This article provides an examination of the evolution of networking in China and the Arab world over two decades and provides an update to, and new insights arising from, an article called Guanxi and Wasta; A Comparison, published in Thunderbird International Business Review in 2006. This article highlights the continued theoretical and practical importance of guanxi in China and wasta in the Arab World and how research, understanding, and practice of guanxi and wasta have developed over 20 years including integrating (limited) focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. As well as presenting the 'dark' and 'light' sides of guanxi and wasta, the article explores how institutional development has weakened use of informal networks but to a greater extent for guanxi than wasta. The article provides practical insights into managing informal networks in international business. The article suggests future directions for research and practice in guanxi and wasta in respect to responding to major foci of business internationally including digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and diversity and inclusion.
Recreational specialization has been a crucial theoretical concept in understanding tourists' traveling preferences. However, few studies have utilized this concept to explore the potential variations in divers' preferences for diving, including their sociodemographic characteristics. This limitation is especially relevant to Hong Kong's scuba diving tourism industry, as a perceivable absence of focus on understanding the factors determining divers' preferences has been documented, particularly among Chinese scuba divers. Considering this theoretical gap, this study collected data from 398 divers at four of Hong Kong's popular dive locations to narrow this research gap. Methodologically, k-means cluster analysis, one-way ANOVA, chi-square, and an independent sample t-test were utilized in analyzing the data to assist in answering the research questions of whether any significant difference between divers' sociodemographic features and their preferences could be observed across the possible divers' market segments, based on their levels of specialization. The results demonstrated that two Chinese scuba diver segments in Hong Kong could be identified based on their levels of specialization, including a cluster of "advanced divers" and another of "novice divers". In addition, divers' sociodemographic characteristics and preferences for diving have also shown a substantial variation between the two distinct market-based specialization segments. Based on these findings, research implications and limitations were systematically discussed and addressed, aiming to provide meaningful practical and theoretical support for future studies.
Meditation can elicit intense experiences that change the sense of self, alter worldview, and evoke strong negative and positive emotions, impacting daily life. These intense meditation-related experiences (IMREs) often begin suddenly but their emotional impact and meaning can change significantly as meditators reflect on and interpret them over time, shaped by an interplay of embodied and conceptual experience in ecosocial context. Unanswered research questions revolve not just around the onset and trajectories of IMREs, but also their interpretations and potentially transformative impacts on life. This study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a methodology that allows for in-depth inductive analysis. Semi-structured interviews with 13 participants analyzed phenomenological lived experience, meaning-making, and perceived impacts of IMREs. Four main themes describing meditators’ experience and meaning-making process were developed through the analysis: (1) Watching the self and the world transform; (2) From exploding emotional experiences to receiving insight; (3) Weighing what to say: finding solace or falling silent; and (4) Towards new perspectives and agency. The themes illustrate how meditation sparked transformative experiences that changed how these meditators see themselves and exercise agency in the world. Discussion of findings explores how meditators were impacted by IMREs while exercising agency in how they chose to understand and respond to them. The meaning of experience for some was immediately clear while for most it clarified through conversation with others over time. Meditators used concepts from science and meditative practice traditions to make sense of their experiences. Participants’ IMREs were transformative experiences that afforded new ways of perceiving and acting in the world.
The major aim of the study is to review existing literature, conceptualize and map various future research avenues in line with integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and marketing applications. It employs bibliometric analysis, network analysis and theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodologies (TCCM) framework. Similar techniques were applied in social research studies to study and comprehensively report the existing research structure, gaps and probable studies to bridge them up. The sample data in this analysis collected from 2001 to 2025 and consists of 439 publications selected as per the criteria and used for further analysis, demonstrates the recency of research in AI, and ML in marketing applications. The results show an exponential growth in this domain and collaboration among authors throughout the world. It offers important social, practical and theoretical contributions to the evolving literature on AI, and ML in marketing applications. Originally, the study unpacked innovative development of new frameworks, impact assessment, emerging trends, identification of challenges and opportunities, cross disciplinary insights with significant advancement of effective professional practice and impactful theory development in line with AI, and ML in marketing applications.
Introduction Autistic flow is a term that has been used to describe the autistic experience of being deeply immersed in an activity. Autistic flow theory proposes that autistic people may be uniquely positioned to access and manage flow states. However, more research is needed to understand the facilitative conditions that support autistic people transitioning into and out of flow states, particularly given the complex interplay of sensory needs, monotropic focus and environmental factors. Aims and Methods Semi-structured interviews were used alongside Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the qualitative experiences of ten autistic people transitioning in and out of flow. Results The analysis highlighted three themes: (1) Flow is enjoyable and essential for autistic well-being, playing a regulatory role in everyday experiences across sensory, emotional and cognitive facets; (2) autistic ways of being (i.e., monotropic attention, sensory sensitivity and repetitive behaviours) can amplify experiences in and out of flow; and (3) predictability is important for feeling safe to enter flow. Discussion We discuss the wealth of expertise autistic people possess about their own flow experiences and how this can be harnessed to build enabling environments for well-being. The findings contribute to a non-pathologising reconceptualisation of autistic ways of being through the approach of autistic flow theory.
