Search results

Previous studies on social influence and virtual product adoption have mainly taken users’ purchase behavior as a dichotomous variable (i.e. purchasing or not). Given the prevalence of competing versions (basic vs upgraded) of a virtual product in online communities, this paper investigated the differences in the effect of social influence on users’ adoption of basic and upgraded choices of a virtual product. It also examined how the effect varies with users’ social status and user-level network density.

A natural experiment was conducted in an online game community. Two competing versions (basic vs upgraded) of a virtual product were provided for in-game purchase while a random set of users selected from 897,765 players received the notification of their friends’ adoption information. A competing-risk model was used to test the hypotheses.

Social influence exerts a stronger positive effect on users’ adoption of the upgraded virtual product than of the basic virtual product. Middle-status users have the greatest (least) susceptibility to social influence in adopting the upgraded (basic) virtual product than low- and high-status users. User’s network density enhances the effect of social influence on adoption of both virtual products, even more for the upgraded one.

This research contributes to the social influence and product adoption literature by disentangling the different effects of social influence on basic and upgraded versions of a virtual product. It also identifies the boundary conditions that social influence works for each version of the virtual product.

This paper aims to explore blockchain integration strategies within a three-level livestock meat supply chain in which consumers have a preference for quality trust in livestock meat products. The paper investigates three questions: First, how does consumers’ preference for quality trust affect blockchain integration and transaction decisions among supply chain participants? Second, under what circumstances will retailers choose to participate in the blockchain? Finally, how can other factors such as blockchain costs and supplier–retailer partnership value affect integration decisions?

This paper formulates a supply chain network equilibrium model and employs the logarithmic-quadratic proximal prediction-correction method to obtain equilibrium decisions. Extensive numerical studies are conducted using a pork supply chain network to analyze the implications of blockchain integration for different supply chain participants.

The results reveal several key insights: First, suppliers’ increased blockchain integration, driven by higher quality trust preference, can negatively affect their profits, particularly, with excessive trust preferences and high blockchain costs. Second, an increase in consumers’ preference for quality trust expands the range of unit operating costs for retailers engaging in blockchain. Finally, the supplier–retailer partnership drives retailer blockchain participation, facilitating enhanced information sharing to benefit the entire supply chain.

This study provides original insights into blockchain integration strategies in an agricultural supply chain through the application of the supply chain network equilibrium model. The investigation of several key factors on equilibrium decisions provides important managerial implications for different supply chain participants to address consumers’ preference for quality trust and enhance overall supply chain performance.

To plan the future university campus, campus executives need decision-making support from theory and practice. Matching the static campus (supply) with the dynamic (demand) - while safeguarding spatial quality and sustainability - requires management information from similar organizations. This study presents an evidence-based briefing approach to support decision-makers of individual universities with management information when making decisions for their future campus.

For the proposed evidence-based briefing approach, the continuous Designing an Accommodation Strategy (DAS) framework is used in a mixed-method research design to evaluate the past to plan for the future. Five campus themes and three campus models (solid, liquid, and gas) are introduced to describe the development and diversification of university campuses and their impact across different university building types. Based on this theoretical framework, first, qualitative interview data are analyzed to understand which standards campus managers expect; second, a quantitative project database is used to demonstrate what is actually realized.

The findings demonstrate that remote working and online education will become more common. Academic workplaces and learning environments are more adaptive to changes than laboratory spaces. The analyses reveal different effective space use strategies to meet the current demand: they include space-efficient mixed-use buildings, and mono-functional generic educational and office spaces. These results show that operationalized evidence-based briefing can help design the future campus.

The study adds knowledge during a critical (post-COVID) period when decision-makers need evidence from others to adapt their campus management strategies to hybrid and sustainable ambitions.

The purpose of this study is to investigate brand loyalty in halal fashion brands through three loyalty routes, namely, quality-satisfaction-loyalty model, information sources and religiosity-loyalty model.

Data were gathered from 447 customers of halal fashion brands through a survey. The structural equation model partial least square was used to validate the hypotheses empirically.

From the perspective of customers in halal fashion, brand loyalty is primarily determined by brand satisfaction, which is influenced by the perceived quality, firm-generated content (FGC) and user-generated content (UGC). While religiosity contributes significantly to brand loyalty, it has no direct impact on brand satisfaction. Perceived quality and information obtained through both FGC and UGC channels have a significant effect on brand satisfaction. Finally, perceived quality, FGC, UGC, religiosity and brand satisfaction play important roles in promoting brand loyalty among halal fashion customers.

This study will assist halal fashion companies in evaluating perceived quality, information sources (FGC and UGC) and religiosity to increase brand satisfaction and brand loyalty. This study expands to the existing knowledge about brand marketing literature on halal fashion brands.

This study is a preliminary empirical study that explains the three routes of brand loyalty through the quality-satisfaction-loyalty model, information sources and religiosity-loyalty model in the context of halal fashion brands. This study also provides insights for marketers and business managers to enhance brand loyalty in halal fashion brands.

On the basis of labor economics theories, this study examines how adjustment in human capital accounts for labor cost stickiness.

This study makes use of employee education level as a measure of the quality of human capital and relies on data from Chinese public firms to conduct the empirical test. This study focuses on two important components of labor cost changes: one corresponding to the adjustment in the number of employees (capacity adjustment) and another corresponding to the adjustment in the mix of employee education levels (quality adjustment).

This study reveals that labor cost changes driven by the adjustment of employee education level are sticky. This stickiness cannot be explained by the standard adjustment cost theory. This further shows that firms that actively adjust their employee quality during downturns experience improved future performance. The findings are robust to alternative measures and specifications.

This study provides new evidence for and insights into the cost behavior literature. Previous studies treat input resources in a homogenous way and focus on the effect of capacity adjustment. This study considers the heterogeneity of resources and examines three dimensions of salary cost adjustment: capacity, structure, and unit cost. In line with the economic theory of sticky costs proposed by Banker et al. (2013a), the study’s evidence sheds light on the additional underlying economic mechanisms driving cost stickiness behavior. Specifically, managers asymmetrically adjust both employee structure and average salaries, in addition to employee number. This study also adds to the existing knowledge of the consequences of managers' actions regarding cost behavior.

This research seeks to examine the mitigating effect of religiosity on the relationship between abusive supervision and unethical behavior in employees, with moral disengagement serving as a mediating factor. Drawing on social cognitive theory, the study proposes an overarching moderated mediation framework to analyze this complex dynamic.

The testing of the model was based on hierarchical data obtained from 70 work units in services sector. Within this framework, 70 supervisors evaluated the unethical conduct of employees, while 700 employees assessed the abusive supervision they experienced and reported on their own moral disengagement and religiosity. For the analysis of both the measurement and the hypothesized models, multilevel modeling techniques in the Mplus software were utilized.

The study's findings indicate a direct positive link between abusive supervision and employees' unethical behavior, with moral disengagement mediating this relationship. Furthermore, the research discovered that abusive supervision leads to unethical behavior in employees through moral disengagement only in instances where their religiosity is low.

This research delves deeper by elucidating the role of moral disengagement in the dynamic between abusive supervision and unethical behavior. Diverging from prior research, this study uniquely highlights the moderating role of religiosity, showing its potential to weaken the impact of abusive supervision on unethical behavior in employees through moral disengagement.

Islam describes business as a legitimate means of halal income. However, little is known about what attracts people towards Islamic entrepreneurship or halalpreneurship. By applying the theory of planned behaviour, this study aims to contribute to this underexplored area by investigating the factors that affect Islamic entrepreneurial intention (IEI).

This study examined a mediation model using two country samples. First, the hypotheses were tested on a sample recruited from a high-income economy (i.e. Saudi Arabia) using structural equation modelling in AMOS V26. The authors then conducted a replication study to investigate the robustness of the findings using a sample recruited from a lower-middleincome economy (i.e. Bangladesh) and a different analysis technique, the PROCESS mediation model in SPSS V25.

The findings suggest that IEI depends on four antecedents, namely, attitude towards Islamic entrepreneurship, general entrepreneurial self-efficacy, Islamic entrepreneurial self-efficacy and perceived halal income. These antecedents also mediate the relationship between moral judgement and IEI.

This study offers an empirical framework that captures several perspectives on the formation of IEI. The findings contribute to entrepreneurial intention and motivation research by suggesting factors that motivate individuals to engage in Islamic entrepreneurship.

The findings imply that the framework of IEI can withstand diverse socioeconomic contexts. A novel perspective of this study is that Muslims who are motivated by perceived halal income show greater interest in becoming Islamic entrepreneurs.

The primary objective of this study is to examine how trust and religiosity, in relation to halal products, impact Turkish consumers' intention to purchase such goods. Furthermore, the study aims to identify whether attitudes towards halal products play a mediating role in these effects.

Data were collected from 847 people living in Turkey using an online survey. The authors empirically tested the proposed conceptual model via structural equation modeling.

The study’s results show that trust in halal products has a positive impact on both the intention to buy halal products and the attitude towards them. Moreover, one’s attitude towards halal products affects the intention to purchase them. Additionally, one’s religiosity-belief level influences the intention to purchase halal products, while religiosity-practice level influences the attitude towards halal products. Furthermore, through indirect effect analyses, it was found that trust in halal products and religious practices has an indirect impact on intention through attitude.

These outcomes significantly contribute to understanding the complex interactions between trust in halal products, levels of religiosity, and attitudes in shaping consumers' purchase intentions and approaches towards halal products. These implications offer valuable insights into how consumers' religious beliefs, trust perceptions, and attitudes influence their purchase of halal-certified products. Validating these conclusions on a larger scale and exploring them in different contexts would be beneficial.

The practice dimension of religiosity pertains to performing actions prescribed by the religion, embodying the practical applications of religious teachings. According to the research findings, the belief dimension of religiosity significantly and positively affects the intention to purchase halal products. This finding aligns with several prior studies.

Sharing information on websites, social media platforms, or product packaging can be effective. If businesses genuinely adhere to halal standards and address the genuine needs of consumers who value halal products, they can enhance consumers' interest in such products.

This research was conducted in Turkey, where most people follow the Muslim faith. The main objective of the study was to examine the trust levels of consumers who have strong religious beliefs and are sensitive to consuming halal products. The study looked at trust on three levels: trust in the halal product, trust in the company that produces halal products, and trust in institutions that provide halal certification. The study also looked at the religiosity levels of the consumers using a two-dimensional approach, which included their beliefs and practices.

This study aims at discovering the antecedent of halal cosmetics’ purchase intention by conducting development on planned behavioral theory through adding the constructs of word of mouth and religiosity. Attitude plays the role as mediation variable which correlates word of mouth and religiosity toward purchase intention and mediation variable between religiosity and halal cosmetics’ purchase intention.

The sample of this study was 196 Muslim women living in Indonesia. This research was conducted using online survey via google form. The collected data were analyzed using partial least square.

Based on the research findings, word of mouth did not directly influence halal cosmetics’ purchase intention. Religiosity variable also did not directly influence halal cosmetics’ purchase intention. Attitude played the role as the mediation between word of mouth and halal cosmetics’ purchase intention. Attitude was also able to become the mediation between religiosity and halal cosmetics’ purchase intention. Behavioral control and attitude directly influenced halal cosmetics’ purchase intention.

This research findings supported business owners to make sure the cosmetics’ safety for the sake of the users. Halal label is a guarantee that the cosmetics’ process has been through the raw materials selection, the standardized product processing and also the hygienic distribution process.

The literature development of halal products, especially cosmetics, is pretty much needed, as cosmetics users tend to increase throughout the world. Business owners can elevate halal cosmetics’ position through users’ recommendation to increase the economic potential value of halal cosmetics.

Few studies only focus on halal cosmetics, although several previous studies have examined halal food and beverages. This study aims to explore the relationship between knowledge, emotional attachment and religiosity on purchase intention, mediated by satisfaction and brand trust. This study stems from the theory of reasoned action (TRA), which merges the knowledge, emotional attachment, religiosity and purchase intention of halal cosmetics.

The researchers distributed online questionnaires to respondents via Google Form using social media (Instagram)/messaging application (WhatsApp). The respondents were Indonesian and Malaysian millennial Muslims. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. A total of 528 respondents were involved, consisting of 335 Indonesians and 193 Malaysians. However, data for 381 respondents were successfully screened for normality, outliers and multicollinearity. Furthermore, the data was used for examining the hypotheses proposed.

The results for Indonesian and Malaysian samples showed that there is a significant positive effect of knowledge, emotional attachments and religiosity on satisfaction and brand trust. But the Indonesia sample showed that there is no significant effect of religiosity on satisfaction. For Indonesia, there is a positive significant mediating role of satisfaction on purchasing intention. For Malaysia, there is no significant mediating role of satisfaction on purchasing intention. For Indonesia and Malaysia, there are positive significant mediating role of brand trust on purchasing intention.

The study compared consumers of the millennial generation in Indonesia and Malaysia with limited samples. For future research, it is suggested to exploring and combining non-Muslims and Muslims in the millennial generation and testing it in more than two countries.

The study provides an accurate understanding of the relationships proposed, such as knowledge, emotional attachment and religiosity, on satisfaction, brand trust and purchasing intention of millennial Muslim woman consumers in Indonesia and Malaysia, because the millennial Muslim woman consumers in Indonesia and Malaysia had the same behavioral characteristics: Muslim consumers and product characteristics.

The study of halal cosmetics can provide a spiritual commitment for Muslims, who consciously prefer socio-religious values in choosing cosmetic products. Therefore, the halal label of the product is also a reason for social and religious values to increase the social awareness of the Muslim millennial generation in Malaysia and Indonesia.

This research discusses the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction and brand trust on the purchasing intention of halal cosmetics. The response of Muslim consumers to halal cosmetics has not been widely studied in Indonesia and Malaysia. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, the halal label on all products has recently been made mandatory by the Indonesian Ulema Council. Therefore, this research offers insights into the attitudes of Muslim consumers towards halal cosmetics products.