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Relying on social identity and social exchange perspectives, the present study aims to investigate the role of employee branding dimensions in stimulating employees’ brand citizenship behaviour (BCB) directly and indirectly through job satisfaction and affective brand commitment.

A field-survey method was used to target customer-contact employees of luxury chain hotels. Regression-based approach and bootstrap method (via PROCESS MACRO, Model 6) were applied to test the direct and indirect effects.

The results show that perceived external brand prestige has a strong direct effect on BCB. Through mediation analysis, this study observes that job satisfaction and affective brand commitment have significant mediation effects (i.e. individual, parallel and sequential) between employee branding dimensions and BCB. Analysing the results precisely, job satisfaction and affective brand commitment have the lowest sequential mediation effect and the greatest parallel mediation effect concerning the said relationships.

This study is novel in applying a three-path mediation model in the Indian hospitality context, considering a multi-dimensional perspective of employee branding to capture its diverse impact on BCB directly and indirectly through job satisfaction and affective brand commitment. Moreover, this study advances employee branding research by considering the under-investigated mediating (individual, parallel and sequential) role of job satisfaction and affective brand commitment.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of social capital on the adoption of best crop management practices and testified the mediatory role of learning in the relationship between social capital and the adoption of best crop management practices. Then the authors examined the role of education as the moderator of the interrelations between social capital, learning and the adoption of crop management practices.

Based on a survey of 317 small farmers from three districts of Southern Punjab, the authors used structural equation modeling and bootstrapping to test these relationships.

The study confirms that bonding social capital and bridging social capital are positively related to the adoption of best crop management practices. Moreover, the authors empirically demonstrate that exploitative and explorative learning act as the parallel mediators between social capital and the adoption of best crop management practices.

By focusing on building social capital and maintaining meaningful interactions with the social networks, the small farmers can improve their existing methods and practices of managing the existing varieties of crops.

The extant literature has highlighted, but usually not explored, the imperative interrelations between social capital, learning and the adoption of best crop management practices. The authors provide empirical evidence about these relationships.

More companies embrace flexible work arrangements (FWA) as one of their employee retention strategies, yet its effectiveness is not consistent. Generally, past researchers use the social exchange theory to explain how FWA lowers turnover intention, while the rest adopts the border theory to justify why FWA can be ineffective. Here, the authors compare the competing theories for the first time to differentiate the theoretical reasoning of three forms of FWA (flex time, flex leave and homeworking). Two mediators (organisational commitment and work−family conflicts) are chosen to represent the mechanism of each theory.

The authors employ the latest wave of the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) Work Orientation Module from 2015. Based on nationally representative data from 35 nations and 17,604 participants, the authors employed simple mediation and parallel double-mediation models via bootstrapping procedures to investigate the theoretical reasoning behind each FWA.

The results indicate that organisational commitment and work−family conflicts as significant mediators in all models, supporting both theories. The authors first tested each mediator in separated models. In models concerning the social exchange theory, all FWA lead to increased organisational commitment before lowering turnover intention, implying the beneficial outcomes of FWA. However, findings also support the border theory's perspective where flex time and homeworking increase turnover intention through heightened work−family conflicts. The parallel double-mediation further suggests that all three FWA forms have their unique theoretical framework, impacting turnover intention differently.

Both the social exchange theory and border theory are well-developed theories but grounded on different theoretical reasoning. This is the first paper that compares both theoretical perspectives in the context of FWA. It offers a new perspective in explaining the inconclusive effectiveness of FWA and provides future researchers a more integrated interpretation and prediction of FWA's impact on turnover intention.

The primary aim of this paper is to study a dark side of e-HRM concerning its parallel effect on human resource (HR) socialization and HR service delivery and the consequent impact of perceived HR effectiveness.

The current study started with an in-depth review of the extant literature in the field of e-HRM to derive a set of constructs. Based on the theoretical foundation of the identified constructs, the current study went on to derive a set of hypotheses, which was subsequently validated using the uses the quantitative technique of PLS-SEM. A primary survey, in the form of a structured questionnaire, was used as the source for data collection on a sample size of 276 from the Indian industrial domain. Careful attention was paid to eliminate the common method bias in the study.

The findings of this study show a simultaneous significant full mediation effect of both HR service delivery and HR socialization is the relationship between e-HRM and HR effectiveness. However, e-HRM has a strong and significant negative effect on HR socialization. Though HR socialization is positively related to HR effectiveness, the significantly reduced level of HR socialization as a consequence of adaption of e-HRM had negatively affected the perceived HR effectiveness.

Although the dark side of e-HRM has been recognized by academicians and practitioners alike, its implications have seldom been studied in the academic literature. The current study intends to shed some light on this important, but sparsely discussed topic. Further, this study makes significant and meaningful contributions in the literature of e-HRM by empirically studying together the positive and negative consequences of e-HRM and its effects on HR effectiveness. Several e-HRM scholars have discussed the implications of e-HRM adoption and highlighted the negative impacts of e-HRM, and traversing the same path, the current study advances the literature by empirically investigating the effect of e-HRM on the dehumanization of HR processes and practices.

Corporate scandals involving senior executives plague many businesses. Although customers and noncustomers may be exposed to news of the same scandal, they may appraise dimensions of the transgression differently, thereby affecting post-scandal patronage intentions. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether and how consumer-firm affiliation affects future patronage intentions by examining nuances in customers’ vs noncustomers’ reactions toward the transgressor’s professional performance and immoral behavior.

Four between-subjects experimental studies were used to test whether performance-relevant and/or immorality-relevant pathways drive customers’ vs noncustomers’ post-scandal patronage intentions. The results were analyzed using analysis of variance, parallel mediation and serial mediation.

The results demonstrate that performance judgment, and not immorality judgment, drive the relationship between consumer-firm affiliation and post-scandal patronage intentions (Study 1a), regardless of the order of information presented (Study 1b). Customers form more positive performance judgments because they give more weight to performance-related information (Study 2), demonstrating a sequential effect of consumer-firm affiliation on post-scandal patronage intentions only through the performance-relevant, and not immorality-relevant, pathway (Study 3).

This research contributes to the literature on social distance and moral judgments. Future research should examine other deleterious outcomes such as brand sabotage and negative word-of-mouth, as well as potential moderators including repeated transgressions and prevalence of the infraction in other firms.

This research offers important nuances for understanding how performance and immorality judgments differentially operate and affect post-scandal patronage intentions. The findings highlight the strategic value of communicating the leader’s performance (e.g. professional contributions) as a buffer against potential declining patronage.

Offering new insights into the extant literature and lay beliefs which contend that harsh moral judgment reduces patronage intentions, this research uncovers why and how exposure to the same scandal can result in varying moral judgments that subsequently influence patronage intentions. Importantly, this research shows that the performance-relevant pathway can explain why customers have higher post-scandal patronage intentions compared to noncustomers.

The study investigates the influence of perceived security (PS) on behavioral intention (BI) via the trust attitude process and explores the moderating effects of gender. PS in mobile wallets enhances user trust (TR), attitude (ATT) and intention (INT). Using a multiple and serial mediation model, both TR and ATT were found to mediate the relationship between PS and BI.

Drawing on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory, the proposed conceptual model comprises PS, TR, ATT and BI. An online survey was conducted with a cross-sectional sample of 744 mobile wallet users in India. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships and test the mediation effects.

Results show that the stimulus, PS, has a positive and significant influence on TR and ATT, which eventually has a positive influence on BI. The research model explains 64.4 percent of the variance in BI. Further, both TR and ATT independently and parallelly mediate the relationship PS and BI. Lastly, gender is found to moderate the relationship between TR and BI and ATT and BI.

The research showed the importance of PS, TR and ATT towards mobile wallet adoption INTs. Further, the findings support the idea that developing TR and ATT is essential for shaping INTs. This suggests that mobile wallet service providers should invest in methods that not just enhance user TR but also reinforce a positive ATT towards the platform. To demonstrate TR, mobile wallet providers must ensure the confidentiality and privacy of user data, keep customer interests in mind and fulfill commitments. Lastly, for strengthening customer TR, excellent customer support is extremely important.

While prior researchers have majorly used technology acceptance model (TAM) and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) models to explain adoption INTs, this study examines the relationship between PS, TR, ATT and BI through the lens of the SOR framework.

Online cart abandonment is a severe issue posing challenges to e-commerce growth. Emerging economies such as India fascinates global marketing practitioners because of favorable demographics and high levels of internet penetration. This study aims to consider the role of certain exogenous factors in developing shopping motivations that sequentially mediate to online purchase completion through impulsiveness under risk perceptions. The primary motivation behind this study is to understand the mental mechanism among online customers that develop purchase completion intentions, which prevent cart abandonment significantly.

Impact of e-commerce exogenous factors related to e-commerce such as website attributes, product features, promotional excellence and decision-making easiness on shopping motivations, impulsiveness and purchase completions intentions under the moderating effect of risk was estimated from the perceptions of Indian online customers (n = 243) using variance-based structural equation modeling and SPSS process macro v.3.0.

The most important exogenous variable that can influence purchase completion directly, sequentially through shopping motivations is decision easiness and promotions. Even though utility motivations are dominant in purchase completion intentions, hedonistic aspects are more critical in developing impulsiveness. The translation of impulsiveness to purchase completion is happening, but risk perception significantly moderates impulsiveness formation.

Theoretically, this study examined online purchase completions being the most sought response by a customer to various stimuli in e-commerce. The study adopted a moderated mediation analysis in which shopping motivations and impulsiveness were mediators and risk as moderator. The interaction effect of risk on purchase completions was significant even when the mediating effects were prominent.

Contributes to the current knowledge-related online buying behavior in virtual retail formats and helps marketers in streamlining their focus in using impulsiveness as a strategic tool in reducing cart abandonment.

This study helps in understanding emerging trends in online buying behavior in India.

Hedonic and utilitarian shopping values have been researched since the mid-1980s in the fields of marketing, retail and specially on consumer behaviour. A number of studies have found evidence of their effects on satisfaction, buying intention and loyalty, but others have found no such effects or negative results. The purpose of this study is to apply a meta-analytic review on the shopping values.

This paper presents a meta-analysis of the relationship between hedonic and utilitarian value on shopping response, using 190 studies. The authors also limited their search to the past 19 years (1995-2014).

The findings are as follows: hedonic shopping value is positively associated with utilitarian, ρ = 0.56; hedonic and utilitarian exhibit positive main effects on satisfaction, buying intention, loyalty, perceived benefits and search for information; in general, these associations are stronger (vs weaker) for utilitarian value; the effect size for the association between utilitarian and buying intention is stronger in the experimental condition and the indirect effect of hedonic on value, loyalty and word-of-mouth by the mediating effect of value.

The authors proposed and found support for the parallel mediating effect. They also observed that not only hedonic and utilitarian shopping values had indirect effects on loyalty and word-of-mouth through perceived value and satisfaction but also both shopping values had different effects depending on the respective mediator. The indirect effects of hedonic values occur because the emotional and psychological circumstances of experience increase the perceived value, influencing consumers’ responses.

Retailers can create specific stores for consumers to attend to their shopping values. For example, the Adidas brand centre in Beijing/China provides the consumer with a unique and interactive retail experience. This kind of concept store and its experience (e.g. tunnel entry and team room) are congruent with shoppers’ hedonic value. Conversely, Nike Factory Store in the USA provides the consumer with a simple and fast retail experience.

The authors provide sufficient evidence that the two dimensions, hedonic and utilitarian value, are positively associated. This result is congruent with Batra and Ahtola (1991), Babin et al. (1994) and Spangenberg et al. (1997). The results support Chiu et al.’s (2005) argument that utilitarian and hedonic are positively associated based on Fishbein and Ajzen’s affect–cognition link and suggested that the instrumental and functional values are related to spontaneous responses that are more subjective and personal.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an alternative framework that will assist in understanding the adoption of digital food shopping. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated the demand for digital shopping, but the adoption of digital shopping for food has not accelerated as fast as in other product categories. This study considered the role of socio-cultural factors to understand the reason for slow adoption of digital technology to access food. A cultural framework that can be used to investigate socio-cultural factors in this context was lacking, however, this paper provides a discussion of social and cultural factors and developed measurement scales to assist in understanding cultural change acceptance in consumers' adoption of digital technology to purchase food.

Using Hayes' process analysis, this paper investigated how cultural acceptance – mediated by consumer affection and appeal and measuring the moderated effects of digital trust (DT) – determined the eventual impact on consumer intention to adopt digital food retailing. This paper also considered moderated mediation with parallel mediations (consumer affection and appeal, digital convenience (DC) and consumer digital readiness) interacting with DT and consumer learning.

The authors found that cultural acceptance of digital technology (CADT) is an antecedent to the adoption of digital shopping for food, but this is also mediated by consumers' appeal and affection for digital technology and consumers' digital readiness.

This study also indicates that DT influences consumer appeal and affection (CAA), especially amongst female consumers.

The paper represents an empirical investigation of a new conceptual framework that considers socio-cultural factors to understand consumers' use of digital technology in food shopping which has been an existing knowledge gap in current literature.

The study aims to examine the association between learning culture and adaptive performance of delivery employees during crises situation. The study develops and tests a model that explains how learning culture, through change-efficacy and meaningful work, influences employees' adaptive performance (including how they handle crisis situations and deal with uncertainty).

Data was collected from 298 delivery employees working in e-commerce companies throughout India in a time-lagged manner. Regression analysis and structural equation modeling were performed to assess the influence of learning culture, change-efficacy and meaningful work on adaptive performance using SPSS 24. Further, PROCESS macro was used to test the parallel mediation effects through bootstrapping approach.

The study establishes a significant direct and indirect relationship between learning culture and adaptive performance for employees. Further, underpinning the transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 1997), and job characteristics theory (1976), this study came across two pathways for organizations to transform their learning efforts into improved adaptive performance for employees.

Organizations, particularly in crisis situations, can leverage employees' change-efficacy and meaningful work to connect learning efforts with employees' adaptive performance.

The study contributes significantly to existing theory on transformative learning and job characteristics theory while strengthening the literature on antecedents of employees' adaptive performance, particularly in crises situation.