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The purpose of this study is to understand the psychological mechanism that affects consumer trust by focusing on the formation and influence process of psychological contracts, and taking this opportunity, explore the influence paths of food quality, food safety and service quality on consumer trust in the online food market, and provide theoretical suggestions for building trust in food businesses' consumers.

This study is based on an empirical investigation and uses partial least square structural equation modeling for analysis. Survey data were collected online from 359 APP users of online food transaction platforms in China.

Food quality, food safety and service quality influence consumer trust through the mediating effects of relational and transactional psychological contracts. However, the differences between these influencing paths are obvious and shift with changes in the marketing channels.

This study contributes to the body of consumer trust research by exploring online food transactions as an emerging trend in China. Some optimization strategies for food quality, food safety and service quality are provided for enterprises involved in online food transactions.

This is a pioneering study revealing psychological contracts as a missing but significant mediator between consumer trust and its antecedents.

Mianzi can powerfully influence tourists’ behavior. Compared with product brands, destination brands are more multidimensional, consisting of intangible and tangible elements. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the relationships among the Chinese culture-related variable mianzi, destination product quality, destination service quality, destination brand value, destination brand resonance, destination brand self-congruity and destination overall brand equity.

A questionnaire survey was conducted in 2021, yielding 475 valid responses from tourists who had traveled to Hainan, China. Data was analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The results showed that mianzi plays a significant role in shopping destination brand equity, and the mianzi effect shapes tourists’ positive perceptions of destination product and service quality. Meanwhile, destination product quality and service quality enhance shopping destinations’ overall brand equity through destination brand value, brand resonance and brand self-congruity.

This study, focusing on shopping destinations, presents a novel view of brand equity. The research also uncovers influencing factors (e.g. product quality and service quality) that further enrich the destination brand equity model. Finally, findings offer valuable insights for academic research and the practical development of shopping destinations.

面子能有力地影响游客的行为。与产品品牌相比, 目的地品牌更加多维, 由无形要素和有形要素构成。因此, 本文旨在探讨与中国文化相关的变量面子、目的地产品质量、目的地服务质量、目的地品牌价值、目的地品牌共鸣、目的地品牌自我一致和目的地整体品牌资产之间的关系。

2021年对去过中国海南旅游的游客进行问卷调查, 最终获取了 475 份有效问卷。

果表明, 结果表明面子在购物目的地品牌资产中发挥着重要作用, 面子效应塑造了游客对目的地产品和服务质量的积极认知。同时, 目的地产品质量和服务质量通过目的地品牌价值、品牌共鸣和品牌自我一致提升了购物目的地的整体品牌资产。

本研究以购物目的地为重点, 提出了一种新颖的品牌资产观点。研究还发现了一些影响因素（如产品质量和服务质量）, 进一步丰富了目的地品牌资产模型。最后, 研究结果为学术研究和购物目的地的实际发展提供了宝贵的见解。

Mianzi puede influir poderosamente en el comportamiento de los turistas. En comparación con las marcas de producto, las marcas de destino son más multidimensionales y constan de elementos intangibles y tangibles. Por lo tanto, este artículo pretende explorar las relaciones entre la variable mianzi relacionada con la cultura china, la calidad del producto del destino, la calidad del servicio del destino, el valor de la marca del destino, la resonancia de la marca del destino, la autocongruencia de la marca del destino y el valor general de la marca del destino.

En 2021 se llevó a cabo una encuesta por cuestionario, que arrojó 475 respuestas válidas de turistas que habían viajado a Hainan, China. Los datos se analizaron mediante un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales.

Los resultados mostraron que el mianzi desempeña un papel significativo en el valor de marca de los destinos de compras, y que el efecto mianzi determina las percepciones positivas de los turistas sobre la calidad de los productos y servicios del destino. Por su parte, la calidad de los productos y servicios del destino mejora el valor de marca global de los destinos de compras a través del valor de marca del destino, la resonancia de la marca y la autocongruencia de la marca.

Este estudio, centrado en los destinos de compras, presenta una visión novedosa del valor de marca. La investigación también descubre factores influyentes (por ejemplo, la calidad del producto y la calidad del servicio) que enriquecen aún más el modelo de valor de marca del destino. Por último, los resultados ofrecen valiosas perspectivas para la investigación académica y el desarrollo práctico de los destinos de compras.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating effect of homophily between trust in social media influencers (SMIs) and credibility of the post in influencer marketing by incorporating the similarity attraction theory (SAT) and analysing the effect of trust in SMIs on online purchase intention and credibility of the post. This study also explored the mediating role of influencers’ credibility of the post between trust in SMIs and online purchase intention.

The data were collected from 417 respondents in Jaipur, India, using an online questionnaire via Google Forms. A convenience sampling technique was employed to collect the data. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses with the help of SmartPLS version 4.

The results exhibit a positive and significant influence of trust in SMIs on credibility of the post and online purchase intention. Also, this study found a positive and significant relationship between credibility of the post and online purchase intention. Additionally, credibility of the post had a positive and significant mediation role in the relationship between trust in SMIs and online purchase intention. In addition, homophily positively moderated the relationship between trust in SMIs and credibility of the post.

The findings of this study can be used by marketing professionals working in the e-commerce industry to ensure their continued in success using the right influencers for their specific target audiences and help them create and implement more effective promotional strategies, increasing brand awareness, announcing sales, using them for creative content and so on.

Until now, there has been no study in the Indian context that has tested the moderation effect of homophily between the trust in SMIs and credibility of the post by incorporating the SAT, according to the researchers’ knowledge. Furthermore, this novel piece of research explored the relationship between trust in SMIs and online purchase intention with credibility of the post as a mediator.

The food industry is continuously developing its online services called food delivery applications (FDAs). This study aims to evaluate FDA's importance–performance and identify strategies to maximize its potential gains from a business partner's perspective.

Data are collected from 208 FDA partners in Indonesia. Importance–performance analysis (IPA) is applied to evaluate the FDA feature and extended the theory of potential gain in customer value (PGCV) to achieve potential gains from FDA business partners.

This study provides a clear and measurable direction for future research to develop FDA performance. Owning customer data, revenue sharing and competitive advantage are the most potential gains from joining the FDA from the business partner perspective.

The respondents are restaurants from the micro, small, and medium enterprises levels. Further research should involve middle to upper level restaurants to discover all business partners' perceptions. This will be very helpful for FDA providers interested in improving the best performance for all their partners.

FDA providers must focus on improving and maintaining the features of owning customer data, revenue sharing, competitive advantage, stable terms and conditions, customer interface, building customer loyalty, online presence, user credit rating, promotion and offers, delivery service and sales enhancement to increase consumer satisfaction and meet the expectations desired by business partners.

This research provides a meaningful theoretical foundation for future work. It extends the theory of PGCV using the value of a partner perspective as a substitute for customer value; hence, the authors call it a potential gain in partner value.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting behaviour intention (BI) to use and actual usages of investment-related FinTech services among the zoomers (Gen Z) and millennials (Gen M) retail investors of India.

The study explores the predictive relevance of actual adoption behaviour among the two different age categories of Indian retail investors. It uses the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology-2 and the prospect theory framework as guiding frameworks. Data has been collected from 294 retail investors, actively engaged in the investment-related FinTech services. The multi-group analysis using variance-based partial least square structured equation modelling has been used to compare the two groups. The invariance between the two groups was achieved through measurement invariance assessment.

The study reveals distinct factors significantly affecting BI to use investment-related FinTech services among Gen Z and Gen M retail investors are performance expectancy (PE) to BI, perceived risk (PR) to BI, price value (PV) to BI and PR to service trust (ST).

This study provides insights for financial providers and policymakers, emphasizing different factors influencing BI to use investment-related FinTech services in both age groups. Notably, habit emerges as a common factor influencing the actual usage of investment-related FinTech services across Gen M and Gen Z retail investors in India.

This study explores the heterogeneous behaviour of the heterogenous population in the domain of technological adoption of investment-related FinTech services in India.

Given that existing retail brand research tends to treat each level of a retail brand as a separate concept, this paper aims to unveil the holistic nature of a multi-level retail brand, considering the distinctiveness of each level and the interrelationships between the images of different levels.

This study uses a scoping review approach that includes 478 retail brand articles. Subsequently, a thematic analysis method is applied.

The brand attributes that shape the distinct image of each retail brand level encompass diverse intrinsic and extrinsic attributes. Moreover, the holistic nature of a multi-level retail brand is formed by the interrelationships between the images of different levels, which are reflected in the presence of common extrinsic attributes and their interplay at attribute, benefit and attitude levels.

Theoretically, this review provides conceptual clarity by unveiling the multi-level yet holistic nature of a retail brand, helping researchers refine and extend existing theories in retail branding, while also providing new research opportunities in this field. Practically, the findings could guide retailers in implementing differentiated branding strategies at each level while achieving synergy across all levels.

Based on the cognition–affect–conation pattern, this study explores the factors that affect the intention to use facial recognition services (FRS). The study adopts the driving factor perspective to examine how network externalities influence FRS use intention through the mediating role of satisfaction and the barrier factor perspective to analyze how perceived privacy risk affects FRS use intention through the mediating role of privacy cynicism.

The data collected from 478 Chinese FRS users are analyzed via partial least squares-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

The study produces the following results. (1) FRS use intention is motivated directly by the positive affective factor of satisfaction and the negative affective factor of privacy cynicism. (2) Satisfaction is affected by cognitive factors related to network externalities. Perceived complementarity and perceived compatibility, two indirect network externalities, positively affect satisfaction, whereas perceived critical mass, a direct network externality, does not significantly affect satisfaction. In addition, perceived privacy risk generates privacy cynicism. (3) Resistance to change positively moderates the relationship between privacy cynicism and intention to use FRS.

This study extends knowledge on people's use of FRS by exploring affect- and cognitive-based factors and finding that the affect-based factors (satisfaction and privacy cynicism) play fully mediating roles in the relationship between the cognitive-based factors and use intention. This study also expands the cognitive boundaries of FRS use by exploring the functional condition between affect-based factors and use intention, that is, the moderating role of resistance to use.

During the past few years, social media has faced the challenge of maintaining its user base. Reports show that the social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter experienced a decline in their users. Taking WhatsApp's recent change of its terms of use as the case of this study and using the push-pull-mooring model and a configurational perspective, this study aims to identify pathways for switching intentions.

Data were collected from 624 WhatsApp users recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and analyzed using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).

The findings identify seven configurations for high switching intentions and four configurations for low intentions to switch. Firm reputation and critical mass increase intention to switch, while low firm reputation and absence of attractive alternatives hinder switching.

This study extends extant literature on social media migration by identifying configurations that result in high and low switching intention among messaging applications.

The study identifies factors the technology service providers should consider to attract new users and retain existing users.

This study complements the extant literature on switching intention that explains the phenomenon based on a net-effect approach by offering an alternative view that focuses on the existence of multiple pathways to social media switching. It further advances the authors’ understanding of the relevant importance of switching factors.

The shortage of organ donors is an under-researched global issue that demands immediate attention. This attention should begin at the government level and related organizations. In Malaysia, the shortage of organ donations has been a pressing issue faced by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) for a considerable length of time. In reaction to this issue, the MOH deployed the Organ Donation Awareness Strategic Campaign Plan by using the platform of social media to disseminate information regarding organ donation to the public. However, the number of registrations is still low among Malaysians. Moreover, the observation from the literature shows that there are limited studies which have been initiated to focus on social media in the context of organ donation campaigns.

The quantitative research design has been used to understand the issue. Three hundred and eighty-four completed questionnaires were collected from the target sample, which comprised university students in Malaysia. For this study, partial least squares structural equation modelling was used for data analysis.

The result shows that information usefulness is vital because it will lead individuals to adopt organ donation information on social media. More specifically, predictors that positively influence youth or university students to accept information as useful are visual information, information sharing, accessibility of information, needs of information and attitude towards information. Subsequently, information usefulness positively influences information adoption. In the meantime, information quality and credibility do not significantly affect information usefulness.

The findings of this study may assist MOH or interested parties in designing a sound marketing strategy in the context of organ donation promotion by providing empirical evidence.

The study provides empirical evidence about information characteristics in the context of organ donation promotion.

This study aims to convey the understanding of the ecosystem – how “hundi” works on the border trade between Myanmar and northern Thailand, which is an informal transfer system and is widely used as an alternative banking system. Even though the role of hundi is unable to declare the sources of money under the standard settlement of formal banking system, a failure to operate of its official mechanism are carrying using hundi, as a financial platform across the border between Thailand and Myanmar. This study surveys the best practice mechanism for the regional and international cooperation.

This paper draws on relevant literature, open-source reporting, and interviews with more than 30 interviewees on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. Interviewees includes border-trader, money changer, money transfer operators, business leaders, hundi operators, immigrant labors, government officials and commercial banking staffs.

This study provides a unique insight of hundi system, which work as the alternative mode of formal banking. It is an informal fund transfer payment platform used on the border between Thailand and Myanmar in the past five decades. It insists that hundi plays a significant role in both substitution and complementary on the trade and payment across the border of Myanmar–Thailand. Even though confronting with the barriers of financing of terrorism (anti money laundering AML/combating the financing of terrorism CFT) risk, the competition with the expanding and modernizing formal banking sector, and the introduction of Fintech and mobile money services. In the short term, these are unlikely to eliminate the hundi system completely, but may instead push hundi operators towards adopting these networks and technologies in their own operations.

This paper will be a useful source for academics, development professionals, policymakers, law enforcement agencies and business actors who are seeking to understand Myanmar’s informal payment system, hundi.

This is the latest work for border trade payment or trade financing role of hundi which has hidden under the informal market of the border for several decades. It has few research of hundi on border trade and payment, particularly after the military coup in 2021 which made hundi return to be on the spotlight and simultaneous mechanism of border trade and payment ecosystem of Myanmar. This paper will be a useful source for academics, development professionals, policymakers, law enforcement agencies and business actors who are eager to understand Myanmar’s informal payment system, hundi, especially during the hardship.