This study examines the key factors influencing digital transformation within Vietnam’s banking sector. To achieve this objective, the authors employ a quantitative approach that integrates Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to analyze data collected from 450 banking employees across Vietnam. The findings reveal that factors such as technological infrastructure, leadership capability, employee competency, digital transformation strategy, and digital pressure significantly enhance a bank’s digital transformation capability (DTC), which in turn strongly predicts the overall level of digital transformation (LDT). However, factors such as risk management, financial capacity, organizational culture, and government support showed limited or negative influence. Furthermore, the study extends the linear findings by identifying multiple causal configurations that lead to a high level of digital transformation capability (DTC), highlighting the critical roles of strategic flexibility and internal readiness. The findings offer practical implications for banking executives and policymakers while advancing theoretical development of digital transformation through an integrated, context-specific model tailored to emerging markets.
The study addresses the asymmetry in existing branding literature, which predominantly focuses on the positive outcomes of favorable consumer-brand relationships. It explores the consequences of negative brand assessments. This study identifies the key antecedents of brand avoidance and develops a validated scale to assess brand health. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, and collects data from millennial respondents using purposive sampling. As a result, we developed a brand avoidance scale and tested it for its reliability and validity. The study identifies five antecedents of brand avoidance: experiential, moral, deficit-value, identity, and oppositional brand-loyalty-based avoidance. The brand avoidance scale is quantitatively tested among millennials regarding their non-buying intention towards smartphones, which nomologically supports a positive relationship. This research contributes to the branding literature by providing a more balanced scale that incorporates both positive and negative outcomes. It is a practical tool for brand managers to assess and address their brand's health, particularly amid growing brand avoidance. The study is confined to millennials and their non-buying intentions towards smartphones. Future research could expand the application of the brand avoidance scale to other demographic groups and product categories. Brand managers may use this brand avoidance scale to evaluate and address the health of their brands, helping them understand and mitigate consumer brand avoidance behavior. This scale may help identify and address the negative perceptions that lead to brand avoidance.
Research on social media marketing for luxury brands is crucial, as it enables market expansion into new geographic markets, emphasizes digital platforms, redefines luxury, and shifts the research focus from Western perspectives to others. This study reviews articles published from 2010 to 2024 in Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO, applying defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and analyzes 58 articles (n = 58). The research identifies four main themes: social media marketing drivers, consumer segmentation, content strategy, and influencer marketing. Social media marketing drivers encompass attributes such as entertainment, interactivity, trendiness, customization, and word of mouth, as well as perceptions of luxury brand values, particularly psychological distance. Consumer segmentation focuses on the psychological motivation behind consumer engagement with luxury brands on social media. Content strategy investigates the types of messages (text or visual) and their sources (firm- or user-generated). Influencer marketing examines influencer characteristics grounded in source credibility theory, as well as types such as robot, local, or disability influencers. These themes are explored through Western, Asian, general, and diverse perspectives, with research tailored to each. A proposed holistic conceptual research model is presented, offering insights for future studies informed by prior research on social media marketing for luxury brands.
Despite the growing awareness of quiet quitting, empirical research on how leadership styles mitigate it remains limited. Specifically, there is a substantial lack of research on the mechanisms through which authentic leadership influences quiet quitting, particularly from the perspective of organizational citizenship behavior. This study investigates how authentic leadership (AL) influences quiet quitting (QQ) through the mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional design. Survey data was collected from 211 employees across various sectors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The results indicated a negative association of AL with QQ behavior, whereas a positive effect on OCB. Furthermore, the findings suggest that OCB plays a full mediating role in the relationship between AL and QQ. This study integrates the literature on organizational behavior, employee engagement, and leadership theory to propose a novel theoretical framework based on Herzberg's dual-factor theory and Social Exchange Theory (SET). The findings have significant implications for promoting favorable employee attitudes and mitigating the risks of QQ tendencies. It also provides helpful guidance for developing tools and metrics to evaluate AL, QQ, and OCB.
This study examines the impact of the chef's image, the luxury restaurant's brand, and their alignment on Millennials’ hedonic and novel gastronomic experiences, as well as their overall happiness and well-being. Data were collected from 277 consumers familiar with Chef José Avillez and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show that the chef’s image enhances hedonic experiences, while the restaurant brand strengthens both hedonic and novelty experiences. Congruence between chef and restaurant images amplifies both experiential dimensions. However, only hedonic experience significantly contributes to happiness and well-being. This study contributes to the literature by integrating human brand theory and self-determination theory, highlighting how chefs as human brands fulfill emotional needs that enhance Millennials’ happiness in luxury dining contexts. Managerially, the findings suggest that aligning the chef's emotional identity with the restaurant brand can elevate consumer experiences and promote long-term well-being. Author Biographies Paula Rodrigues, Universidade Lusíada Dr. Paula Rodrigues (Corresponding author) holds a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Porto. She is an Associate Professor of Brand Management at Universidade Lusíada Norte and coordinates the Marketing research line at COMEGI. Since 1995, she has taught courses including Brand Management, Consumer Behaviour, and Quantitative Methods. Her research focuses on consumer–brand relationships, luxury brands, authenticity, and brand emotions, with applications in tourism and the consumer goods sector. She has published extensively in international journals, including the European Journal of Marketing and Journal of Brand Management. Additionally, she has edited books with IGI Global and Palgrave Macmillan, and serves as a reviewer in the field of marketing research. Ana Sousa, University of Aveiro Dr. Ana Sousa is a full researcher at the Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP) at the University of Aveiro (Portugal). She holds a Ph.D. in Marketing and Strategy from the University of Minho and completed a Postdoc in Consumer Behaviour at COMEGI – Universidade Lusíada. She also holds a Master's in Marketing and Business Administration, a degree in Business Management from ISAG - European Business School, and a degree in Psychology from the University of Porto. She is an Invited Professor of Research Methodologies at the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém (Portugal) and participated in COST Arkwork, an international research project funded by the COST network. Her ongoing research projects focus on consumer-brand relationships in the contexts of luxury, tourism, and hospitality, as well as place branding, cultural heritage, new technologies, and the metaverse.
Various antecedents of employee performance (EP) have been studied, but the relationship model among these variables remains a topic of debate. Establishing such a model is crucial for business owners to identify and prioritize the most important variables in improving EP. Therefore, this research aimed to test the relationship model of organizational commitment (OC), specifically affective organizational commitment (AOC) and continuance organizational commitment (COC), work engagement (WE), as well as intrinsic motivation (IM), in improving EP. A total of 717 employees from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia were selected as respondents. After testing the validity and reliability of the measuring instrument, the relationship model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) in two steps. The results showed that the four psychological forces and employees' work attitudes influence each other and increase EP. WE and IM were two variables that could consistently increase EP directly. WE could increase motivation and commitment, as motivation has consistently been considered as a mediating variable in this relationship model. This research contributed to the evidence of social exchange theory, self-determination theory, and resource-based view in managing and improving EP. It also provided important discussions on the need to improve WE to achieve high performance.
This research analyzes the roles of directive leadership and continuance commitment on the implementation of innovative work behavior (IWB). The study focuses on companies in the production of medical equipment industry. Both the direct and indirect effects were examined, with continuance commitment serving as the mediating variable. This study utilized purposive sampling as the sampling technique. Four hundred eight respondents was 408, classified as employees of the selected companies. The data analysis employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to demonstrate the direct and indirect effects within the research model. The research findings reveal that both directive leadership and continuance commitment directly and positively influence IWB. Additionally, there is a positive indirect effect, with directive leadership affecting IWB, mediated by continuance commitment. In conclusion, this research reinforces previous studies' findings, indicating both direct and indirect implications on IWB. Directive leadership and continuance commitment play vital roles in the implementation of IWB, influencing work activities and business quality. These aspects ensure long-term business sustainability The uniqueness of this research lies in its research object. Companies in the production of medical equipment industry were selected as the study's focus to analyze the implications of innovative work behavior (IWB) influenced by directive leadership and continuance commitment. The significance of innovative behavior is crucial for business sustainability.
This paper develops a model to explore the relationships between circular supply chain enablers, environmental sustainability initiatives, and economic growth. We theoretically justified certain observed variables from previous literature for each latent factor consideration in our model. This study, which utilized data collected from 194 firms in Morocco’s textile industry, employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the model developed in SmartPLS. The findings suggest that companies adopting circular supply chain enablers and environmental sustainability initiatives experience real benefits in terms of economic growth within their organizations. The findings from the SEM analysis provide a solid foundation for academics and practitioners, offering valuable contextualization that highlights how the strategic integration of enablers for the circular supply chain and environmental sustainability initiatives can help companies meet their environmental responsibilities and achieve sustained economic success. This opens up opportunities for the reinvention of corporate strategies that integrate the relationships between circular economy practices, ecological sustainability, and financial performance into a business model as a key objective.
Today's competitive conditions governing the banking industry have led banks to use new tools to maintain and enhance their competitive advantage. In this regard, brands and employee behaviors are among the most critical factors in creating a competitive advantage. Meanwhile, service organizations such as banks have realized the importance of these factors in increasing competitive advantages. This study aims to provide a model of the critical determinants and consequences of brand citizenship behavior. Brand Citizenship Behavior (BCB) is among the concepts that seek to find ways to improve a brand's position in the market, and it is defined as the voluntary behaviors of employees to achieve the goals of the organization's brand. This research's statistical population is Day Bank employees in Tehran, of which 253 were selected as samples using the Cochran formula and the cluster random sampling method. The data were collected using a standard questionnaire. In order to determine validity, structural, convergent, and divergent methods were used. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability were used to investigate the reliability. Using Smart-PLS software, data analysis, and hypothesis testing were done through structural equation modeling. The results indicate that internal brand management significantly affects brand citizenship behavior. Brand citizenship behavior significantly affects brand strength, commitment, and pride. The mediating role of brand citizenship behavior in the relationship between internal brand management and brand strength was also confirmed. However, its mediating role in the relationship between internal brand management and brand commitment and the relationship between internal brand management and brand pride was not confirmed.
This study aims to identify the key factors contributing to the continuous intention to use FinTech. FinTech is an innovative technology that has disrupted traditional financial industries by automating and improving financial products and services; this includes a wide range of facilities such as mobile banking, digital payments, crowdfunding, and cryptocurrency, providing customers with more options and convenience in accessing financial services. However, despite its significant growth and customer adoption, it is still being determined whether the continuous intention to use FinTech will attract enough customers to sustain its growth. However, to address this issue, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and an expert verification method were utilized to identify 25 primary studies related to continuous intention to use FinTech, published in Web of Science and Scopus databases between 2012 and 2022. The study found 12 relevant factors influencing the continuous intention to use FinTech: technological factors (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use), perceived benefit (Economic benefit, seamless transaction, and convenience), perceived risks (financial risk, legal risk, operational risk, security risk) trust, continuous intention and environmental (government regulation). The studies are underpinned by the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM), the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and Institutional Theory (IT). The research offers a novel understanding of the factors influencing customers' continuous intention to use FinTech and presents a multidimensional framework to guide managers and customers in its utilization. The study employed a one-sample t-test to assess the mean and significance of observed differences or relationships and validate expert evaluations' results. Future research could utilize meta-analysis to strengthen these findings further.
This study examines the effects of place atmosphere on place attachment and loyalty, considering the mediating role of place image. This study employs a structured questionnaire methodology, dividing the instrument into five sections: place atmosphere, place attachment, cognitive image, affective image, and loyalty, as the basis for questionnaire design. The measurement of each unit within the questionnaire adopts a Likert five-point scale, with 258 valid questionnaires collected from coffee shop customers. The analysis encompassed descriptive statistics, reliability and validity assessments, goodness-of-fit, and hypothesis testing. The empirical findings revealed the following: (1) Place atmosphere positively influences place attachment. (2) Place attachment positively affects place image. (3) Place image had a positive impact on loyalty. (4) Place image acted as a full mediator in the relationship. Furthermore, the study findings reveal that place attachment does not directly impact loyalty, and place image acts as a complete mediator. This differs from the commonly perceived outcomes; hence, managers should emphasize the establishment’s image creation.
This literature review aims (1) to systematically lay out and analyze the literature on consumer engagement and consumer engagement with retail businesses, (2) to identify the possible antecedents of consumer engagement, and (3) to analyze the context of studies, trends in methodologies, and conceptual frameworks and thus provide the future agendas for consumer engagement with retail businesses. This review uses a systematic literature review (SLR) method. The research articles published in Scopus-indexed journals between 2008 and 2022 were downloaded from the Google Scholar database using a systematic search strategy. The key antecedents of consumer engagement included attitudes towards brands, brand interactivity, brand intimacy, consumer involvement, customer participation, customer perceived value, peer communication, personality traits of consumers, self-brand image congruity, perceived service quality, social media marketing efforts of retail brands, and subjective norms. Though only a few reviewed articles had explicit conceptual frameworks, researchers performed an in-depth analysis of conceptual frameworks underpinning the research. This framework-based review uniquely analyzes the antecedents (Independent Variables) and mediating variables of consumer engagement (Dependent Variable) with retail businesses.
The exploration of Islamic management holds significant scholarly value as it can enhance comprehension and scholarship regarding management methodologies aligned with Islamic values. This study analyzes and presents a visual representation of the progression of scholarly papers about Islamic management. This study is based on research on Islamic management in the Scopus-indexed database from 1971- 2022. We analyze this discipline's publication trends, co-authorship networks, and bibliographic coupling using advanced tools like VOS Viewer and R Studio. This study only considers databases indexed by Scopus, ignoring other reputable international indexers. We found that Islamic management studies focus on three areas: Organization and management as a tool, risk management in Islamic finance, and the effects of ethical management of Islam on conflict resolution. The findings of this study are significant in paving the way for future research and providing projections on areas that need a more significant portion of accelerated development. Decision-makers can utilize this research to implement innovative and sustainable strategies. Additionally, researchers can use this article as a guide to understand future research developments and orientations in Islamic management.
Industry practitioners and academic researchers have accorded social media influencer marketing considerable attention. Marketing professionals must identify potential social media influencers as endorsers. A well-known social media influencer is not always a good endorser. The popularity of social media influencers does not imply their influence on their followers. In this paper, we present a survey of the influence power of social media influencers based on their followers' attitudes toward trustworthiness, expertise, likability, social attractiveness, physical attractiveness, opinion leadership, enjoyability, similarity, interactivity, identification, fitness, originality, informativeness, entertainment, and self-serving. We gathered 4,919 responses to a user survey regarding the influence of Taiwan's leading social media influencers. Based on the survey results, we categorized social media influencers into five groups: high-impact influencers, knowledge influencers, entertainers, content creators, and product promoters.
