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This study aims to investigate the effect of social influence and value-driven mobile marketing activities on consumers’ acceptance of mobile marketing offers.

The method used is survey questionnaire. A proposed model was tested by using structural model analysis and data gathered from 356 Mexico consumers and 346 US consumers.

The study shows the number of peers and providing information are the main predictor variables of consumer acceptance of mobile marketing offers in both countries. These results suggest that social value factors are important variables for explaining consumers’ responses to mobile marketing offers across two countries characterized by dissimilar macro-environmental conditions.

The study’s overall implication about standardization vs adaptation is that social value messages can be standardized across countries. However, the marketing tools and touch points required to communicate any message appeal must be adapted across countries. One limitation in this study is the use of a convenience sample of undergraduate college students. This study did not control for different types of mobile phones and the screen sizes of mobile phones.

The overall implication of standardization vs adaptation from the study results is that social value messages can be standardized across countries. However, the marketing tools and touch points required to communicate any message appeal must be adapted across countries.

Unlike previous studies where the emphasis is to explicate the effect of value-oriented mobile activity, this study examines the combined effect of social influence and value-driven mobile activities on acceptance of mobile marketing.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants influencing Japanese consumers’ behavior toward the purchase of 5G smartphones.

Empirical data was collected through an online survey of 320 Japanese respondents from ages 20 to 59. Data was analyzed by exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis.

The results indicate that hedonic value, user interface and price value (PV) positively influence attitude toward 5G smartphone purchase, while utilitarian value does not. In addition, the mediation effect of social influence (SI) is found to increase those positive effects. Male and female consumers displayed differences in the determinants, showcasing the effect of gender on attitude and behavior.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first research to analyze Japanese consumers’ behaviors’ toward 5G smartphone purchase. Past research for 3G/4G smartphones supported that usefulness positively influenced consumers’ behavior toward smartphones, so usefulness of 5G (e.g. high speed) was expected to be a factor to influence consumer behaviors’ toward 5G smartphones. However, this research reveals that a simple tagline emphasizing such usefulness may not be convincing enough to promote the 5G smartphones to Japanese consumers. Alternatively, the research indicates that introducing the concepts of joyfulness, improved HV and greater PV of the 5G smartphone could attract more consumers in Japan. In addition, SI could enhance the perception of the various benefits of 5G smartphones.

The world has been forced to implement movement restriction strategy because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and industries have to embrace online technologies and social media marketing activities (SMMAs) to continue their business operations. Considering the aftermath of COVID-19 on the business world, this study aims to explore the determining elements of SMMAs and analyse how these factors affect brand equity (BE), relationship equity (RE) and purchase intention (PI) among smartphone consumers in China. Five constructs of SMMAs, namely, entertainment (EN), interactivity (IN), trendiness (TR), customisation (CU) and electronic word-of-mouth (WM), were examined to examine the effects of SMMAs on BE and RE. Subsequently, the mediation effects of BE and RE on the relationships of all constructs of SMMAs with PI were analysed.

An online survey was conducted with the participation of 347 Chinese consumers who used social media platform managed by the smartphone brands as their marketing activities during COVID-19. The data were analysed via structural equation modelling using SmartPLS.

This study’s result showed the significant and positive influence of CU, TR and WM on BE and the strong and positive influence of CU, IN and TR on RE. Furthermore, BE was found to fully mediate the relationships of CU, TR and WM with PI, while RE was found to mediate the relationships of TR and CU with PI. The performance and impact factor analysis revealed RE as the most important factor for PI, followed by BE, CU and TR.

This study extended the authors’ knowledge and understanding about social media marketing, BE and smart phone PI during COVID-19. Findings of this study can assist smartphone brands in China to develop the most effective strategies for SMMAs, which can be tailored for consumers to maximise profits, even during any crisis when physical business activities are deemed difficult. Moreover, this study’s findings can benefit the government and policymakers in developing and regulating rules and regulations for e-commerce and social media commerce for all industries and areas.

This paper argues that when incumbent firms counter disruptive threats head-on, they may fail to develop the required new skills. This paper aims to propose an adjacent strategy which proved useful to Fujifilm to counter disruption of its core business of manufacturing photographic film.

The study uses an inductive methodology. Based on a detailed case study of Fujifilm, the study proposes two frameworks: for the conditions under which an adjacent strategy is likely to be fruitful and how firms can make the strategy work in their organizations.

The study finds that an adjacent strategy can be useful to firms under specific circumstances. Not only will the strategy help to counter decline in the core business, but it will also open up new avenues of growth. The success of the strategy requires significant efforts in aligning the leadership and the organization, however.

The frameworks proposed in the study can be useful to incumbent firms in many industries as they battle new disruptive business models and players.

The study’s key argument that incumbent firms can leverage skills from their core business is novel. The study also proposes frameworks that can help firms decide whether an adjacent strategy is appropriate for them and how they can implement it.

This study provides new insights into antecedents and outcomes of reverse logistics practices by examining green customer salience as the driver of reverse logistics practices and examining environmental performance and green firm reputation as the outcomes of reverse logistics practices.

A research model examining the proposed relationships was developed and tested using data from beverage manufacturers in Ghana. The model was analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

This study confirmed that green customer salience drives reverse logistics practices. It was also revealed that reverse logistics directly enhances environmental performance, but not green firm reputation. Additionally, the effect of reverse logistics on green firm reputation was fully mediated through environmental performance.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous studies have empirically examined the relationship between green customer salience, reverse logistics, environmental performance and green firm reputation.

This research investigates how consumers who are most active on Facebook during the day vs in the evening differ, differ in their ad consumption, and how advertising effects vary as a function of a key moderator: gender.

Using a survey of 281 people, the research identifies Facebook users who are more intensely using mobile social media during the day versus in the evening, and measures five Facebook mobile advertising outcomes: brand and product recall, clicking on ads, acting on ads and purchases.

The results show that women who are using social media more intensely during the day are more likely to use Facebook to seek information, hence, Facebook mobile ads tend to be more effective for these users compared to those in the evening.

This contributes to the literature by analyzing how the time of day affects social media behavior in relation to mobile advertising effectiveness, and broadening the scope of mobile advertising effectiveness research from other than just clicks on ads to include measures like brand and product recall.

By analyzing the effectiveness of mobile advertising on social media as a function of the time of day, advertisers can be more targeted in their media buys, and so better use their social media budgets, i.e. advertising is more effective for women who use social media (Facebook) more intensely during the day than for those who use social media more intensely in the evening as the former tend to seek more information than the latter.

This research extends media ecology theory by drawing on circadian rhythm research to provide a first demonstration of how the time of day relates to different uses of mobile social media, which in turn relate to social media mobile advertising consumption.

While research on social media advertising has been steadily increasing, little has been explored on how users consume ads when they engage with social media at different periods along the day. This paper extends media ecology theory by investigating time of day, drawing on the circadian rhythm literature, and how it relates to social media usage.

The purpose of this empirical research was to investigate the individual effects of three dimensions of flexible human resource management (HRM) practices – skill flexibility, behavioral flexibility and human practice flexibility on firm performance and to what extent these relationships are strengthened/weakened when there was the moderation of empowering leadership in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The data were collected from chief executive officers (CEOs) through a questionnaire survey method to test the hypothesized relationships. A final dataset of 315 valid responses was utilized for data analysis, and results were analyzed using the Smart partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique.

The findings revealed positive effects of skill flexibility, behavioral flexibility and human practice flexibility on firm performance. The moderating role of empowering leadership further strengthened the effects of employee skill flexibility and employee behavioral flexibility had on firm performance. However, empowering leadership did not pose any moderating effect on human practice flexibility and firm performance relationship.

This paper offers implications for theories on HRM and leadership. It also provides valuable insights for organizations and leaders seeking to boost firm performance across SMEs.

This paper offers implications for theories on HRM and leadership and also contributes in the understanding of the modern managers.

This paper investigated the effects of flexible HRM practices on firm performance and the role of empowering leadership across SMEs in Bahrain. It also explored how the performance of SMEs can be improved using flexible HRM practices followed by the presence of empowering leadership.

This study examines the relationship between HR practices and millennial employee retention in the tourism industry in Bangladesh. It investigates the moderating role of the work environment in the relationship between HR practices and employee retention in the industry.

The researchers used non-probability judgemental sampling to collect 384 questionnaires through a survey of millennial employees. Partial least square-based structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data.

The results reveal that HR practices included in this paper have significant relationships with millennial employee retention in the tourism industry in Bangladesh, except employee participation in decision-making. In addition, the results show that the work environment only moderates the relationship between two HR practices (compensation, training and development) and millennial employee retention.

The results suggest that managers in tourism organisations must develop HR practices and foster a positive work environment to retain millennials.

This is the only study that examines the moderating role of the work environment on the relationship between five selected HR practices (training and development, job security, performance appraisal, employee participation, compensation) and millennial employee retention. Previous studies used fewer HR variables.

This study aims to explore the factors influencing the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) consumers’ adoption and usage intention towards mobile payment (m-payment) to achieve financial inclusion and sustainable development goals.

A qualitative research design is used to explore the enablers and inhibitors that influence BOP consumers’ m-payment adoption and usage intention. To collect the qualitative responses, semi-structured in-depth interviews with BOP respondents were conducted. The thematic analysis using the text mining technique will be used to analyse qualitative data for exploring the predominant factors affecting m-payment adoption intention and usage.

The results suggested awareness, social influences and self-efficacy as crucial enablers and privacy and security risks and vulnerability concerns as crucial inhibitors towards m-payment adoption and usage.

As a novel contribution to the BOP, financial inclusion, sustainable development goals and m-payment literature, this study unfolds several unknown perceived benefits and perceived sacrifices that influence the BOP consumers’ m-payment adoption intention and usage. The study’s findings help the government and banks formulate and implement strategies to achieve financial inclusion among BOP consumers.

While few studies have examined business-to-business (B2B) mobile application (app) usage, none have examined the challenges in developing these technological assets. This study aims to examine B2B marketing executives’ perceptions regarding benefits, barriers and facilitators in app development.

A survey of 311 B2B marketing executives at selling firms in the USA was conducted to identify key themes related to the benefits, barriers and facilitators in developing B2B apps. The research featured “open-ended” questions exclusively, and advanced textual and thematic analysis of executives’ responses produced several key themes.

Results show that the perceived benefit of lowering customer servicing and costs drives development more so than trying to realize new revenue opportunities (e.g. “saving” vs. “making” money). Achieving internal buy-in/participation was perceived as a larger barrier than the commitment of financial resources. Additionally, training and education were viewed as the strongest facilitators of an app’s success over its design and functionality. Implications for B2B firms are discussed.

The open-ended format of this research captures a greater breadth of perspectives at the expense of more granular analysis of any particular issue.

The themes generated from the responses offer novel insights into the benefits sought in developing an app, as well as the technological, organizational and environmental factors that act as barriers and facilitators. The open-ended format of this research captures a greater breadth of perspectives at the expense of a more granular analysis of any particular issue.