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The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that underpin consumer switching intention in the smartphone industry. Most of the literature on brand switching uses conventional models that lack the ability to explain this behavior for high-technology products. Such products have unique characteristics that make the switching process more challenging from the consumer perspective.

The proposed model is built based on the related theories that consider the distinctive aspects of high-technology products. Furthermore, two variables “relative advantage of product features” and “company innovativeness” are introduced for the first time to evaluate consumer attitude to switch a high-technology product. The smartphone industry was selected to test the proposed model, where an online survey was sent to Apple and Samsung users.

The results confirm the expectation that perceived product usefulness, perceived ease of use and relative advantage of product features are the major factors driving the intention of users to switch, whereas subjective norms have limited impact. The financial cost of switching is the main barrier to consumers’ decision to switch to a new technology. The pleasure consumers feel toward their brand and the other brand is positively associated with their attitude toward switching.

This research contributes to the literature on brand switching by introducing a comprehensive model that explains consumer switching behavior of high-technology products. Research findings would allow managers to draft better marketing strategies to improve consumer brand awareness.

The majority of literature on brand switching uses simple models to explain consumer behavior. This study is the first attempt to build a comprehensive model that considers the characteristics of high-technology products and how they shape consumer behavior during the decision-making process.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that underpin consumer attitude toward switching a product brand, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study brain activity during the decision-making process. Most of the literature shows that in the past, conventional marketing research approaches have been used to study brand switching among consumers. However, there is a lack of understanding of the importance of evaluating brain activations during the decision-making process when a consumer is selecting a brand.

The proposed model is a simplified version of consumer acceptance of technology model. This model accounts for cognitive and affect factors when choosing a product by including perceived usefulness and pleasure variables, respectively. An event-related fMRI experiment was designed and conducted using two smartphone brands.

The level of brain activation at the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) increased when participants were asked to judge images that reflect brand perceived usefulness compared with judging images that reflect brand pleasure. Similarly, the higher the perceived usefulness of the other smartphone, the greater the activation of the vmPFC during decision-making to switch to that smartphone.

This study contributes to the literature on brand switching by exploring the importance of fMRI technique in evaluating brain activities during decision-making to adopt a brand. For managers, research findings would allow them to draft better marketing and advertisement strategies that enhance consumer perception value of high technology brands and positive emotional experience.

Although the literature reports considerable research on brand switching, this is the first exploratory study to utilize fMRI to investigate consumer attitude toward switching. In addition, unlike most prior research, which uses generic products in fMRI studies, this study is utilizing high technology product to investigate the brand switching behavior.

The service marketing literature has traditionally argued that the marketing practices of service firms that operate in diverse cultures should also differ. This paper aims to investigate this argument by examining the marketing practices of service firms in two highly diverse countries “Canada and Qatar” in the context of a contemporary conceptual framework.

Survey data were collected in both countries using a self-administered questionnaire that was used in previous contemporary marketing practice (CMP) studies. The data analysis was conducted in two stages. First, descriptive statistics were used to determine cross-national differences in the intensity of use of various CMP activities in Qatar compared to Canada. Second, cross-national differences in various combinations of marketing practices were identified using a cluster analysis.

The results indicate that service firms in both countries have more similarities than differences and that the overall patterns of marketing practices are similar. In addition, the firms’ marketing practices reflect aspects of all four marketing approaches rather than just one.

The study was conducted in only two countries, thus generalisability of its findings and conclusions may not be possible.

The results of this study can help marketers to better understand the changing marketing environment and identify new marketing solutions when operating in different environments.

This study enhances the literature on service marketing and expands the application of the CMP framework to a new context that has not been addressed in previous studies.

This paper seeks to provide evidence that the long‐term success of capital‐intensive technology products requires continuous integration of innovations in the form of new features and capabilities that meet broad user preferences.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research centers, which represent lead users in this industry, are used as a case study. An online survey was developed to identify and rank the main factors behind brand switching, then secondary sources are used to confirm the research results.

A multi‐faceted approach to data collection is used to show that product innovations in the form of specific features are the main motive for switching to a new technology, consistent with the expectation that lead users seek technologies that maintain leading‐edge positions.

There are limitations to generalizing from this case study to other industries. The findings can be generalized to industries with similar characteristics, such as aircraft and heavy machinery manufacturing. In practice, managers should find a reliable strategy to assess factors underpinning brand switching that is unique to their industry. Determining the main factors behind switching is a critical matter when defining the appropriate strategy to keep their market share from eroding.

The literature reports considerable research that investigates brand switching. However, most of it focuses on highly competitive markets for consumer goods. This paper addresses a paucity of knowledge about what influences lead users of capital‐intensive products to switch between brands.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between product innovativeness and the process of technology switching. This issue is important for two reasons: (1) in mature markets, the only way to increase market share is through consumers' switching from competitor firms and (2) it is essential to determine whether the product innovation strategy can meet users' needs in high-technology markets.

Research centers (university hospitals) specializing in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the lead users of the MRI market. In this market, the technology switching process was tracked using an annual conference database. Interviews with industry experts and lead users were conducted in order to determine the relationship between product innovativeness and technology switching.

The findings reveal that in the lead users' segment, technology switching is occurring at a significant level. The interviews emphasized the influence of product innovativeness on technology switching in the global MRI market, as well as the importance of adopting an open innovation process as a strategy to enhance product innovativeness.

The results can be generalized to industries with similar characteristics, such as high rates of technological change and technology heterogeneity. In high-technology markets, managers should monitor switching behavior. They should also study the influence of product innovativeness on such behavior in order to determine the correct product innovation strategy and meet users' preferences effectively.

The literature reports considerable research that investigates switching behavior, but most publications use data from a short time period and cover a limited geographical region. This is the first study that uses data to track the switching behavior of high-technology products on a global scale over a 22-year period.

Halal markets are rapidly growing in terms of market size and global coverage; therefore, there is a critical demand to have a deeper understanding of the consumption behavior of Muslim consumers. This study aims to explore the influence of using the Halal logo on Muslim consumers’ attitudes toward food products using the neuroscience technology of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

The theory of planned behavior represents the foundation of this research, where consumer attitudes during an fMRI experiment were evaluated based on two different groups of images: images of just the Halal logo and images of meat labeled with the Halal logo. The study used the blocked design approach to track brain responses produced from displaying the two groups of images to study participants, where brain activity represents participants’ attitudes toward selecting the products.

There were no significant variations in brain activity when participants viewed Halal and non-Halal logos; in contrast, there were significant brain changes in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex region when meat images were labeled with Halal and non-Halal logos. This suggests that the Halal logo only has an influence on perception when it co-occurs with a product.

Tracking Muslim consumption patterns is important for managers to be able to establish strategies to target Muslim consumers. This study uses a unique technique to study the behavioral attitude of a rapidly growing market segment, which can help marketing managers tailor their advertisement strategies to be more effective.

Previous research on the consumption of Halal products uses conventional approaches to study the influence of the Halal logo; however, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore the influence of the Halal logo on Muslim consumers’ attitudes using fMRI technology.

Research demonstrates that servitization can achieve competitive advantages for firms; however, many firms are unable to achieve their target values due to various challenges. This study proposes a new model in which open innovation and co-creation are utilized to access consumer knowledge during the servitization process when developing customized services for international markets.

An online survey was used to collect the data from 150 manufacturing firms. The data were analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) approach.

The results indicate that open innovation positively affects servitization strategy. Moreover, consumer co-creation moderates the impacts of servitization on firm performance.

This study confirms the significant role of open innovation and consumer integration in the servitization process, establishing that managers should effectively integrate different stakeholders from the service design stage (through open innovation) to the service delivery stage (through co-creation).

The paper's results prominently advance the present body of servitization literature by showing how the implementation of open innovation improves the servitization process, an issue that has been ignored in previous studies. Moreover, it seeks to resolve the inconsistent results on servitization's effect on performance by indicating the role of consumer co-creation in the servitization–performance link.

In 2017, Qatar Airways was recognized as the world's number-one airline by SKYTRAX World Airline Awards. These international awards have been described as “the Oscars of the aviation industry,” reflecting global recognition and excellence in conducting business activities at the international level. The main purpose of this case-based research is to explore and evaluate the internationalization strategies employed by Qatar Airways in becoming known as one of the best airlines in the world.

In accordance with the nature of this study, data were collected by interviewing managers from Qatar Airways as well as by exploiting supporting materials from secondary sources and airline-specific records. The recorded interviews were analyzed via content analysis to define airline strategies aimed at expanding globally and building a global brand.

The findings reveal that Qatar Airways has adopted effective strategies that have facilitated its aggressive global expansion and enhanced its global consumer recognition – mainly as a fast-growing network connecting important destinations that maintains a focused consumer orientation dedicated to providing an optimal travel experience. These strategies have been focused on building a superior consumer experience marked by exceptional comfort.

Qatar Airways' implementation of internationalization strategies in the airline industry represents an innovative approach marked by efficient operations and high-quality standards. Both international business managers and academics can learn from these strategies and their implications for enhancing airlines' global reputation and overall quality performance.

Unlike other research studies that investigate a wide range of firms across industries, this study focuses on exploring the factors that support the successful internationalization of a single firm, thus providing in-depth understanding of specific strategies to achieve global recognition. This study provides unique insights to analyze strategies and assess their practical relevance.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that underpin brand switching of medical imaging products by mass-market users. Most of the literature on brand switching is focused on competitive market products, for which switching costs are manageable. However, little consideration is given to brand switching of high-technology capital products.

The conceptual model is developed based on the existing literature on B2B brand switching. An online survey was developed and distributed to decision makers involved in purchasing medical imaging technology.

The results confirm the expectation that product features is the most influential factor underpinning brand switching. Product features are critical for medical organizations who want to maintain their competitive advantage. The findings suggest that the set of factors that influence the decision to switch is unique for users of different market segments in the same industry (e.g. lead users and mass-market users). This difference stems from technology utilization of each market segment.

In high-technology markets, managers should develop a reliable strategy to evaluate the antecedents behind brand switching that are specific to their industry. Knowledge of the major factors that cause users to switch is essential to allow firms to determine the strategy needed to prevent the erosion of their market share.

Although the literature reports considerable research on brand switching, this study is a first-of-its-kind in that it demonstrates that the factors underpinning brand switching vary within the same industry, based on the characteristics of each market segment. This paper develops new knowledge on the factors that influence the decision of users of high-technology capital products to switch between brands to renew or improve their internal capabilities.

Increased concern about the extensive use of information and communication technology (ICT) has led to widespread research on its effects on employees. This study aims to examine the effect of ICT use and demand on employee-related outcomes, particularly work-life balance, job satisfaction, personal burnout and intention to leave.

The developed model was tested using a survey questionnaire distributed among academics and administrative employees working in the higher education (HE) sector in Qatar. New statistical tools were adopted to analyze the study data (i.e. PLSpredict and partial least squares structural equation modeling for unobserved heterogeneity).

The results confirmed that ICT use affects ICT demand and ICT demand significantly influences employee-related outcomes.

The findings will help HE institutes to carefully examine the negative effect of ICT use and come up with practical ways to avoid such effects.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the rare papers that inspect the negative effect of ICT use in the HE sector. Furthermore, it is the only paper inspecting such relationship in Gulf region.