ABSTRACT. In a recent interview, Michell Boockoff-Bajdek, the Chief Marketing and Sustainability Officer for Skillsoft, stated that, “All marketers need to become technologists.” Indeed, the last twenty years have more than proven that senior marketing managers have had to become well versed with digital technology. However, it is not clear that the recent developments in generative AI (gen AI—not to be confused with GAI or General Artificial Intelligence) have been delineated from past developments in digital marketing technology. Moreover, there is evidence that the mental models used by business executives to “make sense” of genAI may not be adequate to correctly categorize the potential for both value creation, and harm. Specifically, the lack of an adequate mental model can impact the seriousness with which managers apply ethical use of genAI and its potential impact on both the organization and its customers. Therefore, this panel of experts will explore the managerial issues regarding the ethical use of genAI, the adequacy of existing marketing manager mental models, and how this all impacts the best use of value creation for an organization, as well as the well-being of its customers.

ABSTRACT. Social media influencers (SMIs) are of growing interest to advertisers and researchers. SMIs have a substantial social media following and create content for brands in exchange for compensation (Campbell and Grimm 2019; Voorveld 2019). Predictions suggest that the SMI market will quadruple to reach $24.1 billion by 2025 (Report Linker 2020). One SMI receiving increasing attention from brands is the pet SMI, or petfluencer. Despite offering comparable reach to their human counterparts, and even greater engagement rates, academic research has remained silent on petfluencers. Given the immense size of the market and SMIs’ abilities to influence responses, it is important to examine petfluencers’ effectiveness as brand ambassadors and their persuasiveness compared to human endorsers. We suggest that petfluencers are more persuasive than human SMIs and hypothesize that their persuasiveness stems from the innate sincerity underlying their posts, rather than from felt similarity (Daniel et al. 2018; Schouten et al. 2020) or aspirational identification (Leban et al. 2021) as shown for human SMIs. We provide three experiments as empirical support for the petfluencers’ persuasiveness and the behavioral process underpinning it. The findings provide novel implications for theory and practice, providing the earliest empirical support for petfluencers’ persuasiveness and guidance for practitioners.

ABSTRACT. How and should brands converse with other brands on social media? Conventional wisdom suggests that brands should refrain from mentioning competitor brands as this may contribute to free publicity. Yet, nowadays, it is common to find brands commenting on, re-sharing and endorsing content of other brands on social media in order to go viral or engage with new audiences. Brand-to-brand (B2B) dialogue, which refers to brands engaging in explicit interactions with other brands, is an emerging social media marketing strategy used by brands to improve their online presence in a fragmented digital marketplace. B2B dialogue, however, is an elusive phenomenon that is not well understood by marketing researchers and practitioners. The purpose of this research, therefore, is to identify and conceptualise the different B2B dialogue strategies that take place on social media. We use netnographic observations to develop a holistic framework of B2B dialogue strategies that range from more positive to more negative ones. Our findings offer theory and practice four distinct B2B dialogue strategies, including confronting, teasing, PR hijacking, and praising.

ABSTRACT. Across one pilot study and four studies, we define and delve into the term “taste transference” in social media context, studying the effects of auditory stimuli on consumer taste perception through the lens of the Bouba/Kiki effect. We first establish a novel visual-sound-taste matching model under the Bouba/Kiki effect (Pilot Study), laying a foundation for subsequent investigations. Then, we show that taste transference can indeed occur in a digital context (Study 1), demonstrating this phenomenon’s applicability. Interestingly, not all auditory stimuli yield identical results, as Kiki music is found to be more successful in inducing taste transference than Bouba music (Study 2). After that, we then explore the potential boundary conditions of taste transference in digital settings (Studies 3, 4). Our research offers evidence that taste perception acts as a mediator in the relationship between music types (Bouba music vs. Kiki music) and hedonic appraisal. Moreover, we discover that the music familiarity, as well as the flavor type (sweet vs. savory), can moderate taste transference. Collectively, our findings provide valuable insights into the application of the Bouba/Kiki effect in sensory marketing, offering theoretical contributions and practical implications for marketers, vloggers, and retailers in the digital age.

ABSTRACT. The surge in online shopping, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has left consumers grappling with the absence of sensory input and physical product interaction. In product categories where sensory experiences are pivotal, this deficiency leads consumers to depend on mental imagery, whether deliberate or automatic. Deliberate imagery, guided by conscious intent and instructions, has traditionally been used in marketing to craft engaging scenarios where consumers picture themselves using a product. In contrast, automatic imagery occurs spontaneously, triggered by stimuli like product images or descriptions. This study delves into the haptic aspect of imagery, emphasizing the significance of touch in the online shopping experience. The study aims to distinguish between deliberate and automatic haptic imagery and their respective effects on reaction times, attitudes, and behavioral intentions while controlling for consumers’ 'Need for Touch' (NFT), an individual's preference for tactile information. A 3x3 controlled experiment, involving constraints (non, cognitive, or perceptual) and haptic imagery instructions (non, deliberate, or automatic), was conducted on 313 female participants in an online store featuring a beauty product. Data analysis is ongoing, shedding light on the role of haptic imagery in online shopping, benefitting both marketing theory and practical strategies to enhance the online shopping experience.

ABSTRACT. High rates of new venture failure underscore the necessity of understanding customer needs during new product development (NPD). Traditional methods for involving customers in NPD have practical challenges, while digital platforms offer accessible and cost-effective ways to gather customer insights. This article explores the potential of leveraging online platforms, particularly crowdfunding, as a source of valuable market knowledge for NPD. Drawing from lead user and speech act theory, this research investigates the effect of social networks on lead userness and the influence of lead users' product feedback on NPD performance, moderated by entrepreneurs' decision-making logic. The findings reveal that customers centrally embedded in crowdfunding networks and those acting as bridges between social groups are more likely to exhibit lead user characteristics. Additionally, lead users' product feedback positively influences NPD performance, with this relationship being moderated by entrepreneurs' cognitive and social decision-making logic. The implications of this study extend to theory and practice. It introduces a novel framework employing machine learning to gauge the impact of lead users' feedback and highlights the importance of entrepreneurs' decision-making logic. These insights offer valuable guidance to entrepreneurs seeking to identify lead users in online platforms and maximize the advantages of customer involvement in NPD.

ABSTRACT. While the availability of marketing data and analytics-related technologies has increased, studies show that managers hesitate to invest in analytics because they believe the return on analytics remains low. Motivated by these concerns, the goal of this study is to clarify how marketing analytics-conceptualized as an organizational capability-influence firm performance. The authors empirically find that marketing analytics capabilities comprise two distinct types: customer analytics capability and communication analytics capability. Analytically, the study distinguishes between two causal logics: analytics to enhance performance and analytics as a necessity for high performance. The findings reveal an asymmetrical pattern of causal relationships between the two marketing analytics capabilities and performance outcomes. Neither of the analytics capabilities has a direct incremental effect on firms’ financial performance. Customer analytics capability, however, contributes to, and may even be a necessary condition for, achieving high business process performance in product development management, supply chain management, and customer relationship management. High performance in these key marketing-related business processes in turn contributes to high levels of financial performance, and is even necessary for achieving them. Overall, the study highlights that not all marketing analytics capabilities are equally effective, and that some firms receive greater benefits from analytics than others.

ABSTRACT. This research paper investigates the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in customer-facing retail technologies using a bibliometric and conceptual mapping analysis. The study develops a framework that categorizes AI applications in the retail journey into three types: mechanical, thinking, and feeling. The analysis identifies key actors such as consumers, retailers, technology firms, and the operative resources of algorithms and data analytics. Additionally, it explores aspects of anthropomorphism and social presence concerning AI interactivity. The analysis reveals four main research clusters: the user perspective, technical aspects, interactivity/engagement, and AI strategy. Taking an ecosystem lens, the study emphasizes the importance of examining AI's impact on productivity and society. Theoretical implications suggest the incorporation of multidisciplinary views and coursework. Practical implications highlight the need for cross-departmental and stakeholder cooperation. Overall, the findings demonstrate AI's potential to transform the retail industry while raising ethical concerns and workforce impacts. The synthesized framework integrates human, hybrid, and artificial intelligence to provide a comprehensive ecosystem-based perspective on AI's role in the retail customer journey.

ABSTRACT. This abstract aims to identify the Blockchain Technology (BCT) attributes that create value for firms and customers. By conducting a comparative case analysis of four organizations acting in fintech, this abstract provides insights on value creation through BCT. Fintech, as BCT early adopters, shows business applications mature enough, located at the end of disillusionment and at the beginning of the enlightenment stages, making it an interesting industry to assess value creation through BCT. Within case and cross-case analysis using an Large Language Model agent to conduct qualitative data analysis show that customer trust in BCT and cost reduction are associated with customer value creation, whereas innovation and collaboration create value for firms. These variables show the incremental and disruptive attributes that create value in marketing processes and the overal business model. Marketers who acknowledge BCT attributes to create value can benefit from using incremental and disruptive BCT attributes to gro and enter new markets.

ABSTRACT. Digital voice assistants have evolved into recommendation agents assisting users in their online shopping journey by supporting the decision-making process and facilitating the search and selection of products and services. These assistants can also lead to gender stereotyping and potentially cause cognitive biases that influence customers’ purchasing behavior. This study specifically examines the potential of digital voice assistants as recommendation agents in terms of gender bias and social proof. To answer this research question, a multidisciplinary protocol involving a scenario-based survey and a neuroscientific experiment are used. In the survey scenario of the male digital voice assistant, prior experience is more important for women than men. For the female digital voice assistant scenario, perceived usefulness has a greater impact on purchase intention for men than women, whereas women's attitudes are more relevant than men’s. Implicit association measures reveal that female DVA elicits more short-term associations related to gender stereotypes compared to male DVA. Facial expression analysis shows higher attention during product selection compared to baseline. The galvanic skin conductance arousal also supports an opposite attraction hypothesis for digital voice assistants’ and participants’ gender. Most importantly, digital voice assistant recommendations outweigh traditional social proof heuristics in customer product selection.

ABSTRACT. In the dynamic landscape of consumer behavior, recognizing the profound influence of age on consumer interests, attitudes, and behaviors is paramount. Effectively targeting diverse age cohorts, including Generations X, Y, and Z, necessitates a nuanced approach. Despite the centrality of age in marketing discourse, the conceptual framework underpinning Generational Cohort Theory (GCT) research has lacked comprehensive delineation. This study, therefore, addresses this knowledge gap by using a Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methodology framework to summarize the existing literature and suggest potential directions for future research. Employing a rigorous systematic methodology, we curated a corpus of 112 research papers on GCT sourced from 57 journals, spanning the years 2000 to 2023. Through a range of analytical tools, we delineated key contributors, nations of origin, methodological approaches, and thematic emphases prevalent in this body of literature. Notably, while marketing journals served as the primary disseminators of these insights, non-marketing journals also made substantive contributions to the discourse surrounding generational disparities in consumer behavior. Our findings illuminate a burgeoning field, with an overwhelming 80% of published works emerging between 2015 and 2023. Noteworthy contributions predominantly hail from research teams based in the United States, China, Italy, Spain, and Australia. Additionally, our exploration identified seven distinct research themes.

ABSTRACT. AI in B2B processes can contribute to sales forecasting, can add value to the selling process, and can even identify lead customers. The market share in the B2B sector for scalable AI models, like those intended for autonomous driving solutions for car manufacturers or generative AI solutions for businesses, is likely to be concentrated among a select few successful companies. However, it is assumed that most AI solutions will be customized or developed for niche markets, resembling a long tail of AI businesses. We theorize that the traditional B2B sales funnel theory might not be suitable when selling AI-based solutions which need customization. We propose to perform an intermediate loop, inspired from agile software development, in stages 3 (Qualify the Prospect) and 4 (Presenting the Sales Message) to the traditional sales funnel theory when selling AI-based software. We conceptualize this iterative process as a framework, named Agile Machine Learning Selling. This work explores the implementation of this model in a real world case study using in-depth interviews based on the Information System Success Model.

ABSTRACT. The academic discussion of the Customer Journey (CJ) in the Business-to-Business (B2B) sector is highly fragmented. There are different views on the CJ and the respective customer touchpoints. Structural analyses are lacking both concerning the overall B2B CJ and specifically regarding standardized commodity markets. This article aims to address this research gap. To achieve this, a systematic literature review was conducted, during which 86 publications were identified and analyzed. Three relevant drivers emerged for modeling a generalized B2B CJ in commodity markets: 1. Relationship Development, 2. Digitalization, 3. Value Creation. Considering these drivers, eight purchase process phases were identified: 1. Awareness and Need Recognition, 2. Information Gathering, 3. Supplier Search, 4. Consideration and Evaluation, 5. Supplier Selection, 6. Purchase, 7. Usage and Service, 8. Loyalty. The website serves as a relevant touchpoint throughout all CJ phases. In addition to the increasingly digital touchpoints, traditional offline channels remain essential to maintain personal B2B customer interaction.

ABSTRACT. Business-to-business (B2B) relationships can provide essential benefits through collaboration with their suppliers, customers, and other business partners. However, very close relationships may show a dark side and suffer from performance losses. This study empirically investigates the spread of dark-side effects and demonstrates drivers of and safeguards against contagion. We introduce a novel measurement of the darkness of B2B relationships. In addition, adopting a learning theory perspective, we develop and test a model of dark-side-effect contagion. Analysis of a multi-level dataset with lagged dependent variables shows that managers’ self-reflection on relationship management increases the spread of dark-side effects, while managers’ peer reflection on relationship management acts as a safeguard against it. We offer a novel measurement approach to assess and track the level of darkness, which gives firms the opportunity to design monitoring systems and plan training programs to prevent contagion.

ABSTRACT. Negotiations between buyers and sellers are critical key processes within organizations because transactions within most markets occur through such negotiation processes. Despite their importance and considerable research efforts, many issues around B2B negotiations remain unclear. There are also calls for new methodological approaches, which may help the research field of business negotiations to develop further. The research question of this project is as follows: How can neuroscientific experiments contribute to and extend current B2B negotiation knowledge? We draw from a meta-review (Hüffmeier et al. 2014) on the effects of different negotiation styles, to investigate replication in a neuroscientific experiment. We focus on four core factors of negotiations: negotiation style, economic negotiation outcomes, behavioral long-term negotiation outcomes, and socio-emotional negotiation outcomes. This pretest with 10 participants led to the conclusion, that a clearer distinction of the stimuli (hard/soft negotiation strategy) and an individual pretest of this distinction is necessary. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge we would be one of the first to evaluate the effects of B2B negotiation styles in distributive negotiations on socioemotional outcomes and price using neuroscience. This could strongly contribute to further developing the B2B field in times where its foundations are challenged by neuroscientific findings.

ABSTRACT. Companies are eager to gather and utilize customer feedback about their core offerings that can provide a deeper understanding of customer sentiment and serve as a source of competitive advantage. However, relatively little is known about the factors that drive customers to share managerially valuable feedback with the companies from which they buy. Analyzing both large-sample customer survey data and experimental data across distinct consumer domains, I show that customers’ political ideology is an important factor influencing the value of their feedback to firms. Specifically, I find that the more conservative the customer is, the more valuable their feedback is to companies. This is because customers who hold more conservative ideologies have higher trust in the private sector, and therefore it is easier for companies to build trust with these customers. I also show that the effect of customer political ideology on customer feedback value is attenuated for large firms and strengthened for firms that receive external recognition (e.g., third-party awards). These findings contribute to existing research on both the marketing-political identity interface and customer engagement, with implications for both marketing managers and future research and theory.

ABSTRACT. Dynamic pricing strategies have seen increasing adoption among hedonic service firms as a means to mitigate issues related to overcrowding. Extant academic research has predominantly focused on the examination of dynamic pricing practices with the conventional objective of revenue maximization, with comparatively limited attention devoted to the utilization of dynamic pricing schemes aimed at enhancing the customer experience. The present dissertation proposal endeavors to bridge this existing gap and address the paradoxical relationship between customer experience and revenue arising from the implementation of such strategies. Through a sequence of rigorously controlled experiments and an extended longitudinal field study, this proposal attempts to quantitatively assess the impact of marketing efforts aimed at alleviating overcrowding through the implementation of dynamic pricing strategies. The anticipated outcomes of this dissertation proposal are of notable relevance for both marketing professionals and managers, as they illuminate the dual nature of dynamic pricing implementations on consumer responses. Furthermore, they advocate for the strategic consideration of customer experience mitigation practices when firms contemplate the adoption of dynamic pricing policies.

ABSTRACT. Online advertisers typically advertise on multiple publishers and face an attribution problem of measuring the effectiveness of each campaign and determining the payments for each publisher. These challenges are linked because publishers often have access to more information, such as user behavior on their sites. They can exploit this advantage to target advertisements in ways not aligned with advertisers' interests, leading to moral hazard. I therefore cast the attribution problem as an incentive design problem, and use a team compensation framework to study the advertiser's optimal strategy. As in the literature, I model publishers as having more information about the incremental effect of an advertisement. More novel, I also model publishers as having more information about the opportunity cost of displaying an advertisement. I carry out a field experiment and find that the opportunity costs are affiliated across publishers. Counterfactual simulations reveal that the optimal strategy increases the advertiser's ROI by 37%. Moreover, I characterize the incentives created by prevalent attribution algorithms and show that single-touch algorithms yield higher profits than multi-touch algorithms. The findings reveal that compensating publishers solely based on the marginal causal effects can be suboptimal, emphasizing the importance of considering the incentives that measurement tools generate.

ABSTRACT. This interactive panel examines the current state of marketing doctoral education. A global study of over 120 doctoral programs provides the foundation for discussion and evaluation of where the marketing discipline is and where it is going. Specific topics for discussion include the coverage of marketing theory, methodology, and the type of curriculum in programs. The concentrations in programs will be related to research in the marketing discipline.

ABSTRACT. Recent research shows that sensory input affects consumer decision making. However, the role of sensory content in online reviews related to products hasn’t been studied. The focus of this research is on haptic online reviews- we would like to understand whether haptic reviews impact consumers’ purchase intention, and if so, what is the mechanism for such an effect. Our theoretical foundation will be centered around information diagnosticity and construal level theory. Through a scenario-based experiment and a follow-up qualitative study, we examine the importance of haptic reviews for different types of products.

ABSTRACT. Amid the explosive development of technology, creating unique differentiators is difficult for businesses due to similarities in technology applications. The 'cool' concept has become a differentiator for new technology apps like mobile shopping apps. This study aims to investigate the effects of perceived coolness of mobile shopping apps on immersive experience, which in turn leads to customers' perceived values (utilitarian and hedonic) from mobile shopping apps (value-getting) and their contributed values (i.e., customer lifetime value, influencer value, and knowledge value) to mobile shopping apps (termed as value-giving). The study also looks into the contingent role of immersive experience in the relationship between perceived coolness and values for the customer (value-getting) and values from the customer (value-giving). This study uses data from 351 Vietnamese mobile shopping app users to test hypotheses using PLS-SEM. The findings showed that mobile shopping app coolness facilitates value-getting and value-giving. Besides, immersive experience mediates the relationship between app coolness and these values. The findings have managerial and theoretical implications for perceived coolness and customer value creation.

ABSTRACT. The inquiry examined the perceptions consumers held of stories that retail service providers had told them. A qualitative survey provided 266 consumers’ interpretations and beliefs about the effects of stories told by providers from healthcare, hospitality, personal care, pet care, finance, and repair services. The research classified the stories told into 15 types which were then used to create a 2 x 2 typology. The reported effects of the stories and an exemplary archetypal narrative of each type served to illuminate the typology. There were three main contributions for researchers and practitioners. First, a classification system for the study of retail service providers’ stories, which should aid in study design, comparison, and meta-analysis. Second, a discussion of the effects reported for each type. Third, the beginning development of empirically derived archetypes that may provide additional viewpoints to those from literary studies designed for long-form narratives like novels.

ABSTRACT. In tourism literature, destination satisfaction plays a significant role as a key tourism destination branding issue. Tourists may attach to a destination because of its ability in satisfying specific goals or activity needs. This study integrates attitude theory, discrete emotion theory, and destination brand management to empirically test an integrative model linking destination image, discrete emotional experience, memorable tourism experience, destination attachment, and destination satisfaction. These relationships are explored for a sample of 205 international tourists visiting cultural tourist destinations in Cambodia. SPSS 25 and AMOS 23 software were employed to test the proposed research hypotheses. The results of SEM indicate that destination attachment is found to be the most influential determinant of destination satisfaction. Moreover, destination image and discrete emotional experience could indeed affect tourist perceptions of destination satisfaction with regard to memorable tourism experience and destination attachment. In addition, the mediating role of memorable tourism experience and destination attachment are also confirmed in this study. The findings offer important implications for tourism management, tourism theory and practice, as well as destination marketers. The study contributes theoretically and empirically to emotion research on new methodology to measure experiences. The results impact destination image, experience, attachment, and destination satisfaction research.

ABSTRACT. Despite the increasing importance of the relationship between tourism and sustainability, the negative consequences of tourism for a destination are not clear. The current research utilizes the framework of Value- Belief- Norm (VBN) and integrates individual attitude factors (i.e., environmental value, environmental mitigation knowledge, and environmental sensitivity) with the Norm Activation Theory (i.e., awareness of tourism negative consequences, visitors ascribed responsibility) aiming to develop a model to investigate the interrelationship among these factors. The data was collected using a survey from 1506 Expo 2020 visitors in March 2022. The results suggest that the desire to take on responsibility for the environment is an important step in creating initiatives to protect it. This could lead to more proactive environmental policies and initiatives, as well as greater public awareness of environmental issues.

ABSTRACT. Our paper investigates how Virtual Reality (VR)-facilitated travel inspiration increase visit intention through pleasure and arousal. We ground our conceptual model on the transmission model of inspiration (Thrash & Elliot, 2003; Thrash et al., 2014) along with the theoretical model of emotional states of pleasure and arousal (Mehrabian & Russell 1974). The online platform of Prolific Academic was used to recruit participants who had visit a destination by using a 360° VR activity within the last 3 months. Our findings demonstrate that VR inspired-by has significant relationships with pleasure and arousal. Pleasure is complementary partial mediator of the relationship between inspired-by and inspired-to. Similarly, our findings demonstrate that there is a positive effect of pleasure on visiting intention through inspire-to. Arousal doesn’t mediate the relationship between inspired-by and inspired-to. Arousal doesn’t have a significant relationship with inspire-to and visiting intention. Travel inspiration is at a nascent stage of development in the tourism literature (Dai et al., 2022; Kim & Chung, 2022). This study answers the calls to investigate further the consumer inspiration (Bottgert et al., 2017), especially in the context of tourism (Dai et al., 2022).

ABSTRACT. A robust amount of research suggests that recommendations from certain consumers hold more influence than others (Katz & Lazarsfeld, 1955; Feick & Price, 1987; Senecal & Nantel, 2004; Smith et al., 2007; Schneider & Huber, 2022). These consumers can be market mavens (i.e., a consumer who exerts interpersonal influence based on their general market knowledge and experience; Feick & Price, 1987), opinion leaders (i.e., individuals who exert influence within their network based on knowledge of a certain product; Chan & Misra, 1989; Pozzi et al., 2017), and/or social media influencers (i.e., a third party endorser who utilizes blogs, tweets, posts, etc. to shape audience attitudes; Freberg et al., 2011). For each of these types of consumers, information transmission plays a key role in their influence on consumers in the market. A market maven and influencer shares information on all types of market products; whereas opinion leaders specialize in a product category. Market mavens possess an affinity for technology (Geissler & Edison, 2005) with a strong social network (Lee et al., 2015). They report a sense of obligation and pleasure when sharing information (Walsh et al., 2004).

ABSTRACT. The construct of artistic experience (AX) is examined in the context of nonprofit arts organizations, with an exploration of its positive effects on overall perceived value and behavioral intentions. This research followed a rigorous methodology based on three empirical investigations (1 qualitative and 2 quantitative studies) conducted in three French opera houses with a total of 753 visitors (N1=20, N2=114, N3=519). The data were analyzed through covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM). The findings show sept dimensions in the construct of AX (i.e., affective, aesthetic, rhetorical, cognitive, symbolic, social, time-related) and demonstrate significant relationships with overall perceived value and behavioral intentions. This is the first research to study AX’s dimensionality in the nonprofit sector.

ABSTRACT. Food pantries play a vital role providing key social services to those in need. In this paper, we argue that better matching foods available at food pantries to client preferences provides a variety of benefits including reducing food waste, providing psychological value to clients, and potentially expanding the client base. To contribute insights into this issue, we classify 467,384 food pantry client choices into categories and then segment households using a cluster analysis based on their choices of each category. These choice segments indicate various preferences among the food pantry client base. Next, we build statistical models using demographics to predict food choice segment membership. We discuss results of the top performing model. Finally, implications of results are discussed for both food pantries and researchers.

ABSTRACT. Sorting is a behavior within the reach of all citizens, which saves resources and reduces the negative impact on the environment. Yet many recyclable materials are not systematically sorted, particularly in densely populated urban areas. While the literature on sorting has focused mainly on individual beliefs and information, dual models of decision stress the importance of mental automatisms and shortcuts that can influence behavior. These automatisms depend not only on the individual, but also on the place in which decisions are made. To assess the effect of location on sorting behavior, we tested a theoretical model with four place-related variables. A survey questionnaire and a partial least squares structural equation modeling were used to collect and analyse the data. These variables explain 12% of self-reported behaviors and show the positive indirect effect of nature bonding through residential satisfaction, as well as the negative impact of time to access to garbage room and human density in the housing. These results should encourage stakeholders to integrate more nature into the urban environment, to improve living conditions for residents (e.g. housing condition) and not to underestimate purely practical aspects (human density, time to sort) in order to speed up the spread of sorting.

ABSTRACT. This research studies the entrepreneurial journey of 24 women social entrepreneurs (SEs) in four countries (United States, India, Nigeria, and New Zealand) from inception of their social entrepreneurial venture to its present stage, and their embeddedness in their country’s unique socio-cultural, spatial, and institutional environment. By using multiple contexts (four countries with differing economies), we allow for considering the intersectional effects of dimensions such as institutions and gender into account, thereby answering the calls for greater clarity on embeddedness as a concept and a deeper understanding of the recursive iteration between entrepreneurs and their contexts to shape embeddedness. We will also add to the embeddedness research stream by considering the background, experiences, skills of the SE, and the relational, institutional, and cultural contexts that they interact within. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted in 2021-2022, via Zoom or TEAMS, to generate over 1,000 pages of transcripts. Currently in data analysis stage, using NVivo 12.0, this research will propose a conceptual model and propositions and be able to identify unique contextual factors given the country context.

ABSTRACT. Female portrayals are often center stage in the media, shaping individual identities and influencing societal perceptions. For instance, exposure to stereotypical portrayals of women can contribute to the formation of biased beliefs and expectations (Gurrieri, McKenzie, and Bugden, 2019), creating a framework through which individuals evaluate others, particularly girls (de Kerviler, Ardelet, and Slavich, 2022). Furthermore, the confluence of gender stereotypes and racial stigmas perpetuated in the media can cause some girls to be viewed as older than their actual years, effectively robbing them of the innocence associated with childhood (Epstein, Blake, and Gonzalez, 2017).This phenomenon, known as adultification, occurs more frequently for girls from non-dominant racial groups and can lead authority figures to deal more harshly with them than with their peers (Okonofua and Eberhardt, 2015). This manuscript delves into the profound influence of media portrayals of women and their ability to impact evaluations of girls. This project contextualizes this topic to determine how portrayals may influence evaluations of girls in Florida schools, which is crucial due to the state’s unique socio-cultural landscape and ongoing prohibitions concerning gender and race which have garnered international attention.

ABSTRACT. This research focuses on brand activism in the beauty sector, particularly in regard to brands support of inclusivity. An experiment was used where French participants viewed one of three conditions (no support/commitment to inclusivity, low support/commitment to inclusivity, and high support/commitment to inclusivity). The results showed there are differences in the responses to the brand and the cause, according to the level of the brand's commitment to the cause. They also highlighted the importance of brand authenticity when brands take a stance.

ABSTRACT. Social justice communication is complex. The pervasive public expectation is that brands will communicate about dynamic social issues, but do so in an apolitical, nonpartisan way—a balance that appears increasingly difficult to achieve. This research investigates the impact of brand activism on customer behavioral intentions within the context of a specific "black swan" event - backlash following 2023 Pride Month campaigns in the U.S. This event represents a major societal flashpoint around social justice that elicited voluminous consumer responses. Our objective is to explore how factors like message specificity and framing impact consumer evaluations of brand activism on this type of issue. The full paper discusses the contributions, implications, and limitations of the study.

ABSTRACT. With the increasing integration of LGBTQ iconography in cause-related marketing, this research addresses a critical gap by examining consumer responses to CRM initiatives within the LGBTQ market, an area that has limited study. This exploratory study focuses on the scepticism of gay consumers regarding LGBTQ-themed CRM advertising campaigns, aiming to investigate the factors driving scepticism Drawing upon qualitative data obtained from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 21 participants, the study highlights key factors driving scepticism, including the use of inappropriate images or messages, doubts about brands' motives, and concerns about transparency and trustworthiness. The research contributes to the literature on consumer scepticism and extends our understanding of advertising dynamics, particularly focusing on gay consumers' responses to CRM advertising within the LGBTQ market, an underexplored area. The findings offer insights into the challenges faced by brands in building trust and credibility among gay consumers, providing valuable implications for future marketing strategies.

ABSTRACT. Word-of-mouth drives consumer attitudes and choice, but not all products and services are naturally discussed. Consequently, companies have started using influencers to generate awareness and drive purchase. But while some influencers’ posts get lots of engagement and boost sales, others do not. What makes some posts more impactful? My dissertation work leverages a multimethod approach (combining automated text, image, video, and audio analysis of thousands of social media posts with controlled experiments) to examine how features like the language influencers use, and the images they post, shape their impact. The first essay investigates sensory language (e.g., “tasty”), the second essay examines language arousal (e.g., “AMAZING!!”), and the third essay examines visual content and companion presence in photos. The findings shed light on what drives word-of-mouth, the psychology of social influence, and strategies for developing more effective social media content.

ABSTRACT. Visual marketing communications consist of two components: (1) semantic content (e.g., headings, images, copy) that communicates a brand’s positioning, benefits, and personality and (2) visual design (e.g., font selection, image size, the organization of the content) that encourages inferences about brand claims. We investigate how visual design can be used to encourage inferences that support brand claims and improve brand performance. We find that brands with a utilitarian positioning perform better when the visual design of their marketing communications encourages structured perceptions, whereas brands with a hedonic positioning perform better when the visual design of their marketing communications encourages unstructured perceptions. In both cases, (un)structured perceptions encourage inferences that reinforce brand claims and, consequently, improve brand performance. This research offers actionable insights into how marketing communication specialists can coordinate logo design, product design, package design, visual merchandising, and retail environments to reinforce brand claims.

ABSTRACT. Throughout history, minorities across almost all societies and communities have faced some forms of social threats and discrimination. As a result, members of minority groups often act differently than members of the majority, especially when they are concerned about being judged. This research hypothesizes and empirically demonstrates that feeling like a minority in a service setting induces concerns for social judgment, which leads to a focus on fairness and opting for non-human (such as robot and digital) service providers over human service providers. The findings across six studies, including a field study, demonstrate individuals who perceive themselves as a minority in a service setting would choose a non-human service provider over a human service provider, with social judgment and perceived fairness mediating the effect. The inclusive service design moderates this effect. These findings have important implications for understanding interactions between minorities and robots and also highlight divergent consumer preferences for service provider options which have implications for how service settings might consider adopting self-service technologies and more inclusive environments.

ABSTRACT. This study explores the emotional and psychological aspects of consumer behavior in crowdfunding platforms, focusing on counterfactual thinking, regret, and benign envy as potential drivers of seemingly irrational and risky investments. The study's hypotheses suggest that various stages of entrepreneurial engagement influence how individuals engage in counterfactual thinking and experience related emotions, which subsequently impact their willingness to take risks. Prospective entrepreneurs tend to experience benign envy, motivating risk-taking. Current entrepreneurs often encounter malicious envy, leading to inaction. Past entrepreneurs are more likely to feel regret, prompting them to take risks to rectify past experiences. Non-entrepreneurs' involvement depends on their entrepreneurial orientation. The methodology involves data collection from US participants, including their investment preferences, dispositional envy, feelings of regret, and entrepreneurial orientation. The study's anticipated contributions encompass advancing knowledge in academic marketing by highlighting the role of emotions in investment decisions. It aims to provide valuable insights for crowdfunding platforms, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers, with potential implications for consumer protection and platform success. This research promises to shed light on the complex factors influencing crowdfunding investment choices and offers avenues for future empirical research and consumer behavior model development.

ABSTRACT. Consumers can face complex choices when it comes to food consumption. Indeed, food-related information can take various forms, such as injunctions (e.g., to eat healthy food), food advertising or signals on packaging (e.g., nutritional labels, product origin). In particular, the ecological, health and economic crises we are experiencing may create dilemmas between the collective and individual interests of consumers, indeed, the injunction to eat healthily is not necessarily reconcilable with buying on a budget. The hectic pace of life and hyperchoice context in which we purchase daily are worsening this confusion. This raises the question of how consumers manage all these injunctions, limits, and desires. To answer these questions, we refer to the concept of consumer confusion, defined as "a negatively valenced state of mind with emotional and c components in which consumers lack comprehension or understanding of marketplace stimuli” (Fitzgerald et al., 2019, p. 308). With a qualitative study gathering 19 in-depth semi-structured interviews, we propose a typology of causes and consequences of Food Consumption Confusion, as well as potential solutions. We contribute to the literatures of consumer confusion and cognitive dissonance, and provide managers and public-policy makers with relevant tools to deal with consumer confusion.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates perceived psychological ownership as a driver of two dark-side consumer behaviors: digital piracy and digital hoarding. Digital piracy is defined as a consumer practice of illegally downloading files such as music, movies and software from the Internet, while digital hoarding refers to one’s inability to delete digital content from one’s computer or personal device. We also examine the consequences of digital piracy and digital hoarding, including consumers’ anxiety and sense of well-being, as assessed by perceived harmony in life. We use online survey data obtained through a US commercial online consumer panel provider to test the proposed conceptual model. Survey findings indicate that perceived psychological ownership is positively related with both digital piracy and digital hoarding, thus increasing these dark-side consumer behaviors. Digital hoarding is found to increase digital piracy. Furthermore, and as expected, digital hoarding increases consumer anxiety and subsequently indirectly lowers perceptions of well-being. Contrary to our expectations, digital piracy is found to decrease consumer anxiety and indirectly increase perceptions of well-being. This research extends the current theoretical and empirical understanding of consumer dark-side digital behaviors and provides important public policy implications.

ABSTRACT. Influencers’ human brand loyalty, or loyal followership, is a pivotal factor in brand marketers’ partnership decisions with influencers. One emerging partnership format, influencer-powered livestream selling, has gained rapid traction among target brands seeking to expand their brand sales. Yet, whether influencers’ human brand loyalty translates into tangible brand sales and under what conditions remains unknown. This study employed a unique dataset consisting of a multinational target brand’s 121 products featured by 1,688 influencers across 17,216 livestream sessions. Results confirm a positive link between influencers’ human brand loyalty and target brand sales. However, this relationship is contingent on triangular relationship factors (influencer-brand fit, follower-brand fit) and livestream contextual cues (competing brands, emotional contagion). Findings reveal that influencer-brand fit strengthens the impact of influencers’ human brand loyalty on target brand sales, while follower-brand fit exhibits an inverted U-shaped moderating effect. Notably, competing brands do not weaken the positive impact of influencers’ human brand loyalty on target brand sales, but emotional contagion enhances this impact up to a certain point, after which it diminishes. Brand marketers can leverage these novel results to improve their influencer-powered livestream selling strategies.

ABSTRACT. Live-streaming shopping, a blend of social media and e-commerce, is reshaping retail. Despite its potential, doubts arise regarding its sales performance in the U.S. This research investigates the unique dynamics within live streaming shops, adopting assemblage theory to focus on focal viewer-live streamer and focal viewer-other viewers assemblages. These assemblages encompass both desire-based and power-based interactions, influencing co-experienced empathy and, consequently, purchase intentions. Testing our hypotheses through a pilot study and an online survey in the U.S. and China, our findings offer valuable insights to marketers on how to better shape viewers' shopping experiences.

ABSTRACT. Although livestream commerce has experienced exponential growth in recent years, its popularity has been largely confined to the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China. Meanwhile, the Western world is only now starting to catch up with this emerging trend. Existing studies predominantly revolve around single platforms and often narrowly focus on specific aspects, such as trust and engagement and other aspects of buying behaviour. Given this narrow single-platform or single-region focus, the field needs a broader perspective on livestream commerce, comparing various platforms and expanding its scope to multiple geographic locations. Accordingly, this research employs the affordance lens to examine multi-country livestream commerce platforms and address the following research question: How do platformic affordances impact the live shopping experience across different platforms? Using researcher-led Screencast Videography – a research method for studying digital experiences and interactions in a visual and dynamic form, ten livestreaming videos are used for detailed qualitative video analysis. The findings present an unprecedented, detailed look at affordances on a three-dimensional framework (psychological, technological, and social), thus enhancing our understanding of multi-country platforms, expanding the field beyond single geographic contexts and offering novel insights on the systematic differences in affordances across platform types (agency, live apps, and social media)

ABSTRACT. This paper delves into the profound influence of TikTok on the music industry and consumer perceptions of this impact. The paper underscores the scarcity of academic research on TikTok's disruption of entire industries, with a focus on the music sector. It explores how consumers perceive TikTok's influence on the industry, the quality of music produced, and the authenticity of artists who utilize TikTok. Authenticity, a key factor in consumer attitudes towards artists and their work, is examined in the context of TikTok's influence. The research methodology involves human content analysis of TikTok and X (Twitter) posts related to TikTok's impact on the music industry. Findings reveal four main consumer perception themes: surprise at TikTok's transformative influence, support for its positive impact, defense against critics, and criticism of its negative effects on music quality and authenticity. Consumers express concerns about the commercialization of music and question the authenticity of both artists and listeners. The results emphasize the importance for artists to maintain creative authenticity, transparency, and style to navigate the changing landscape influenced by TikTok. Ultimately, this research contributes to understanding the evolving relationship between TikTok, artists, and consumers in the context of the music industry.

ABSTRACT. Business-to-business (B2B) exchange accounts for roughly half of total sales and two-thirds of all economic spending globally. Further, the B2B e-commerce market is more than five times the size of the B2C ecommerce market. Though these figures paint a positive picture of the B2B marketplace, practitioners must be wary of the challenges presented by this growth. B2B exchange relationships are more complex than their B2C counterparts. Moreover, digitization and globalization within this sector are likely to increase the potential for disruptions in an already fragile ecosystem. Because B2B relationship disruptions can take many forms, a broad but fragmented collection of literature has emerged. For example, extant research has been conducted on unique forms of B2B relationship disruptions (e.g., opportunistic behaviors, product/service failures, norm violations, contract violations). Yet, a comprehensive review of B2B exchange disruptions literature as a whole is missing. Given the size of the B2B economy, it is important to gain a thorough understanding of the current state of B2B relationship disruptions research, how this domain has changed over time, and highlight gaps in the literature. We conduct a bibliographic review of the literature to facilitate this understanding.

ABSTRACT. Social media is fundamentally changing the way B2B buyers and sellers interact with each other. More effective two-way communication may enable marketers to gain valuable feedback that can help B2B marketers better meet the specialized needs of their customers and allow marketers to deepen their relationships with partners.

However, few studies have addressed social media implications for buyer-seller relationships in the B2B context. In general, the literature seems to lack integration, spanning multiple and disjointed domains. In essence, though social media may have intensified buyer-seller interactions, particularly at the initiation of a relationship, this may have correspondingly reduced the opportunities for face-to-face interactions and therefore the quality of the relationship.

The aim of this study is to examine evidence concerning social media use in the B2B context. The purpose is twofold. First, to systematically search for, evaluate and synthesize evidence. Second, to develop a strategic framework for how B2B organizations use social media and use social media throughout the relationship cycle. It is hoped that through the literature review, we will have a comprehensive understanding and analysis of the use of social media by B2B organizations in existing research, which will facilitate the development of future research.

ABSTRACT. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, B2B companies have faced the challenge of adapting to virtual platforms and digital transformation to maintain their reputations. Managing relationships through digital channels poses difficulties, particularly in understanding the crucial dimensions of Relationship Quality. This paper introduces the TAP Model (Tools, Approaches, and Practices), a conceptual framework designed to assist B2B firms in navigating and improving their Relationship Marketing efforts within the digital realm. The model aims to redefine the dimensions of Relationship Quality, providing valuable insights for companies striving to sustain and enhance their business relationships in the digital age.

ABSTRACT. Businesses have been plagued with data breaches raising concerns about billions of customer records stolen. This research aims to test the impact of B2B data breach privacy violations on buyer-supplier relationship quality factors, as well as examine the consequences on key buyer- and supplier- outcomes, both of which have not yet been investigated. This research also explores the impact of whose information is comprised in a data breach (the buyer or buyer’s firm). Based on this, the objective of this research is to investigate the ramifications of buyer data breach vulnerability and how it impacts suppliers who compromised information in a data breach.

ABSTRACT. Digital advertising is undergoing significant changes, with issues surrounding transparency, value distribution, and user involvement. Altman's Worldcoin exemplifies the merging of technological innovations and societal trends, highlighting the synergy of AI, Blockchain, and concepts like Universal Basic Income (UBI) to promote transparent and equal resource distribution. In the realm of digital advertising, advertisers and publishers have historically dominated the benefits, leaving users underserved in terms of compensation for their attention and data. Introducing Blockchain-Enabled Advertising Models (BEAM), this research aims to redress the imbalance by capitalizing on user attention and minimizing intermediaries.

This study stands out by emphasizing areas of user-centric empirical research in advertising. Our vignette experimental study with 1000 participants assessed UBI-induced factors influencing user engagement with BEAM. Key findings indicate the type of value offered and users' social influence as primary drivers for BEAM engagement. Surprisingly, the timing and magnitude of value transfers were less influential.

In essence, this research pioneers the understanding of how blockchain can revolutionize digital advertising. By focusing on user interaction, it offers fresh perspectives on shaping a more equitable advertising landscape. While rooted in today's advertising context, the insights garnered have widespread relevance, setting the stage for future academic and industry endeavors.

ABSTRACT. In today's digital age, advertising has transitioned from delivering messages to delivering the right message to the right person at the right time. Personalized advertising has emerged as a pivotal strategy, made possible by modern technology and sophisticated AI. This study investigates the efficacy of AI-generated personalized ads versus human-crafted generic ads in controlled lab experiments, addressing questions related to physiological responses, memorability, relevance, and personal connection. Preliminary findings reveal that human-crafted ads often evoke emotions but may fall short in memorability and relevance for all consumers. Conversely, AI-generated ads, known for their straightforwardness, appear to better align with individual preferences, especially during key decision-making phases. Finally, the study presents implications that are significant for advertising practice and theory.

ABSTRACT. Stories are often used as persuasive devices to engage their audience emotionally and mentally. However, despite their significance, our understanding of how storytelling impacts fundraising outcomes in the context of crowdfunding is still scarce. This research seeks to expand this knowledge by exploring how different types of stories influence the funding outcome of crowdfunding campaigns. Empirical analysis of data from Kickstarter reveals that for projects that are more about selling products (commercial campaigns), stories that focus on the product and its practical applications are more effective in getting people to back the project. But in campaigns driven by social causes or missions (social campaigns), stories that highlight the people or organization behind the project and their identity are more likely to get funding.

ABSTRACT. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in research methodologies, particularly in the field of market research, has gained significant momentum, promising innovative ways to enhance efficiency, automate processes, and generate valuable insights. This transformation presents unprecedented opportunities for both academic scholars and industry practitioners, as researchers can rapidly analyze vast datasets, identify patterns, and gain meaningful insights that directly impact organizations at an accelerated pace. However, the adoption of AI within methods comes with unique challenges which necessitate careful consideration and responsible practices. While some attention has been given to market research methods using AI, the literature remains limited. This study critically explores the multifaceted impact of AI on methods, addressing such factors as efficiency, validity, objectivity, data scope, theoretical applications, and the balance between human and machine contributions. Organized within the 'consequences categories' framework, the discussion examines how AI necessitates adaptations in existing research methods, ethical considerations in AI utilization, implications for researchers and participants, and the evolution of knowledge production methods in the digital age.

ABSTRACT. The integration of autonomous shuttles holds promise for enhancing transportation sustainability and efficiency. While existing research predominantly employs quantitative methodologies, focusing on classical acceptance and intention-to-use models like TAM and UTAUT, this study adopts a qualitative approach. Leveraging semantic topic extraction from open-ended questions conducted among users of autonomous shuttle services in Germany, this research identifies distinct themes pertaining to general perception and real-world application contexts. Overall, respondents exhibit a favorable perception of the mobility offering, especially for short journeys within urban settings (e.g., commutes or shopping trips). However, attempts to establish empirical connections through logistic regression between these themes and quantitatively measured variables—namely, attitude towards autonomous shuttles (ATT) and behavioral intention to use them (BI)—do not yield substantial evidence. This dearth of support is potentially attributed to the limited availability of qualitative data currently obtainable for the analyses. This study underscores the significance of qualitative insights in comprehending user attitudes and intentions within the realm of autonomous shuttle adoption.

ABSTRACT. Marketing researchers and practitioners have been increasingly embracing the use of the instrumental variable (IV)-free Gaussian copula approach to tackle endogeneity issues when estimating regression models. This research contributes to the enhancement of the Gaussian copula approach in two primary ways. First, it introduces an adjusted estimator for the Gaussian copula method that consistently outperforms established ones in reducing the endogeneity bias in both intercept and non-intercept models. Second, it presents a novel metric to evaluate the applicability of the Gaussian copula approach in addressing endogeneity issues within marketing research and practice. Employing our findings, researchers and practitioners can better leverage the benefits of the Gaussian copula approach to identify and rectify endogeneity issues, guaranteeing the validity of results and conclusions in their marketing studies while carefully considering its limitations.

ABSTRACT. The slow adoption of livestream commerce in Western countries, particularly European nations, is widening the gap between Europe and Asia-Pacific nations, especially pioneers like China. In addition, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within livestream commerce is transforming how consumers engage within these platforms while also widening the gaps between AI-powered and nonpowered platforms. The vast geographic and platformic differences result in a complex research scene for a field that remains in its infancy. Existing studies predominantly revolve around single platforms and geographic regions and often narrowly focus on specific aspects within livestreaming, such as trust, social commerce and recommendation agents. This project aims to expand the current understanding of the livestream commerce experience with a multi-country, multi-platform, in-depth comparative analysis using the affordance lens. We employ a modified version of Screencast Videography – a research method for studying digital experiences and interactions in a visual and dynamic form. Following researcher-led screencast videography, we recorded over 30 videos, ten of which were included in detailed qualitative video analysis, including videos from US and EU platforms that are either agency-led, live apps or social media platforms.

ABSTRACT. We respond to calls for increasing our understanding of the technology-mediated service experience and journey using a mixed-method approach. We analyze 280 narratives from an open-ended survey and 47 in-depth interviews examining the customer journey in a service encounter. Our findings reveal that customers can enter into a resource loss or gain emotional spirals with salient effects on wellbeing. We show that human presence is fundamental in shaping the escalation or diminution of the emotional journey.

ABSTRACT. Interactions between consumers and companies have shifted to the digital sphere, resulting in a transition from human-driven to technology-prominent services encounters Chatbots are increasingly used in customer service despite findings indicating that consumers tend to be skeptical of them and often prefer human service agents. Research investigating how consumers perceive chatbots compared to human service agents in a service failure and recovery context is still scarce. The experimental study investigates if customers’ perceptions of interactional justice differ depending on whether a human service agent or chatbot agent conveys the service recovery response in a critical or uncritical recovery situation. Moreover, the degree of anthropomorphism of the chatbot agent is considered.

ABSTRACT. By integrating the Power-as-Control, this study anticipates higher consumer satisfaction and positive evaluations when AI bots and human agents assume managerial roles in service interactions, regardless of the service outcome. This effect is expected to be mediated by perceived competence, authority, and helpfulness, influenced by pre-existing stereotypes and power-as- control dynamics. Moreover, the research delves into the subtle changes in consumer attitudes and behaviours resulting from the distinction between Manager vs. Assistant roles, providing a nuanced understanding of the impact of power-related stereotypes on consumer interactions.

ABSTRACT. The use of robotic agents is growing in the services sector. This sector is prone to service failures; hence, it is critical to explore how consumers react when a robotic agent causes a failure compared with a human. We conducted three studies in diverse service domains to explore how consumers' negative word-of-mouth (NWOM) intentions differ depending on the types of service agents. Our studies provide evidence that consumers express a higher intention of spreading NWOM if a robotic agent causes failure than a human agent, and this effect is stronger for people with high collectivistic orientations. Our results also show that the levels of human-likeness of service robots do not influence consumers’ NWOM. These findings provide interesting implications for both service researchers and practitioners.

ABSTRACT. ‘Sharenting’ is a term used to describe the behavior exhibited by parents in which they actively share information about their children within the digital realm. Research on sharenting has primarily centered on, the potential privacy infringements experienced by children due to sharenting practices, the online risks associated with sharenting behaviors, sharenting's role as an information and education support mechanism, the motivations and underlying reasons driving sharenting behavior, and the sharenting practices of influencer parents. These investigations have predominantly concentrated on the perspectives and experiences of parents and children and there exists a notable gap in the existing literature regarding the examination of the recipients of sharenting communications. The present study aims to examine the impact of an individual's values and the rationale behind the adoption of sharenting communication on their attitudes toward such communication, their intentions, and subsequent behaviors. This study will be conducted within the theoretical framework of the Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT). To achieve the research objectives, an exploratory sequential design approach will be employed. This study can inform content strategies for both aspiring and established social media influencers and offer valuable guidance to policymakers and social media platforms to form rules and regulations pertaining to sharenting communication.

ABSTRACT. Influencer marketing is a prevalent strategy deployed by brands to achieve a predetermined set of marketing goals. In recent years, an emerging trend of non-human influencers, known as virtual influencers (VIs) proliferated. They are often described as computer-generated influencers (CGIs) who are developed by third parties to support brands in effectively reaching their target groups. As such, famous brands are partnering with them. Growing interest in the literature has been devoted to studying this phenomenon from different theoretical and practical lenses. However, despite the mounting studies that have been conducted, little is known about the impact of VIs on individuals’ well-being. Hence, attesting to recent important calls from scholars that urged future studies to investigate this strand, this study aims to fill this gap. Importantly, this is a particularly timely and relevant topic since we are not yet clear about the dark side of VIs, and the risk they can hold on to individuals and society at large. We draw on social comparison theory as the main theoretical anchor, while integrating key psychological theories, namely, moral emotions, core self-evaluation, and emotion regulation, hence offering theoretical contributions. To achieve our research objective, we conducted 34 in-depth interviews.

ABSTRACT. This study explores the evolving landscape of online reviews in the service industry, addressing the pivotal question of how service providers can ensure positive reviews. With 97% of consumers engaging with online media in local service provider searches, online reviews wield significant influence on revenue and market visibility. Focusing on the early stages of consumer interactions, we examine the impact service providers use of internalization influence tactics has on the valence of the providers’ online reviews (i.e., star rating). Contrary to our initial hypothesis, the direct effect of internalization influence tactics on star ratings was not supported. However, our nuanced findings reveal crucial moderating roles played by service performance and service provider self-efficacy. The study advances theoretical understanding by integrating concepts from influence tactics, service quality, and self-efficacy, offering a holistic perspective on the dynamics that shape consumer perceptions. Our results underscore the need for service providers to not only employ rational influence tactics but also prioritize service quality and cultivate self-efficacy. This research contributes actionable insights for service providers navigating the digital landscape, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to optimize outcomes in the realm of online reviews.

ABSTRACT. Consumers persist in relying on online reviews despite widespread, media-driven awareness of fake reviews. Our research, employing a mixed method approach rooted in dual process theory and skepticism, aimed to understand this phenomenon. Surprisingly, consumers don't invest additional effort into discerning fake from genuine reviews, contradicting dual process theory expectations. When faced with a high proportion of fake reviews, consumers express a desire to spend less time reading reviews. However, delving into the mediating role of skepticism in review browsing time, our findings unveil nuanced consumer behavior, aligning with dual process theory and challenging their stated preferences. The increased level of fake reviews heightens skepticism, consequently prolonging their time spent on the online review platform. Additionally, our study suggests a critical threshold of fake reviews, beyond which consumers contemplate abandoning review platforms. This study contributes to the understanding of deceptive consumer reviews and calls for action within the industry to safeguard both consumers and the sector at large.

ABSTRACT. In the marketing discipline, artificial intelligence (AI) or big data technologies are frequently mentioned as important tools to use digital information in response to the market and consumers’ needs in the digital era . However, digital transformation entails comprehensive structural and cultural changes in an organization, and goes beyond technical adoptions or digitalization where firms apply digitizing techniques to broader social and institutional contexts. As digital transformation is an effort to respond to meet market changes and consumers’ promptly changing preferences and trends, we propose that firms’ consumer orientation will influence the process of digital transformation by guiding the directions on how to align organizations’ resources and activities in adopting and implementing digital technologies while prioritizing consumers’ needs and wants. Thus, this study examines how customer orientation influences the degree of digital transformation and the role of marketing experiences of TMT in promoting the effects of consumer orientation and digital transformation. We conducted an empirical test using secondary data at the firm-CEO level from various sources including COMPUSTAT, EXECOMP, and annual reports from 2012 to 2018. The results suggest a significant positive relationship between customer orientation and digital transformation and the positive moderating effects of TMT marketing experiences.

ABSTRACT. Money may soon be ‘saying’ less in firm politics and digital innovations are changing the way voters use information. It may be of no surprise that bottom-up political strategy is growing in popularity. Traditional top-down strategy that targets policy leaders directly is increasingly risky for firms. Governments are not static and so, any current resources for firm influence become outdated So, the present work is motivated to explore firm political strategy while also challenging its traditional drivers and outcomes. Resources and capabilities become a moot point with bottom-up politics because the tactics involved can create resources and are in avoidance of adaptation. Instead, modern firms are beginning to normalize political values amongst the masses as a new, subtle marketing strategy. These bottom-up political strategies create desirable marketplace competitive positions, especially when utilizing the powerful marketing concepts of marketplace legitimacy, marketing management, and relationship marketing; combined with the dynamic marketing mechanisms of transaction cost mitigation and contact making. Combined, these mechanisms moderate the political normalization – marketplace position relationship. Not only should such political normalization through marketing efforts grow in popularity, but it is also extremely dangerous given they appear just below a noticeable difference from typical marketing efforts among receivers.

ABSTRACT. The meteoric growth of the collaborative economy raises the question of trust in this peer-to-peer context. Collaborative platforms, which are the only intermediaries in the exchange, have to compensate for the absence of physical interaction, anonymity and uncertainty, so that peers agree to place themselves in a vulnerable position in relation to each other. Previous studies have focused on the reputation systems present within collaborative platforms and have neglected the importance of other cues. To fill this gap, this article studies the influence of the quality badge, the informativeness of the photo, and the consistency of online reviews on interpersonal trust and institutional trust, using an experimental framework. Based on the theory of interpersonal influence, this research contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms to build interpersonal trust and institutional trust. The findings of this study enable us to assess the relative significance of informational cues and normative cues. This comparison will have implications both for hosts and for the managers of accommodation-sharing platforms, particularly concerning the selection of information on the platform. This study plays a pivotal role in promoting and strengthening peer-to-peer exchanges on collaborative platforms while enriching our understanding of trust in the peer-to-peer environment.

ABSTRACT. What is the influence of generational cohort similarity among the top management team (TMT) on firm innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)? Synthesizing insights from social identity theory and self-categorization theory, we provide the first empirical evidence that the more similar the CEO and non-CEO executives are in terms of their generational cohorts, the more likely the firm is to engage in innovation. Using panel data (2000-2016), we confirm our theoretical prediction and further demonstrate that the positive effect is contingent on the Generation X CEO, high market competitiveness, and the high-tech industry. This study contributes to the upper echelons literature, strategic decision-making, and firm innovation by shedding light on the crucial effect of generational cohort similarity in facilitating the innovation and the moderating roles of the market and industry characteristics.

ABSTRACT. The Internet has evolved rapidly in recent years and has resulted in the development of blockchain technology. Non-fungible tokens (i.e., NFTs) have emerged as tradeable, digital assets on the blockchain that are unique and rare, and represent an opportunity for firms to innovate and retail new products that provide novel value to consumers. We conduct an event study to learn whether firms that have announced NFTs witness positive financial effects as a result. Our findings are mixed – while an overall negative 1.11% impact on firm value is discovered, this effect is moderated by several factors relating to how firms design and retail their NFTs. Firms that include in-real-life capabilities with their NFTs, choose a blockchain that utilizes the environmentally conscious proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, and avoid offering their NFTs for free can in fact belong to the 48% of firms in our sample that witness a positive financial effect. As our work is one of the first empirical studies of NFTs, as opposed to existing conceptual research, it provides notable managerial recommendations.

ABSTRACT. Hypermarkets are positioned for significant growth in the coming years, but they grapple with the challenge of providing distinctive in-store experiences. Unlike other retail formats, these stores face limitations in differentiation due to their focus on fast-moving consumer goods and the provision of comprehensive services. To address this, we explore the role of self-store image congruency and store atmospherics in shaping the in-store shopping experience in the hypermarket/supermarket context. Furthermore, we investigate how the in-store shopping experience influences customer satisfaction, engagement, and store attachment. Drawing from self-congruity theory, we establish that a congruent alignment between a store's image and a customer's self-concept can positively impact the in-store shopping experience. We also find that the store atmosphere, encompassing ambient, design, and social factors, significantly contributes to enhancing the in-store experience. Our study emphasizes the importance of aligning a store's personality with customers' self-concepts and underscores the positive influence of store atmospherics. These findings provide valuable insights for hypermarket and supermarket retailers to differentiate themselves and foster deeper connections with customers. While this study offers theoretical and managerial contributions, it suggests avenues for further research, including exploring the multi-dimensional nature of the self-concept and considering various shopper characteristics in understanding consumer-store relationships.

ABSTRACT. While the potential benefits of omnichannel retailing and the promise of a seamless customer journey are conceptually compelling, the real challenges lie in implementing an omnichannel approach. In this context, omnichannel services can be considered as complex new service developments (NSD) integrating offline and online offers into one streamlined experience. In a NSD context service design and value co-creation are essential parts of service success. The paper at hand provides an innovative exploratory research approach in using the participant observation method of mystery shopping (MS) in combination with a critical incident approach and a service quality perspective to shed more light on the real-world performance of omnichannel services in stationary retailing.