Research background and purpose Artificial intelligence (AI) is being increasingly used in digital commerce. It helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) improve efficiency, enhance customer engagement, and support data-based decisions. However, research on AI adoption in SME e-commerce is still in emerging stage. This study aims to synthesize existing work and identify key applications, drivers, and constraints. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a systematic literature review (SLR) based on the PRISMA framework. Relevant studies were identified, screened, verified, and included from major databases using PRISMA. A total of 92 peer-reviewed articles were selected and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings The findings show that SMEs have yet leveraged very limited capabilities of AI for business operations. Common applications include chatbots, recommendation systems, predictive analytics, and AI-enabled CRM tools. Key contributor to adoption is technological, organizational, and environmental factors. While AI offers benefits such as cost efficiency and improved decision-making, challenges such as limited infrastructure, skill gaps, and governance concerns persist. Value added and limitations The study aims integrating diverse literature and presents in unified format in context of AI adoption in case of SMEs in e-Commerce. Key theories such as TOE, Dynamic Capabilities, Diffusion of Innovation, and Resource Dependency Theory and their interrelation is discussed. Finally, research gap and scope for Future research is presented.
Research background and purpose The study aims to identify existing methods for measuring project management effectiveness and to propose a new set of measures and indicators designed to address identified gaps in current academic and professional practice. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria. The review synthesises diverse global approaches across various sectors and contexts to provide a comprehensive overview of how effectiveness is currently evaluated. Findings The findings emphasise a notable absence of integrated analytical methods that concurrently examine organisational, technical, and human-resource factors. To mitigate this, the study proposes a framework of seven indicators, five original and two adapted, focused on organisational capacity, offering a more holistic way to measure. Value added and limitations As this study is based on a systematic literature review, the proposed indicators require further empirical validation in specific industrial contexts. However, the research provides a theoretical foundation for more nuanced, multi-criteria analysis of project management. As this study is based on a systematic literature review, the proposed indicators require further empirical validation in specific industrial contexts. However, the research provides a theoretical foundation for more nuanced, multi-criteria analysis of project management.
Research background and purpose The research aims at exploring the role of green human resource management (GHRM) initiatives on individual and organizational level outcomes; green organizational citizenship behavior (OCBE) and green reputation (GR) within the Pakistani corporate environment. This study explored how constructs such as environmental strategy (ES), green organizational culture (GOC), green transformational leadership (GTFL) and green perceived organizational support (GPOS) were related to GHRM. The research contributed significant evaluation of the adoption of GHRM initiatives to enhance sustainability and foster employees involvement in eco-friendly practices Design/methodology/approach Responses were collected from 210 managers serving across different corporations in Pakistan. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) SmartPLS V4 was employed to examine the data collected. Findings The findings of the study indicated the application of GHRM strategies to have positive association with employee pro-environmental behaviors and a company’s GR. Findings also revealed positive association of GPOS with employee engagement and OCBE with diminished moderating capacity on the association between GHRM and its organizational outcomes Value added and limitations The findings of this research contributed valuable insights into the positive relationship between GHRM, GR and OCBE in the context of Pakistan’s corporate sector utilizing the theoretical lens of AMO (Ability-Motivation-Opportunity). The results from SEM analysis indicated significant statistical ranges among the relationships between the constructs. This research is limited to the corporate sector of Pakistan and does not extend to other sectors within and outside the country, which limits the study’s external validity. Additionally, the study’s limitations suggest that it should be conducted using a longitudinal approach with an increased number of respondents in future research to boost the findings generalizability.
Research background and purpose The aim of this study is to draw upon social learning theory to examine the effect of leader’s grit on creative performance and explore the sequential mediating roles of proactive attitude and employee improvisation between gritty leadership and creative performance of employees in hospitality industry of Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach A study sample of 268 employees from hotels of Rawalpindi, and Islamabad, Pakistan was conducted consists of established questionnaires relating to measuring variables gritty leadership, proactive attitude, employee improvisation, and employee creative performance. SPSS-26 was used for descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The theoretical model was investigated using structural equation modeling (SEM) and hypotheses testing by utilizing SmartPLS4 program. Findings The study result indicates that gritty leadership has significant direct effect on employee creative performance. In addition, the study findings highlight that proactive attitude mediates the relationship between gritty leadership and employee improvisation. Furthermore, the study results depict that employee improvisation significantly mediates the relationship between proactive attitude and creative performance. Finally, proactive attitude and employee improvisation sequentially mediates the relationship between gritty leadership and creative performance. Value added and limitations The research data was collected from single industry, and the culture and background of the industry builds the perceptions of the employees about creativity. By gathering information from a larger and more diverse range of cultural and industry contexts, future study can validate and improve the findings. In theoretical context, the study broadens the leadership importance with the underlying mechanism by assessing the sequential mediating effects of proactive attitude and employee improvisation in the relationship between gritty leadership and employee creative performance. Additionally, the study findings guide the managers in the organization need to adopt various styles of leadership to foster employee proactive attitude and employee improvisation which will help the employees to perform more creatively.
INTRODUCTION.This article examines the theoretical and methodological foundations for developing a digital marketing strategy in the context of the economy’s deep digitalization, the transformation of consumer behavior, and the growing role of online communication channels in business-consumer interactions. THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY IS stems from the fact that digital marketing has evolved from a supporting tool into one of the key elements of corporate marketing strategies, and the market volume of online advertising and digital marketing in Ukraine has reached approximately $1.2 billion, with an internet penetration rate of 82.4% of the population. RESEARCH METHODS. The methodological basis of the study consists of methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, scientific generalization, and a systematic approach, applied to the analysis of scientific sources by foreign and domestic authors, as well as practical reports from analytical companies. Elements of structural-functional analysis were used to distinguish between the levels of business, brand, marketing, and digital marketing strategies, and methods of classification and content analysis –to systematize types of digital strategies by duration, type of interaction, geography, media type, level of channel integration, and digital directions. RESALTS. This paper summarizes various methodological approaches to the interpretation of digital marketing and formulates an integrated definition of marketing strategy as a comprehensive system of goals and long-term decisions that combines an action plan and a set of measures for achieving marketing objectives. The content of a digital marketing strategy is revealed as an evolutionary continuation of the classical marketing strategy, based on data, adaptability, multichannel communication, and personalization. The basic methodological frameworks for developing a digital strategy (SOSTAC, RACE, STP) are systematized, and the role of the key performance indicator (KPI) system in ensuring the continuous optimization of marketing activities is defined. CONCLUSIONS. The practical value of this work lies in the fact that the results obtained can be used by companies to build well-founded digital marketing strategies, develop a set of metrics to evaluate their effectiveness, and select the optimal combination of digital marketing tools depending on the type of interaction, planning horizon, and available resources. The proposed generalizations provide a methodological foundation for further applied research in the field of digital marketing, particularly for the B2B segment. KEYWORDS. classification of digital strategies; key performance indicators (KPIs); marketing strategy; digital marketing strategy; digital marketing; SOSTAC, RACE, and STP frameworks; digital transformation of businesses.
Research background and purpose Today’s VUCA environment-characterized by increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity-is making the limits of both cognitive and analytical capabilities more apparent in organizations’ strategy development processes. The aim of this study is to examine how the strategy development and strategic reasoning capabilities of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools differ across individual VUCA components. Design/methodology/approach The research employs an exploratory design that combines a qualitative scenario method with multi-GenAI-based strategy development and an Artificial Intelligence–Based Evaluation (AI-as-Evaluator) approach. In line with the research objective, four separate scenarios representing each component of VUCA were generated by the generative AI tool called ScholarGPT, and within the context of these scenarios, strategy proposals were developed by the generative AI tools ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Claude. The strategies developed were evaluated by multiple generative AI tools, within the framework of the principles of blindness and non–self-scoring, in terms of the criteria of innovativeness and creativity, feasibility, agility and adaptability, risk level, and market alignment. Findings The findings reveal that although generative AI tools exhibit high performance in “agility and adaptability” across all scenarios, the “complexity” component leads to a systematic decline in the “feasibility” scores of the strategies and a marked disruption in evaluator consistency. Value added and limitations The study expands the VUCA literature from an artificial intelligence perspective and offers a conceptual and methodological framework for research on generative AI-supported strategy development.
Research background and purpose The lack of a uniform definition of a start-up, together with the diversity of research scopes and methodologies adopted, creates an unclear image of the phenomenon, limiting the ability to identify the factors, regularities and processes that determine start-ups. The goal of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to analyse, evaluate, and systematise knowledge about research on start-ups and the definitions used therein. The review will not only classify existing findings, but also identify areas for future research that could improve our understanding of how start-ups can thrive and achieve success. Design/methodology/approach This study includes a four-stage procedure covering a systematic literature review of start-up publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) from 2000 to 2025. The main analysis phase involves examining the co-occurrence and total link strength of keywords in 12 620 start-up publications in the fields of business, management, and accounting. Several cluster maps were created using the VOSviewer software. The next step will focus on evaluating the definition of a start-up and analysing the key findings from the most-cited publications. Findings Our study identified six clusters grouping 126 keywords with at least five time of occurrence. We also identified emerging trends from the analysed literature Based on a review of various proposals, we have also identified common features of the start-up definition with use of ‘Mentefacto Conceptual’ model including superordination, exclusions, and infraordinations. This has resulted in the proposal of an original start-up definition. Value added and limitations This article makes an important theoretical contribution by offering a foundation for the reliable assessment of start-up research. It provides entrepreneurs, investors and decision-makers with guidance on understanding the phenomenon, its characteristics and the key findings about the development and survival of start-ups.
Research background and purpose: This studyaims to identifythe direct impact of artificial intelligence applications on human resource management practices and analyze the role of digitaltransformation as a mediating variable in this relationship, specifically focusing on the Saudi Maaden Company. The study contributes to the scientific understanding of howartificial intelligence applications can be integrated into core HR processes to achieve greater efficiency, improve decision-making accuracy, and provide innovative solutions to complex challenges in the modern work environment. Its scientific novelty lies in offering a deep understanding of the mediating role of digital transformation between artificial intelligence applications and human resource management practices, thereby contributing to the development of both theoretical and practical knowledge in this field. Design/methodology/approach: The researcher relied on the descriptive analytical strategy in this study by collecting theoretical material and producing a questionnaire consisting of 43 statements, which was delivered to 160 employees in Saudi Maaden Company. The questionnaires valid for analysis were 127 with a response rate of 79%. The data were examined using the structural equation modelling method (PLS-SEM). Findings: The study concluded that the success of artificial intelligence (AI) implementation is closely linked to the effectiveness of digital transformation processes within an organization. The findings indicated a direct positive impact of artificial intelligence applications on both human resource management practices and digitaltransformation, and a positive impact of digitaltransformation on human resource management practices. Additionally, there was an indirect positive impact of artificial intelligence applications on human resource management practices through digital transformation as an intermediary variable, and this mediation is complete. Value added and limitations: This study contributes to deepening the scientific understanding of the impact of artificial intelligence applications and digital transformation on human resource management practices by highlighting their practical dimensions and their role in supporting organizational performance efficiency, through its application to Saudi Maaden Companyas one of the industrial institutions operating in the mining sector. The results can also be generalized, opening avenues for future research by applying the study to various vital sectors, as well as incorporating additional managerial variables and concepts.
It is evident worldwide that women’s participation in entrepreneurship is lower than that of men. The study aims to identify the factors influencing the entrepreneurial intention of management undergraduate students and to compare whether there are differences in these factors and entrepreneurial intention of male and female undergraduates. The study involved male and female management undergraduates from Sri Lanka and examined entrepreneurial intentions and gender differences. Data from 509 respondents were collected via an online survey and analyzed using PLS-SEM and multi-group analysis s (MGA). Additionally, a two-hour focus group discussion with 12 participants was conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis to gain deeper insights into the phenomenon. All hypotheses were supported for both genders. The R-square value of 63.1% indicates that over 50% of the variance in entrepreneurial intention (EI) can be explained by the independent variables. Qualitative findings reveal that independence, family support, continuation of a family business, societal contribution, power, and personal branding positively influence EI in both men and women. Additionally, women’s entrepreneurial intentions are particularly motivated by success stories of other female entrepreneurs and support from female peers, highlighting the importance of role models and peer support in fostering women’s entrepreneurship. The study found that individuals’ perceptions of how others view them as entrepreneurs (subjective norms - SN) positively influence their attitudes toward entrepreneurship (AT), with differences observed between genders. Social group pressure on women can significantly influence their entrepreneurial intentions and attitudes toward entrepreneurship.
Research background and purpose: The aim of this paper is to examine foreign direct investment (FDI) undertaken by Polish enterprises within the framework of the internationalization process, with particular emphasis on the number of foreign entities as a proxy for the degree of internationalization. The study seeks to identify the relationship between the number of foreign entities and selected firm characteristics, including expenditure on fixed assets, net sales revenue, the value of imports and exports, and the structure of employment. Design/methodology/approach: The research adopts a quantitative and analytical approach to assess the relationships between the number of foreign entities and selected characteristics of Polish enterprises engaged in internationalization. Pearson's correlation coefficient is employed to examine the strength and direction of linear relationships between the analyzed quantitative variables. Findings: The results indicate that the development of key economic indicators-such as expenditure on fixed assets, sales revenue, employment, and trade turnover (imports and exports)-is closely associated with the growth in the number of foreign entities and the investment conditions prevailing in host countries. Polish enterprises increasingly allocate capital to Central and Eastern Europe as well as Western Europe, primarily due to cultural proximity and relatively short geographical distances, which facilitate efficient supply chain management. The findings confirm the growing importance of foreign direct investment in the internationalization process of Polish enterprises. Value added and limitations: This article contributes to the literature on business internationalization by integrating theoretical considerations with an empirical analysis of the relationship between the number of foreign entities of Polish firms and their selected economic characteristics. The study is subject to several limitations, including the use of aggregated data and its focus on linear relationships and selected quantitative indicators, which may not fully capture the complexity of internationalization processes.
INTRODUCTION. Under the conditions of communication digitalization and growing competition for human resources, military marketing increasingly requires project-managed approaches to the planning, personalization, and optimization of recruitment messages. Artificial intelligence serves as a tool for automated audience segmentation, prediction of behavioral responses, adaptation of creative content, and improvement of the effectiveness of digital campaigns. At the same time, the use of algorithmic technologies intensifies the risks of distrust, advertising avoidance, cognitive overload, and privacy concerns. This makes it necessary to provide a scientific substantiation of a model that integrates artificial intelligence tools, digitalization project management, and psychological mechanisms of advertising influence within the system of military recruitment. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS. The hypothesis consists in substantiating that the effectiveness of digital recruitment communications in military marketing increases when artificial intelligence is integrated into the project management system while simultaneously ensuring control over psychological indicators of trust, transparency of AI involvement, authenticity, cognitive load, and the risk of advertising avoidance. PURPOSE. To identify the patterns of integrating artificial intelligence tools into the project-based framework of planning, monitoring, and optimization of digital recruitment communications in military marketing by operationalizing psychological mechanisms of advertising influence in the form of measurable indicators of effectiveness, trust, and advertising avoidance. METHODS. Content analysis of publicly available digital recruitment messages; purposive bibliographic selection of scientific sources; comparison; abstraction; synthesis; operationalization of psychological constructs on a 0–100 scale; mathematical modeling; descriptive statistics; regression-based calibration of weights for integrated indicators; interpretive analysis. CONCLUSIONS. In the context of military marketing digitalization, artificial intelligence not only enables the scaling and personalization of recruitment messages but also requires systematic project-based control over the psychological consequences of advertising influence. The proposed model makes it possible to integrate AI tools with indicators of trust, transparency, authenticity, cognitive load, social media fatigue, and privacy-related risks. The feasibility of using three integrated indicators has been substantiated: AIPCS for assessing the predicted potential of recruitment effectiveness, AAP for determining the algorithmic potential for advertising avoidance, and APGI for evaluating the quality of managerial configuration of AI-assisted advertising communications. The practical value lies in the possibility of applying these indicators at control points within digitalization projects in military recruitment. KEYWORDS: military marketing; artificial intelligence; project digitalization management; digitalization; recruitment communications; advertising psychology; advertising influence; trust; cognitive load; advertising avoidance.
The growing prevalence of counterfeit products on e-commerce platforms poses increasing risks to onlineconsumers. This study examines how three types of risk (financial, functional, retailer-related) and consumertrust affect concern over the deal (COD) during the lead time and post-purchase phases, as well as how CODinfluences repurchase intentions. Data were collected through a web survey of 641 respondents across fiveEnglish-speaking countries (Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and New Zealand). Twoconsumer groups were identified: those who unknowingly received counterfeit items and those who exclusivelypurchased genuine products.Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), the results indicate that retailer-relatedand financial risks significantly increase COD at both transaction phases, while consumer trust significantlymitigates it. Functional risk had a weaker effect. Among consumers who unknowingly received counterfeits,financial risk was especially salient, underscoring the importance of addressing this issue. Across allrespondents, post-purchase COD had a significant negative effect on repurchase intentions, highlighting theenduring influence of doubts about product authenticity and retailer integrity.From a managerial perspective, online retailers should prioritize transparent communication, rigorous productverification, and responsive customer service to reduce perceived risks and strengthen consumer confidence.Proactive measures – such as enhanced quality checks, tighter third-party seller regulations, and clearer returnpolicies – can further help preserve trust. By elucidating how risk and trust affect COD across transaction stages,this study provides actionable insights for practitioners and policymakers aiming to safeguard consumers andensure fair competition in e-commerce.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM. The modern consumer operates under conditions of critical information overload. This leads to a progressive decline in the effectiveness of traditional communication models. There is an urgent need to move from quantitative reach strategies, based on the logic of Chronos, to strategies of qualitative identification of a favorable moment for establishing contact, based on the logic of Kairos. The theoretical and methodological basis of the work is an interdisciplinary synthesis of ancient Greek philosophy of time, neurocognitive research on the limited resources of conscious information processing by humans, the theory of emotional filters of perception, and the modern management methodology of Kairos management. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY. The purpose of the work is to theoretically substantiate and develop in detail the authors’ conceptual model of Kairos marketing as temporally oriented communicative influence under conditions of a turbulent environment. MAIN HYPOTHESIS. The effectiveness of marketing communications increases significantly if, instead of traditionally responding to external user actions, priority is given to the user’s internal psycho-temporal state and individual short-term windows of information perception are identified. METHODS USED. The methodological basis of the study is an interdisciplinary synthesis of ancient Greek philosophy of time, neurocognitive research on the limited resources of conscious information processing by humans, the theory of emotional filters of perception, and the modern management methodology of Kairos management. RESULTS. Within the study, four interrelated structural blocks of the model were scientifically substantiated and detailed. The first block – the "consumer temporal map" – makes it possible to reconstruct the temporal rhythms, life cycles, and typical activity patterns of the target audience. The second block – the "perception window" – identifies specific, often short-term intervals when the consumer’s cognitive and emotional barriers are minimal, making the consumer open to external influence. The third block – the "Kairos message" – focuses on creating content whose structure and tone are adapted to the specific state of the subject at the moment of contact. The fourth block – the "temporal feedback loop" – provides a mechanism for the continuous adjustment of communication parameters based on analysis of the success of previous interactions. SCIENTIFIC NOVELTY. The scientific novelty of the article consists in a clear categorical distinction between Kairos marketing and related approaches such as trigger marketing and contextual targeting. It is proven that, unlike traditional systems that respond to external user actions, Kairos marketing prioritizes the user’s internal psycho-temporal state. The theoretical substantiation of the model expands the understanding of the adaptability of marketing systems and proposes a new analytical framework for studying communicative effectiveness in conditions of high environmental turbulence. CONCLUSIONS. The proposed concept creates a new analytical framework for studying communicative effectiveness during high market turbulence. It has been established that the key directions for further research are the operationalization of the model through machine learning algorithms, as well as the study of the possibilities for its practical scaling in various sectors of modern business. KEYWORDS: Kairos marketing; Kairos management; temporal marketing; perception window; emotional filter; marketing communications; communicative influence; bifurcation point; neurocognitive approach; neuromarketing; new marketing technologies.
INTRODUCTION. Modeling the innovative development of business structures in the conditions of post-war economic recovery is the process of developing and applying economic, mathematical, organizational and digital models to substantiate management decisions regarding the recovery, modernization and sustainable development of enterprises after the end of hostilities. The main goal of such modeling is to ensure the rapid adaptation of business to new economic conditions, increase its competitiveness, innovative activity and resilience to future crises. In the conditions of post-war recovery, the innovative development of business structures acquires particular importance, since the recovery of the economy requires not only the reconstruction of production facilities, but also the transition to innovation, digital transformation, development of human capital and integration into international production and logistics chains. These aspects reflect the importance of the innovative development of business structures in the conditions of post-war economic recovery of the state. THE HYPOTHESIS OF THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH is to study the process of innovative development of business structures, namely the use of multidimensional comparative analysis, which allows taking into account not only the absolute values of business structure indicators, but also the degree of their proximity (distance) to the benchmark indicators. THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH: to assess the innovative potential; to identify factors that influence innovative development; to predict the results of the implementation of innovations. THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY is based on the use of scientific methods of econometric modeling to predict innovative activity; system dynamics to analyze the relationships between development factors; cluster modeling to study various development scenarios. CONCLUSIONS AND PROSPECTS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. Modeling the innovative development of business structures is the process of creating and using models to analyze, predict and manage the implementation of innovations in the activities of business structures in order to increase their competitiveness and long-term development. KEYWORDS: business structures; innovation efficiency; innovation process; clustering; modeling.
PROBLEM STATEMENT. Customer experience management (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016) has developed predominantly in the business-to-consumer segment; its extension to business-to-business (De Keyser et al., 2025; Wirtz et al., 2025) remains constrained to dyadic supplier–customer relationships. The textile and apparel production chain encompasses three functional levels, at each of which a distinct customer experience is formed, with the downstream experience partially conditioned by the value received in the upstream tiers. PURPOSE. To substantiate the mechanism of cascading value transmission in customer experience formation within the textile and apparel production chain and to define the role of absorptive capacity as moderator of value transfer between levels. MAIN HYPOTHESIS. Customer experience in the textile and apparel production chain is formed cascadingly: value received by a participant of exchange at one level is transformed into an operant resource and transmitted to the next level, with the effectiveness of each transition moderated by the recipient's absorptive capacity. METHODS. Abstraction, comparison, classification, systems approach. RESULTS. A mechanism of cascading value transmission is proposed: value-in-use received by a participant at one level is transformed into an operant resource and integrated into the participant's value proposition for the next level, with effectiveness determined by the recipient's absorptive capacity. The mechanism is projected onto the three-level architecture: equipment supplier – factory – brand and end consumer. CONCLUSIONS. The mechanism links three concepts: service-dominant logic, absorptive capacity theory, and the typology of business-to-business value propositions. Investments by upstream suppliers in midstream customer experience generate an effect that extends beyond dyadic relationships and influences end-consumer experience, provided sufficient absorptive capacity at each level. KEYWORDS: absorptive capacity; cascading value transmission; customer experience; service-dominant logic; textile and apparel industry.
Research background and purpose Toy companies are increasingly striving to reach adult consumers and respond to their evolving needs. However, purchasing behaviour of adults in the toy industry, as well as the marketing strategies targeting them, remain insufficiently explored. This paper aims to evaluate the importance of factors influencing their purchase decisions and to examine how toy companies can design marketing communication aimed at adults. The analysis uses LEGO as a case study and is grounded in experiential marketing, with nostalgia considered as one of its elements. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a quantitative approach through an online survey conducted in 2024. The sample included 117 individuals aged 18 and above from Poland, including AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO). The questionnaire explored purchase frequency, motivations, and perceptions of LEGO brand’s adult-oriented marketing communication. The analysis was complemented by a case study of LEGO. Both the questionnaire and the case study were grounded in experiential marketing components. Findings The study achieved its objective by evaluating the importance of factors influencing adults’ purchasing decisions and demonstrating how LEGO brand’s marketing strategy integrates experiential components. The results show that marketing strategy emphasizing experiences is perceived positively and encourage adult customers to purchase LEGO products. The most important drivers are fun, desire to relax, hobby and stimulation of creativity, while nostalgia is less important, however it can foster brand loyalty, particularly among older customers. LEGO brand’s strategy illustrates how nostalgia can function as a complementary element within a broader experiential approach. Value added and limitations This research provides insights into how toy companies can effectively reach adult customers by emphasizing various experiences while integrating nostalgia as a supporting factor. Nevertheless, the study is limited by its focus on a single brand and a small sample restricted to Polish respondents, which may constrain generalizability. Future research should examine multiple toy brands across different cultural contexts and further explore interplay between nostalgia and other experiential factors.
PRESENTATION. In the modern competitive environment of the restaurant business, the reputation of an enterprise has become one of its most critical and vulnerable assets. The success or failure of a restaurant can depend not only on the quality of its products and services but also on the opinions of customers formed through public channels such as social networks, review platforms, and media coverage. Reputational risk today acts as a decisive factor influencing consumer loyalty, profitability, and long-term development. One negative review, unresolved complaint, or scandal may significantly affect the brand's image, leading to financial losses and the loss of customer trust. THE PURPOSE OF ARTICLE is to explore the nature and specific characteristics of reputational risks in the restaurant business, identify their main sources, and propose structured approaches to manage and mitigate them. In the context of digitalization and increased consumer awareness, restaurant enterprises must develop and implement proactive strategies to protect and enhance their reputation. The relevance of this topic is confirmed by the growing number of crisis situations in the hospitality industry caused by reputational failures, which in turn proves the need for scientific research and practical recommendations on reputation risk management. This study aims to form a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of reputational risk development, analyze existing prevention and response tools, and systematize approaches that can be implemented at the operational and strategic levels of restaurant enterprise management. Additionally, the study seeks to highlight the importance of combining traditional methods of customer service quality control with modern digital tools that enable real-time reputation monitoring and customer sentiment analysis. RESEARCH METHODS. The research is based on general scientific and applied methods, including analysis, synthesis, classification, comparison, systemic and situational approaches, SWOT analysis, modeling of reputational risk scenarios, expert evaluation, and content analysis of online reviews. The use of these methods made it possible to form a balanced view of the phenomenon of reputational risk and develop scientifically grounded conclusions and recommendations for restaurant businesses. CONCLUSIONS. The study demonstrates that in the modern digital landscape, reputation has become a decisive factor for the financial stability and long-term competitiveness of restaurant enterprises. Effective management of reputational risks requires a proactive approach that integrates traditional quality control with advanced digital tools for real-time sentiment monitoring and crisis communication. Ultimately, systematizing these risk mitigation strategies at both operational and strategic levels is essential for maintaining consumer loyalty and building a resilient brand image in a highly volatile market. Keywords: reputation; restaurant business; risk management; online reviews; customer loyalty; crisis communication; digital monitoring; brand image.
