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This study aims to understand pathways to success for food video bloggers (food vloggers) by identifying the drivers of positive reception among audiences. It examines how entertainment, information and interaction values affect attitudes toward food videos and vloggers. Additionally, it investigates the potential for product placement by studying the effects of attitudes toward food videos and vloggers on consumers’ behavioral intention regarding purchasing featured food ingredients.

An integrated model informed by theories (uses and gratification and stimulus-organism-response) was developed. An online survey was administered to 339 Vietnamese social media users. The data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

The results show that food videos’ entertainment and information value positively impact the attitude toward food videos. However, the interaction value does not have a significant impact. All three values (entertainment value, information value and interaction) impact the attitude toward food vloggers. Both attitudes significantly influence purchase intention, showing that there is a pathway to product placement. The frequency of social media use can moderate these relationships, with a negative effect on the attitude toward food videos and a positive effect on the attitude toward food vloggers.

These findings provide insights into vlogger success pathways, not only in terms of audience reception but also in terms of product placement. This study offers comprehensive suggestions on pathways for success that are interesting for vloggers, food business operators, restaurant managers and audiences on how to design effective food videos and potentially encourage consumer purchases. These pathways can also be valuable for other behaviors, such as food safety advice and food waste reduction.

This study critically examines the transformative impact of the “North Sea TikTok” phenomenon on the marine tourism sector, emphasizing the role of employee training in fostering resilience and adaptability within marine economics and integrated marine systems. It delves into how viral social media trends influence marine tourism destinations, particularly the North Sea, affecting local economies, marine resource management and tourism strategies. By analyzing this trend, the paper seeks to uncover how marine tourism destinations can effectively respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by digital media-driven tourism.

Employing a multidisciplinary framework that merges insights from digital marketing, risk perception in tourism and human resource management, this paper provides a comprehensive qualitative analysis of the “North Sea TikTok” trend. Through a meticulous content analysis of viral videos and an examination of user engagement metrics, alongside a thorough review of contemporary literature in marine tourism and sustainability, the study unpacks the far-reaching implications of social media on marine tourism ecosystems.

The analysis reveals that the “North Sea TikTok” trend has markedly altered public perceptions of the North Sea, catalyzing a shift toward adventure and risk-taking tourism. This pivot promises economic rejuvenation for local tourism sectors and necessitates agile marine management strategies to accommodate the evolving demands. Implementing innovative employee training programs focusing on safety protocols, environmental conservation and digital engagement is central to managing these dynamics. The paper emphasizes integrating sustainable practices to ensure the equitable growth of marine tourism economies and environmental preservation.

This paper pioneers exploring the nexus between social media trends and their operational and strategic impacts on marine tourism management and economics. Synthesizing social media's viral dynamics with marine tourism development introduces groundbreaking insights into adapting marine tourism strategies in the digital age. It emphasizes the critical need for a skilled workforce capable of navigating the complexities of digital trend-driven tourism markets, proposing a novel model for employee training that aligns with the shifting paradigms of marine tourism engagement. This unique contribution advances academic discourse in marine economics and provides practical frameworks for stakeholders aiming to harness social media trends for sustainable tourism development.

This paper explores the development of microcredentials (MCs) through a regional lens, considering their implications for lifelong learning and skilled labour mobility in Asia and the Pacific. It also examines recent global initiatives led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The study reviews recent global initiatives aimed at developing shared definitions and principles for MCs, as led by UNESCO, taking into account the importance of existing initiatives such as the pilot project launched by the Australian government in 2022. The formalization of MCs within national education systems is also examined, with reference to frameworks developed by organizations like the European Union (EU), Australia and the Malaysia Qualifications Agency (MQA, 2020).

The paper underscores the increasing attention from international organizations and governments to the development and recognition of MCs, with significant efforts in countries like Australia and pilot initiatives in New Zealand and Malaysia. However, it also highlights that many MC projects in Asia are still in their early developmental stages, emphasizing the need for further progress and formalization.

This paper offers a unique perspective on the development of MCs in the Asia–Pacific region and their potential role in international education. It explores the prospects for MCs in international education, including student mobility and cross-border online courses. The challenge of integrating MCs into existing systems for recognizing international qualifications is discussed. Overall, the paper contributes to the understanding of MC frameworks as essential tools in the formalization of lifelong learning in the region, supported by the provided citations (OECD, 2021).

This research aimed to capture undergraduate students' experiences in the transition from face-to-face (F2F) learning to online learning. This study explored their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of online learning in their academic lives, challenges encountered and suggestions for enhancing online learning in the post-COVID-19 era.

This study employed a concurrent mixed-methods research design and selected 118 undergraduate students using a multistage random sampling technique from four colleges in Assam. Standardized questionnaires and open-ended interview schedules were used.

Undergraduate students reported a positive attitude and satisfaction with online learning, valuing its adaptability to their schedules, its role as a motivating factor for self-learning, its effect on making them more technically proficient and enhancing their communication skills to articulate their thoughts. However, the challenges identified by the students have the potential to overshadow the promises of online learning. This research provided more constructive suggestions under the themes of “content delivery”, “systemic and infrastructural issues”, “pedagogy” and “capacity building” to enhance their experiences with online learning.

Our research findings would assist educational institutions in adopting innovative approaches for simpler and more efficient online learning experiences post-COVID-19 pandemic. Institutions should prepare themselves and design dual-mode courses for F2F and online learning.

The paper addressed a relevant topic in this era of online learning by examining undergraduate students’ viewpoints that added complementary information to the current body of literature on online learning in rural India. The insights gleaned from their experiences would be beneficial for the development of best practices for online learning in the coming decades.

Considering the ongoing discourse on diversity, equity and inclusion, brands aim to develop marketing campaigns that demonstrate respect for all individuals. Despite these intentions, many advertisements still provoke strong negative reactions from consumers due to brand transgressions in social media marketing campaigns that violate these values. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the repercussions that such social media marketing campaigns have on brands, categorizing these campaigns as brand transgressions in social media advertising.

This research uses a mixed-method design that includes semi-structured interviews (Study 1), a content analysis (Study 2) and an online experiment (Study 3).

This paper clarifies the elements that qualify as brand transgressions in advertising within the diversity, equity and inclusion discourse. The negative electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) associated with brand transgressions in advertising comprises negative emotions (e.g. anger, contempt, disgust and hate) and behavioural intentions to penalize the brand (e.g. negative word-of-mouth, brand avoidance and protest behaviours). The negative e-WOM stemming from these transgressions amplifies the adverse consequences for consumer–brand relationships by negatively influencing other consumers through sympathy towards the offended parties.

This paper offers brand managers guidelines for preventing and managing negative consumer reactions towards brands based on their responses to marketing campaigns that contradict the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion.

This paper contributes to the literature on brand transgressions related to diversity, equity and inclusion values by exploring their impact on consumer–brand relationships and highlighting the pivotal role of sympathy in perpetuating negative consequences.

This study aims to explore the human resource management (HRM) practices related to training and feedback in the app work industry, specifically in online food delivery service, and investigate the emotional and behavioral responses of gig workers.

This study adopts a qualitative approach by interviewing 19 gig workers from six food delivery firms operating in different countries.

The results show limited training and feedback opportunities are provided to app workers, although the complexity of training and delivery methods differ across platforms. To address this shortage, app workers developed response strategies relying on social interaction.

This study adds to the research on HRM practices in the gig economy by portraying the way in which training and feedback unfold in the food delivery app ecosystem and by disclosing the gig workers’ emotional and behavioral responses to it.

This study shows that the way training activities are currently designed may provide little value to the ecosystem and are likely to produce negative emotional responses in gig workers. Thus, platform providers may make use of these findings by introducing more transparent feedback and social learning opportunities.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first empirical studies on online delivery gig workers addressing specific HRM practices. It reveals significant insights for training and feedback, suggesting app economy characteristics strongly affect training and feedback practices for app workers.

The ancient town of Lijiang is a representative place of ethnic minorities in China’s southwest border area jointly built by many ethnic groups. Its rich and diversified history, culture and architecture as well as its artistic and spiritual values need to be better retained and explored.

The protection and inheritance of Lijiang’s cultural heritage will be improved through the construction of digital memory resources. To guide Lijiang’s digital memory construction, this study explores strategies of digital memory construction by analyzing four case studies of well-known memory projects from China and America.

From the case studies analysis, factors of digital memory construction were identified and compared. Factors led to the discussion of strategies for constructing the digital memory of Lijiang within its design, construction and service phases.

The ancient town of Lijiang is a famous historical and cultural city in China, and it is also a representative place of ethnic minorities in the border area jointly built by many ethnic groups. The rich culture should be preserved and digitalized to offer better use for the whole nation.

Online food delivery applications (OFDAs) provide an expedient platform, and consumers’ access to food has been drastically altered, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to completely explore the attributes that influence consumers' purchase intention and how an app's aesthetics can evoke feelings that predict continuous usage intentions for OFDAs. The food industry, especially restaurants, heavily relies on mobile technology to facilitate critical online food delivery during the pandemic crisis.

The data for this study are gathered from 477 food consumers located in the federal capital territory (FCT) of Islamabad, Pakistan, through convenient sampling by developing a self-administrated online survey. SmartPLS is used for structural equation modeling to test the proposed research model and perform bootstrapping and algorithmic analysis.

Our findings revealed that perceived value positively predicted consumers’ purchase intentions. Moreover, perceived value mediates the association of information quality, familiarity, time-saving, usability and reputation with purchase intentions and fear of COVID-19 moderates the relationship between perceived value and purchase intention.

This research work has significant implications for researchers, web developers, app designers, delivery services, restaurants and other enterprises as it demonstrates the importance of aesthetically pleasing OFDAs in eliciting positive emotions and bolstering consumers’ intentions to continue using the app for efficient food delivery services.

This study expanded the application of the technology acceptance model (TAM) and attention, interest, desire and action (AIDA) by examining consumers’ purchase intentions in the context of OFDAs. Further, the successful utilization of TAM enhanced the understanding of consumer perceptions and behavioral intentions about the usage of OFDAs.

Job satisfaction is essential in understanding turnover intentions. Previous studies reveal that highly educated hospitality employees generally have lower levels of job satisfaction, indicating that the antecedents of job satisfaction may be different from hospitality managers and frontline employees. This study compared the different antecedents of job satisfaction for housekeeping managers and employees.

This study used a mixed-methods approach for a two-part study. The researchers recruited housekeeping managers for the exploratory survey. The results of open-end questions helped us build a custom dictionary for the text mining of comments from Glassdoor.com. Finally, a multilinear regression of themes from housekeeping employees’ ratings on Glassdoor.com was conducted to understand the antecedents of job satisfaction for housekeeping managers and employees.

The results of the exploratory survey indicated that the housekeeping department has an urgent need for organizational support and training. The text-mining revealed organizational support impacts both managers and frontline employees, while training impacts managers more than employees. Finally, the regression analysis showed compensation, business outlook, senior management, and career opportunity impacted both groups. However, work-life balance only influenced managers.

With a large number of employees at low salaries, housekeeping departments have a higher-than-average turnover rate for lodging. This study is among the first to compare the antecedents of managers’ and frontline employees’ job satisfaction in the housekeeping department, extending Social Exchange Theory. It provides suggestions for the housekeeping department to decrease turnover intentions.

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.