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The purpose of the paper is to investigate the marketing and communication activities carried out by small management consulting firms and how they relate to customers.

After the framing of the literature on the subject, the study is based on the results of a survey carried out through an online questionnaire. The sample under investigation is represented by 914 small consulting firms located in central Italy.

Results show that half of the sample carried out marketing and communication activities, mainly through the website and social media, while others participating in events as speakers at conferences. It also emerges that management consulting firms carry out activities aimed at maintaining relationship with customers even if they do not invest time in market research in order to find potential and new clients.

The study suggests that management consulting firms should adopt a systematic and strategic approach to communication and should develop a complete and integrated digital communication strategy, as well as to rethink the consulting business model.

There are no previous studies that provide insight into the everyday practice of marketing and communication of small management consulting services in today's dynamic and changing economic environment.

Hotels offer high-quality guest experiences to positively impact their emotions, satisfaction, perceived value, word-of-mouth (WOM) and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). This study aims to investigate the impacts of the quality perceived by hotel guests on their positive emotions, negative emotions, perceived value and satisfaction; verify the impacts of the price on perceived value and satisfaction; examine the impacts of satisfaction on WOM and eWOM; and test the moderating effect of hotel guests’ behavioural engagement on social networking sites (HGBE-SNS) on the relationship between satisfaction and eWOM.

This survey included 371 guests who assessed their experiences at three Brazilian hotels. Structural equation modelling tested the hypothetical model supported by the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974).

The quality perceived by hotel guests (stimulus) positively impacts perceived value, positive emotions and satisfaction and negatively affects negative emotions (organism). Price (stimulus) negatively impacts perceived value but does not affect satisfaction. Perceived value positively impacts satisfaction. Satisfaction positively impacts WOM and eWOM (responses). The HGBE-SNS moderates the relationship between satisfaction and eWOM.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first that simultaneously demonstrates the relationships between perceived quality, price, perceived value, positive and negative emotions, satisfaction, WOM, eWOM and HGBE-SNS. Hotels must offer their guests high-quality services to positively impact’ perceived value, positive emotions, satisfaction and WOM. Low prices boost the perceived value but do not directly increase guest satisfaction. Satisfied hotel guests share their experiences via WOM, but high HGBE-SNS is crucial to boost eWOM.

Los hoteles ofrecen experiencias de alta calidad a sus huéspedes para influir positivamente en sus emociones, satisfacción, valor percibido, boca a boca (WOM) y boca a boca electrónico (eWOM). Este estudio tiene como objetivo a) investigar el impacto de la calidad percibida por los huéspedes del hotel en sus emociones positivas, emociones negativas, valor percibido y satisfacción; b) verificar el impacto del precio en el valor percibido y la satisfacción; c) examinar el impacto de la satisfacción en el WOM y eWOM; d) probar el efecto moderador del compromiso conductual de los huéspedes del hotel en las redes sociales (HGBE-SNS) en la relación entre satisfacción y eWOM.

En esta encuesta participaron 371 huéspedes que evaluaron sus experiencias en tres hoteles brasileños. La modelización de ecuaciones estructurales puso a prueba el modelo hipotético apoyado en la teoría estímulo-organismo-respuesta (S-O-R) (Mehrabian y Russell, 1974).

La calidad percibida por los clientes del hotel (estímulo) influye positivamente en el valor percibido, las emociones positivas y la satisfacción, y negativamente en las emociones negativas (organismo). El precio (estímulo) afecta negativamente al valor percibido, pero no a la satisfacción. El valor percibido afecta positivamente a la satisfacción. La satisfacción afecta positivamente al WOM y al eWOM (respuestas). El HGBE-SNS modera la relación entre satisfacción y eWOM.

Este estudio es el primero que demuestra simultáneamente las relaciones entre calidad percibida, precio, valor percibido, emociones positivas y negativas, satisfacción, WOM, eWOM y HGBE-SNS. Los hoteles deben ofrecer a sus clientes servicios de alta calidad para influir positivamente en el valor percibido, las emociones positivas, la satisfacción y el WOM. Los precios bajos aumentan el valor percibido pero no incrementan directamente la satisfacción de los huéspedes. Los huéspedes satisfechos comparten sus experiencias a través del WOM, pero un alto nivel de HGBE-SNS es crucial para impulsar el eWOM.

酒店提供高质量的宾客体验, 对宾客的情绪、满意度、感知价值、口碑（WOM）和电子口碑（eWOM）产生积极影响。本研究旨在 a) 调查酒店客人感知到的质量对其积极情绪、消极情绪、感知价值和满意度的影响; b) 验证价格对感知价值和满意度的影响; c) 检验满意度对 WOM 和电子口碑的影响; d) 检验酒店客人在社交网站上的行为参与（HGBE-SNS）对满意度和电子口碑之间关系的调节作用。

本次调查包括 371 位客人, 他们对自己在巴西三家酒店的入住体验进行了评估。结构方程模型检验了由刺激-组织-反应（S-O-R）理论（Mehrabian 和 Russell, 1974 年）支持的假设模型。

酒店客人感知到的质量（刺激因素）对感知价值、积极情绪和满意度有积极影响, 而对消极情绪（有机体）有消极影响。价格（刺激因素）对感知价值有负面影响, 但不影响满意度。感知价值对满意度有积极影响。满意度对 WOM 和 eWOM（反应）产生积极影响。HGBE-SNS 可调节满意度与网络口碑之间的关系。

本研究首次同时展示了感知质量、价格、感知价值、积极和消极情绪、满意度、WOM、eWOM 和 HGBE-SNS 之间的关系。酒店必须为客人提供高质量的服务, 才能对 “感知价值"、"积极情绪"、"满意度 “和 “WOM “产生积极影响。低价会提升感知价值, 但不会直接提高客人满意度。满意的酒店客人会通过 WOM 分享他们的体验, 但高 HGBE-SNS 对促进 eWOM 至关重要。

The article investigates different types of strategies for managing user-generated content (UGC) and provides some insights into their implications.

A unique sample of Italian hotels with current and prospective customers in the digital environment is investigated. A taxonomy of user-provider interactions mediated by UGC is developed. A mixed approach was designed to meet the study aims. Firstly, an exploratory factor analysis was performed in order to illuminate different strategies of UGC and electronic word-of-mouth (E-WOM) management. Secondly, a cluster analysis was implemented in order to explain hoteliers' behavior toward users' contents.

The study results suggested the existence of three clusters, which reflected three different types of interactions between hotels and customers in the digital domain. Interestingly, most of Italian hotels were found to adopt a reductionist approach to UGC and E-WOM management, turning out to be ineffective to exploit them for the purpose of quality improvement and hospitality service excellence.

Hotels were found to be largely unaware of the importance of UGC and web-based communication with customers to improve their digital business strategy. Tailored management approaches are needed to realize the full potential of hotels' online content responsiveness for the purpose of value co-creation and service co-production.

This is one of the first studies investigating the strategic and management perspectives embraced by hotels to handle their interactions with customers in the digital arena.

Although trade volumes in e-retailing have increased significantly in recent years, logistics service failures are inevitable, especially at the delivery stage. Therefore, it is essential to provide customers with effective recovery strategies to increase their satisfaction and repurchase intentions. There is a lack of empirical evidence on whether the response time or the discount offered in compensation is more crucial for customers. Therefore, this study aims to determine whether the response time or the discount offered for high and low criticality failures has a greater impact on customer satisfaction levels and repurchase intentions for female and male customers.

A scenario-based experimental design method has been adopted to collect data, and 697 participants aged 18 and 58 years have been reached. The research utilized a between-subjects design, incorporating three factors: gender (female vs male), criticality (high vs low) and compensation (7 days: 10% discount, 10 days: 20% discount and 14 days: 30% discount). Six scenarios depicting the failure of an online retailer were created, and factorial univariate ANOVA was conducted to test the hypotheses.

The study's results show that in terms of customer satisfaction, female customers attach more importance to the response time in the case of high criticality and the amount of discount offered in the case of low criticality. On the other hand, male customers give more importance to the response time in terms of customer satisfaction when they experience a high or low criticality failure. In the case of low criticality, response time is more important for male customers to increase their repurchase intentions, while the amount of the discount is more important for female customers.

The study demonstrates the relative importance of the response time and discount amount according to the criticality level of failures and to guide business managers in terms of the recovery strategies they will implement. It focuses on gender differences and determine whether the response time or discount amount is more important for male and female customers in high or low-criticality situations.

This study employs a multi-method approach to investigate how perceived relationship marketing investment affects perceived relationship value and consumer gratitude, influencing consumer involvement, word-of-mouth intentions, and long-term relationships across three retail consumer types.

The study analyses a model involving 542 consumers, employing structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to identify distinctive factor configurations across public, semi-public, and private retail organizations.

A retailer’s investment in relationship marketing significantly enhances relationship value and consumer gratitude, leading to increased engagement and word-of-mouth intentions. Perceived benevolence moderates the effect of relationship marketing on gratitude. However, gratitude alone does not ensure long-term relationships. Using fsQCA, we identify four distinct consumer configurations, providing nuanced insights.

Retail organizations broaden relationship marketing strategies to boost perceived value and elicit consumer gratitude, influencing consumer performance outcomes.

Retail organizations should broaden relationship marketing strategies to boost perceived value and elicit consumer gratitude, influencing consumer performance outcomes.

Managers should develop strategies that lead to consumer gratitude toward the firm, such as journey mapping can help visualize retail delivery. Grateful consumers may contribute to firms’ profitability by influencing current and potential consumers in their social networks and communicating their expertise through review/feedback for improvement. Therefore, various strategies are needed to stimulate positive comments from grateful consumers about the firm’s excellent performance.

This study builds on Lawler’s affect theory, highlighting how relationship value and consumer gratitude profoundly influence exchange process outcomes. It introduces new psychological mechanisms to explain the impact of perceived relationship marketing investment on performance outcomes. Integrating these elements provides a comprehensive understanding of retailer–consumer dynamics, revealing how emotional and psychological factors shape marketing strategies and business performance. This contribution enriches theoretical frameworks and offers practical insights for enhancing relationship marketing practices.

This paper aims to understand consumption values buying from informal retail markets (i.e., street vendor retailing). It also explores why consumers prefer daily necessary goods from the informal compared to the formal retail market (such as supermarkets, retail chain outlets and e-commerce).

Employing the qualitative research approach, this study collected data from nine respondents in two areas in Malaysia. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using the thematic analysis technique. Only representative verbatim codes were presented under five themes of consumption value theory.

Consumers are triggered by the convenience, ease, and exclusive products (conditional value), friendly and known relationship with informal sellers, as well as the availability of some particular food items (emotional value) and lower price and freshness of groceries (functional value) while buying from informal compared to formal retail vendor.

This study provides knowledge implications to the consumption value theory. Functional, emotional, and conditional values are the dominant components of purchase behaviour in informal compared to formal retail channels. Social values are common, whereas epistemic value is more substantial in formal retailing.

Findings are helpful for informal retail businesses to understand consumers' buying behaviour. Informal retail owners should ensure that commodities are fresh, highly affordable and available in the local communities. Building a friendly relationship with consumers would be a key to the success of this retail sector.

Authorities should support informal sellers to set up mobile retail stores in residential areas. This effort would offer greater convenience to both parties in informal businesses and ensure informal sellers' financial and social well-being.

Despite the widespread acceptance of buying goods from informal retail vendors, research on consumption value in informal retailing is largely overlooked. Previous research primarily deals with formal market phenomena due to their size and economic contribution. Consequently, current literature lacks an understanding of why consumers prefer to buy from informal retail vendors for their daily groceries when the formal retail channel could fulfil similar needs. Using a qualitative research design, this research uncovers consumers' buying motives from informal compared to formal vendors.

This paper aims to analyse the determinants of the intention to share a post about an environmental issue posted by a tourism destination on Facebook. The authors use the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model as a theoretical framework and consider cognitive variables (destination social responsibility, tourist social responsibility and three types of congruence) as antecedents of emotions and of the tourists’ response (intention to share). Specific factors related to the social platform (attachment and active use of social media) are also included.

The model was tested for two destinations with different positioning (green tourism versus sun and beach). For the sampling strategy, the authors conducted an online poll targeting Facebook users who had undertaken at least one trip in the previous year. The sample consisted of 1,001 individuals.

The empirical evidence obtained indicates that consumer–cause congruence is the most important variable for explaining the intention to share the post for both destinations, with the destination–cause congruence being non-significant. The authors also observed that active participation on the social network stimulated the intention to share this specific content.

Unlike prior research, this paper examined consumer motivators for engaging with online corporate social responsibility content for tourism destinations, specifically focusing on destination social responsibility in sustainable tourism. The model also incorporates three types of congruence, revealing variations in their impact on explaining the intention to share sustainability-related posts.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing the development of social media marketing strategy in an international context. We specifically look at the potential drivers and barriers throughout the social media marketing strategy development process and how cultural differences shape social media marketing strategy decision-making among firms in international markets.

The study is conducted with an inductive research approach involving in-depth interviews with 32 firms from Finland, China and Brazil. Using inductive data analysis, we identify both internal and external factors that drive and hinder the development of firms’ social media marketing strategies. Moreover, we explore the essential elements in social media marketing strategy development based on the key practices observed among these firms, which enables us to conduct a comparative analysis of how cultural values influence the development of social media marketing strategies.

Our findings underscore the importance of both internal (i.e. resources and capabilities) and external (i.e. market-level and country-level) factors that influence the development of social media marketing strategy. Our analysis also unveiled four key practices throughout the social media marketing strategy development process: social selling, content marketing, risk management and relationship management. Additionally, we identified three distinct mindsets regarding firms’ social media selling objectives across companies in the three countries.

The comparative approach provides novel insight into firms' international social media marketing strategy. Our proposed conceptual model shows the development process of social media marketing strategy in the international context. The research propositions highlight the role of cultural values and open up new avenues for future research.

This study aims to integrate and extend leading contemporary underpinning frameworks such as the Stimulus Organism Response (S-O-R) model, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to assess the determinants of M-commerce usage during COVID-19 times. Besides direct effects, the study examines the mediating role of behavioral intention in affecting the relationship between a few external stimuli, internal states (of the organism) and M-commerce usage (the response). The study has also examined the moderating role of habitual behavior in the relationship between behavioral intention and M-commerce usage.

Data were gathered from 312 customers through an online survey using a structured questionnaire. PLS-based SEM, using Smart PLS 4.0, was employed to calibrate the measurement and structural models.

The study found that stimuli like social influence, perceived ease of use and perceived value substantially affected M-commerce usage. Behavioral intention has been found to mediate these cause-and-effect relationships partially or fully among the subject constructs. Additionally, a significant negative but weak moderating impact of habit (or habitual behavior) on the relationship between behavioral intentions and M-commerce usage has been corroborated.

Several studies have investigated the factors influencing the adoption and continued usage of M-commerce services while appealing to diverse theoretical frameworks. However, more research has yet to be expended to arrive at an integrated explanation grounded in these theoretical frameworks to examine the dynamics of M-commerce usage in tempestuous times like the COVID-19 outbreak. The most significant (counterintuitive) findings have been suppressing the effects of otherwise crucial elements like perceived security and habit in prompting M-commerce usage in the face of the socio-psychological pressures stemming from COVID-19 restrictions and consumers' lack of digital readiness. The study's outcomes offer several theoretical and practical implications for researchers, managers, practitioners, businesses and policymakers to develop effective strategies to mature M-commerce usage among the masses, especially during unusual times like COVID-19.

The research goal is to summarize the insights from an investigation of the higher education institutes (HEIs) and university's educational services promotion strategy, which incorporates social media as a medium for keeping in touch with important people throughout time. The study centered on the impact of promotional efforts done by higher education Institutes (HEIs) on social media on students’ decisions for their selection of HEIs and universities as well as the study focus factors that influence the students' decisions. In the third quarter of 2022, based on a carefully chosen sample, researchers used an internet questionnaire to conduct an empirical study. The assessment of the outcomes focused on identifying the significant aspects and their significance in the marketing endeavours conducted on social media platforms, which serve as predictors of student decision-making. Three important predictors Social Media Engagement, Content Contribution, and Stakeholders Review were identified and their significant impact on social media marketing by HEI are hypothesized and tested. All the study variables confirm the existence of a significant relationship with the dependent variable. The study concluded that these factors were identified as significant influences on the choice of study and higher education institution. Gaining new followers, prominence content display and stakeholders' feedback builds long-lasting linkages with the immediate environment. As a foundation for creating successful social media marketing strategies for higher education institutions, this research is useful for marketers since it elucidates the dynamics of the market and the habits of potential pupils.