and trustworthiness positively influenced mHealth adoption intention, with the model demonstrating high predictive power from both the PLSpredict and ANN assessments.

The importance–performance map analysis (IPMA) results showed that social influence had great importance for mHealth uptake, but demonstrated low performance.

Referrals are an alternative that policymakers and mHealth service providers should think about to increase uptake. Overall, this study provides theoretical and practical insights that contribute to the advancement of digital healthcare, aligning with the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) (good health and well-being).

This study has clarified both linear and nonlinear relationships among the factors influencing intentions to adopt mHealth. The findings from both PLS and ANN were juxtaposed, demonstrating consistent findings.

The present study delves into the causes of relatively lower retail participation in the Indian REIT market. Specifically, it investigates investors' attitudes and perceptions towards REITs as a unique asset class. This paper provides a comprehensive understanding of the perception and factors influencing Indian retail investors' reluctance to participate in the REIT market.

Qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews to gather insights from non-investors in REITs. The data were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis techniques. Finally, coding techniques were used to identify broad study themes.

According to the study results, many retail investors are unfamiliar with REITs. Even among those knowledgeable about REITs and with a favorable view, it is not commonly seen as a feasible investment option due to its early stage, unattractive returns and limited number of REITs.

Developed countries have established REIT markets, while it is still in its infancy in developing countries such as India. Financial advisors, fund houses and the media should focus on educating investors to increase awareness.

The study is the first qualitative investigation into the perception of retail investors to understand the reasons for lower retail engagement in the Indian REIT market.

This study aims to examine the association between board characteristics (namely, diligence, independence, gender diversity, size and expertise) and sustainability-related disclosures (SRD) in Malaysia.

A robust SRD index of 409 items is used to derive SRD scores for 56 Malaysian listed companies from 2018 to 2020, yielding 168 observations. Pooled ordinary least squares is applied to test the research hypotheses and model.

The authors find that board members in audit committees and female board members show a significant relationship with SRD, casting doubt on the widely held belief that other board characteristics (such as size, diligence, independence and expertise) independently impact SRD. However, the authors find that market influence (firm value) and firm size are associated with SRD.

SRD is at its nascent stage, and companies are cherry-picking on what to report, as evidenced in the SRD scores. Regulators and policymakers must recognize the complex interplay between various factors impacting SRD for the timely issuance of comprehensive rules for firms to comply. The regulators’ drive for more female board representation can be a boost to enhance the sustainability agenda for Malaysian listed companies. The SRD scoring template can be used on post-2020 data to investigate the sustainability maturity of Malaysian listed companies.

The authors evidence that SRD practice is in the early stages of maturity using the comprehensive SRD scoring template. Although the findings contradict prior studies, the authors believe this is driven by the robust SRD measure based on the latest Global Reporting Initiative and Bursa rules.

Operational risks can cause considerable, atypical disturbances and impact food supply chain (SC) resilience. Indicatively, the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in the UK food services as nationwide stockouts led to unprecedented discrepancies between retail and home-delivery supply capacity and demand. To this effect, this study aims to examine the emergence of digital platforms as an innovative instrument for food SC resilience in severe market disruptions.

An interpretive multiple case-study approach was used to unravel how different generations of e-commerce food service providers, i.e. established and emergent, responded to the need for more resilient operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SC disruption management for high-impact low-frequency events requires analysing four research elements: platformisation, structural variety, process flexibility and system resource efficiency. Established e-commerce food operators use partner onboarding and local waste valorisation to enhance resilience. Instead, emergent e-commerce food providers leverage localised rapid upscaling and product personalisation.

Digital food platforms offer a highly customisable, multisided digital marketplace wherein platform members may aggregate product offerings and customers, thus sharing value throughout the network. Platform-induced disintermediation allows bidirectional flows of data and information among SC partners, ensuring compliance and safety in the food retail sector.

The study contributes to the SC configuration and resilience literature by investigating the interrelationship among platformisation, structural variety, process flexibility and system resource efficiency for safe and resilient food provision within exogenously disrupted environments.

This study investigates the direct impact of app attachment on service recovery and customer advocacy and their combined impact on recommendation and purchase intention. The mediating mechanisms of service recovery and customer advocacy between app attachment and customer responses are also tested in the context of food delivery apps (FDAs).

Utilizing a quantitative approach, the authors surveyed 207 responses from users of FDAs who had experienced service failures. Structural equation modeling in Smart PLS 3.0 was used to analyze the data.

The results supported direct effects among all constructs in the model. The main contribution of the study confirms the mediating mechanisms of service recovery and customer advocacy between app attachment and customer responses.

Previous studies have mostly relied on the technology acceptance model (TAM). This theory posits that perceived usefulness and ease of use influence the decision of individuals to use a new technology. Although this theory is valuable in terms of accepting new technologies, it neglects psychological phenomena involving the individual and the technological entity – in this case, the FDA. Thus, our study is unique in applying attachment theory and putting emphasis on the importance of building trust in the relationship between FDAs and their customers. Social exchange theory is applied to explain the importance of overcoming the cost of experiencing a failure through service recovery. Thus, we extend the knowledge regarding psychological individual reactions to mobile technologies in the food context, an important sector within the hospitality market.

FDA managers should invest in developing emotional ties with customers. Specific actions include messaging customers on their birthdays or other festive dates. Short testimonial videos on TikTok or other social media with customers advocating in favor of the company could help spread recommendations and the intentions of other customers using the FDAs. To use these practical recommendations properly, we recommend that FDA managers consider the level of quality service recovery delivered and individuals’ cultures, beliefs and values regarding where the company operates to avoid misunderstandings.

This study is original in proposing a model to FDA operators considering app attachment, service recovery, customer advocacy, recommendation and purchase intention. It further supports the mediating effect of service recovery and customer advocacy between app attachment, recommendation and purchase intention on mobile phones.

The purpose of this study is to explore how past and future temporal focus of CEOs in the hospitality industry influence their intention to invest in metaverse technology and the underlying mechanism under boundary conditions of perceived competitive pressure.

This multi-informant study collected data over three waves from a sample of 235 CEOs and their subordinates in India’s hospitality industry. A PLS-SEM was applied to the study data. Further, the study also used phenomenological interviews to capture CEOs’ perspectives on the study’s conceptual model.

Findings suggest that the past temporal focus of CEOs decreases technology orientation, and future temporal focus increases the technology orientation of firms, consequently impacting the intention to invest in the metaverse. CEOs’ perceived competitive pressure moderates the mediating relationship, such that the negative impact of past temporal focus on technology orientation is decreased and that of future temporal focus on the CEO is increased.

By exploring the role of a CEO’s past and future temporal focus on influencing technology orientation and, hence, adoption of new technology, the study extends upper-echelon theory to the field of metaverse adoption in the hospitality industry and responds to scholars’ calls to explore the industry’s technology adoption from the lens of the upper echelon.

The study has significant implications for the success of the adoption of metaverse technology in the hospitality industry. Findings imply that the board members should encourage CEOs to have future temporal focus.

The study provides novel insights into the adoption of metaverse technology by the hospitality industry, where CEO attributes such as their temporal focus influence intention to invest in metaverse.