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This study aims to integrate and extend leading contemporary underpinning frameworks such as the Stimulus Organism Response (S-O-R) model, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to assess the determinants of M-commerce usage during COVID-19 times. Besides direct effects, the study examines the mediating role of behavioral intention in affecting the relationship between a few external stimuli, internal states (of the organism) and M-commerce usage (the response). The study has also examined the moderating role of habitual behavior in the relationship between behavioral intention and M-commerce usage.

Data were gathered from 312 customers through an online survey using a structured questionnaire. PLS-based SEM, using Smart PLS 4.0, was employed to calibrate the measurement and structural models.

The study found that stimuli like social influence, perceived ease of use and perceived value substantially affected M-commerce usage. Behavioral intention has been found to mediate these cause-and-effect relationships partially or fully among the subject constructs. Additionally, a significant negative but weak moderating impact of habit (or habitual behavior) on the relationship between behavioral intentions and M-commerce usage has been corroborated.

Several studies have investigated the factors influencing the adoption and continued usage of M-commerce services while appealing to diverse theoretical frameworks. However, more research has yet to be expended to arrive at an integrated explanation grounded in these theoretical frameworks to examine the dynamics of M-commerce usage in tempestuous times like the COVID-19 outbreak. The most significant (counterintuitive) findings have been suppressing the effects of otherwise crucial elements like perceived security and habit in prompting M-commerce usage in the face of the socio-psychological pressures stemming from COVID-19 restrictions and consumers' lack of digital readiness. The study's outcomes offer several theoretical and practical implications for researchers, managers, practitioners, businesses and policymakers to develop effective strategies to mature M-commerce usage among the masses, especially during unusual times like COVID-19.

This study addresses the impact of aesthetics and formality in Food Delivery Applications (FDAs) in evoking emotions, and how these influence the intention to reuse and compulsive usage, providing critical insights for designing responsible and effective marketing strategies.

A quantitative analysis of data collected from 1,029 FDA users was employed, using the PAD (Pleasure, Arousal, Dominance) theory to investigate how aesthetic design and formality affect emotions and consumer behaviour towards the applications.

The study reveals that aesthetic appeal and formality significantly impact emotions of dominance, arousal, and pleasure, which are decisive in users' decisions to continue using FDAs and in the manifestation of compulsive usage behaviours.

This study presents inherent limitations due to its cross-sectional design, which prevents offering a longitudinal perspective on the evolution of consumer behaviour regarding FDAs. The actual purchasing behaviour is not examined, but rather the suggested experiences. Future research could be enriched by considering cultural, social, and demographic factors, the influence of sustainability on the perception and use of FDAs, and the importance of specific sustainable practices. Adopting a longitudinal approach and utilising actual usage data would allow for a deeper and more nuanced understanding of consumer behaviour towards FDAs, taking into account both personal factors and functional attributes of FDAs along with their aesthetic appeal and emotional reactions.

The findings provide guidelines for FDA companies to optimise their interfaces to enhance user experience, foster loyalty, and prevent compulsive usage. They emphasise balancing aesthetics and functionality to induce more conscious and sustainable consumption behaviours.

This study highlights significant social implications stemming from the integration of aesthetic appeal and formality in Food Delivery Apps (FDAs) and their effect on consumer emotions, which in turn influences reuse intention and compulsive use. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer behaviours have shifted towards increased electronic transactions and hedonic consumption as responses to stress, anxiety, and boredom, leading to a reevaluation of life experiences through technological means. The research underlines the critical role of emotions, particularly pleasure, dominance, and arousal, in promoting the intention to reuse FDAs, which has far-reaching implications for consumer engagement, compulsive usage patterns, and the need for responsible, sustainable consumption practices. It suggests a new avenue for businesses and policymakers to consider emotional impacts and consumer satisfaction in the design and regulation of FDAs, aiming to mitigate potential adverse effects of compulsive usage and to encourage sustainable, responsible consumption behaviours.

The research offers a novel perspective by exploring how aesthetic and emotional dimensions affect consumer loyalty and compulsivity. These areas are still to be examined in depth in the marketing literature. The findings enhance the theoretical and practical understanding of FDA marketing, demonstrating how design can influence consumer well-being and the sustainability of purchasing behaviour.

1. Novel use of PAD theory to analyse FDA’s aesthetic appeal and formality on user emotions.

2. FDA’s aesthetic appeal significantly influences reuse intentions and compulsive usage.

3. Emotions of pleasure, dominance, and arousal are directly linked to FDA reuse intention.

4. Pleasure and reuse intention influence the compulsive use of FDAs.

Novel use of PAD theory to analyse FDA’s aesthetic appeal and formality on user emotions.

FDA’s aesthetic appeal significantly influences reuse intentions and compulsive usage.

Emotions of pleasure, dominance, and arousal are directly linked to FDA reuse intention.

Pleasure and reuse intention influence the compulsive use of FDAs.

Emojis are quickly becoming a popular new language in social media and marketing. The capability to express emotions and make message understanding easier is one of the primary reasons for using emojis. The aim of this research was to determine the influence of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, trust, and involvement on customer engagement due to emojis used in digital marketing communications among Generation Z (Gen Z) in South Africa.

Following the descriptive research approach, quantitative research was used in this study. A questionnaire (self-administered) was utilized to test the effectiveness of using emojis among 1,000 young consumers. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.

The findings of the study yielded positive relationships between the variables, namely between trust and involvement; involvement and the perceived ease of use; involvement and perceived usefulness; perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness; trust and customer engagement; perceived usefulness and customer engagement; involvement and customer engagement; customer engagement and intention to purchase; trust and intention to purchase; and perceived usefulness and intention to purchase.

This study can help organizations in emerging markets use emojis in their digital marketing communications to engage customers and stimulate intention to purchase among young people, especially the Gen Z cohort, who seek organizations and brands that understand and connect with them.

By investigating the effects of emojis in digital marketing communications, this study contributes to the customer-centric process and the literature on emoji usage while also involving a credible digital language when communicating with members of Gen Z. By extending TAM, the findings of this study contribute to the TAM literature by demonstrating that emoji usage in digital marketing communications positively influences various attitudinal associations among Gen Z consumers.

The purpose of this study is twofold. The first objective is to identify the factors that affect Gen Z tourists' M-payment behaviour. Next, this study investigates the inter-relationship between Gen Z tourist’s perception of M-payment benefits, adoption behaviour, usage risk and future usage intention.

The sample comprised Malaysian Gen Z individuals (n = 326) who had experience using M-payment methods while travelling outbound. Given the complex nature of the model and the goal to predict and explain relationships within Gen Z's M-payment usage, partial-least square-structural equation modelling was used to assess the study framework and test the proposed relationships.

This study reveals significant influences on Gen Z tourists' behavioural intentions towards M-payment usage. Perceived benefits, performance expectancy, social influence and perceived trust positively impact behavioural intentions, while effort expectancy exhibits no significant effect. Furthermore, perceived trust is strongly influenced by perceived security, which also positively influences behavioural intentions. A mediated relationship is evident as trust mediating the effect of perceived security on behavioural intentions.

This study’s findings contribute to understanding the intricate relationships influencing Gen Z's M-payment behaviour and underscore trust's pivotal role in mediating the security–behavioural intention relationship.

This study is among the first to consider Mental Accounting Theory and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology as crucial underpinning theories in comprehending the intricate relationships that influence Gen Z travellers' perceptions and behaviours concerning M-payment systems.

The emergence of artificial intelligence technologies, like ChatGPT, has taken the world by storm, particularly in the education sector. This study aims to adopt the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology to explore how effort expectancy (EEC) and performance expectancy (PEE) individually, jointly, congruently and incongruently affect higher education students’ intentions and actual uses of ChatGPT for their learning.

An advanced methodology – polynomial regression with response surface analysis – and a sample of 1,461 higher education students recruited in Vietnam through three-phase stratified random sampling approach were adopted to test developed hypotheses.

Both EEC and PEE were found to have a direct positive impact on the likelihood of higher education students’ intention to use ChatGPT, which in turn promotes them actually use this tool for learning purposes. Conversely, a large incongruence between EEC and PEE will lower the level of intentions and actual uses of ChatGPT for learning. However, when there is a growing incongruence between EEC and PEE, either in a positive or negative direction, the likelihood of students’ intentions to use ChatGPT for learning decreases.

Some practical implications are subsequently recommended to obtain advantages and address potential threats arising from the implementation of this novel technology in the education context.

This study shed the new light on the educational setting by testing how higher education students’ intentions to use ChatGPT and subsequent actual uses of ChatGPT are synthesized from the balance between high EEC and PEE.

The current study aims to explore the determinants of user intentions towards fitness YouTube channels, employing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) and Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) as theoretical frameworks.

Symmetric and asymmetric analyses were employed for data analysis, utilizing partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for symmetric analysis and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) for asymmetric analysis.

The study revealed significant impacts of most UTAUT2 determinants and all UGT determinants on user intentions. Additionally, the fsQCA results supported the concept of equifinality, indicating that various configurations of causal combinations can predict a high level of behavioral intention. These findings underscore the significance of comprehending user motivations and factors related to technology and social media in the context of maintaining or increasing followership and viewership for fitness content providers.

The findings suggest that individuals with high expectations and facilitating conditions, as per UTAUT, and heightened hedonic and socializing motivations, in line with UGT, are more inclined to follow fitness YouTube channels. This study offers valuable insights for fitness content creators and marketers navigating the complexities of the digital age.

This study aims to apply the theory of consumption value to analyze the utilization of Metaverse technologies within hospitality and tourism while examining the factors that impact consumer intentions to use the Metaverse.

This paper aims to consider an extensive study spanning the period October 2021 to March 2023 was conducted to understand the shifts in an individual's intention to use Metaverse technologies in hospitality.

The findings of this study confirm that individual attitudes to the Metaverse and trust in Metaverse technologies significantly impact their intention to use the Metaverse.

The study aims to provide fresh insights into how individuals perceive Metaverse technologies in the context of choosing hotels and resorts, which enriches the understanding of consumer behaviors around Metaverse technology in hospitality.

This study aims to consider not only tourist intentions to use the Metaverse but also how diverse consumption values impact user attitudes, an area currently underresearched.

The main purpose of this research study is to investigate and examine the factors that might influence the intention to adopt and use mobile payment and their relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This research study used both mobile payment adoption literature, The Technology Adoption Model and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, to propose a conceptual framework for mobile payment adoption. Quantitative method is used in which 306 participants responded to an online survey to validate the proposed conceptual framework.

The introduced integrated model embraced perceived risk, transaction transparency, mobile payment usefulness, social influence, performance expectation as independent variables and usage continuation intention to adopt mobile payment as the dependent variable. The results from data analysis have statistically revealed significant relationships and a positive impact of perceived risk, mobile payment usefulness, social influence and performance expectation. Also, the results identified a negative impact for the transaction transparency factor. As this research study is conducted at a later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, it adds value to the existing literature by providing insights to business managers on the factors influencing mobile payment usage and other implications related to increasing the market potential for businesses in the new normality of the coronavirus pandemic.

This paper offers a combination conceptual framework of mobile payment adoption based on a literature review on mobile payment adoption from information systems perspective. It adapts integrated model to establish a more comprehensive innovation adoption framework for mobile payment.

This study aims to explore and ranks the factors that might determine attitudes and intentions toward using autonomous vehicles (AVs).

The “technology acceptance model” (TAM) was extended by assessing the moderating influences of personal-related factors. Data were collected from 378 Vietnamese and analysed using a combination of “partial least squares” and the “adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system” (ANFIS) technique.

The findings demonstrated the power of TAM in explaining the attitude and intention to use AVs. ANFIS enables ranking the importance of determinants and predicting the outcomes. Perceived ease of use and attitude were the most crucial drivers of attitude and intention to use AVs, respectively. Personal innovativeness negatively moderates the influence of perceived ease of use on attitude. Data privacy concerns moderate positively the impact of perceived usefulness on attitude. The moderating effect of price sensitivity was not supported.

These findings provide insights for policymakers and automobile companies' managers, designers and marketers on driving factors in making decisions to adopt AVs.

The study extends the AVs literature by illustrating the importance of personal-related factors, ranking the determinants of attitude and intention, illustrating the inter-relationships among AVs adoption factors and predicting individuals' attitudes and behaviours towards using AVs.

The purpose of this study is to examine the variables affecting college students’ consumption behaviour in the context of the internet celebrity economy and the We Media environment.

In this study, five independent variables − perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, We Media environment and internet celebrity marketing, as well as one mediating variable, consumption intention, are used to analyse college students’ consumption behaviour.

This study concluded that all five independent variables have positive relationships with the consumption intention and that the consumption intention also has a positive relationship with the consumption behaviour.

This study expanded the technology acceptance model and theory of planned behaviour model, which could provide insights for future research on consumption intention and behaviour. In addition, this study gives guidance for businesses considering to join this new industry in the internet celebrity economy.