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In the vibrant world of social commerce (SC), where information flows freely, interactions thrive and online purchases abound, there is an escalating challenge. Users are uninstalling and disengaging due to approach and avoidance stimuli, a trend mirroring the approach-avoidance motivation model (AAMM). Our study, anchored in AAMM and the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model, aims to dive into the complex dynamics of these factors that shape users' SC continuance intentions.

Our findings, drawn from 472 SC users in Malaysia, paint an intriguing research framework via PLS-SEM analysis by testing the proposed hypotheses. A purposive sampling technique was utilized, deliberately selecting respondents based on specific criteria. Subsequently, data were gathered through the distribution of face-to-face questionnaires at selected shopping malls, facilitating a focused and comprehensive exploration of consumer perspectives.

The empirical results demonstrate the following: (1) Users' determination to stay engaged on SC platforms hinges on approach factors, like emotional support, surveillance gratification and multisensory gratification. (2) Simultaneously, avoidance factors such as technostress and perceived deception exert their negative influence. (3) Flow experience, rooted in flow theory, emerges as the underlying mechanism connecting these duality stimuli, influencing the continuance intention.

In a departure from conventional research, our study pioneers a comprehensive approach and boldly confronts the research gap by introducing a rich tapestry of antecedents, embracing both the appeal of approach factors and the deterrence of avoidance ones, using the AAMM that sheds light on how individuals navigate between embracing opportunities and avoiding pitfalls based on perceived gains and losses. This holistic approach enables us to redefine our understanding of digital engagement dynamics, offering a captivating journey into the realm of user experience and intention that transcends the ordinary.

A mobile wallet (m-wallet) is a part of financial technology products and is still in the infant stage in Palestine. The technology acceptance model (TAM) formed the basis of the model development, which was extended in the study to include an analysis of how knowledge sharing (KOS), perceived value (PEV), perceived privacy awareness and control (PRI) and perceived security (SEC) influenced the primary TAM components of perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PRU) and intention to use m-wallets among Palestinian users.

This study used questionnaires as its primary data collection method. The questionnaires were distributed via online media, and the data collection period spanned from January 10, 2023, to February 21, 2023. The study received 360 responses from participants. Smart PLS and SPSS v.23 software were used to perform a method test on the collected questionnaire data.

The study’s findings demonstrate the factors influencing Palestinian users’ adoption of m-wallets by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to include knowledge sharing, perceived value, privacy awareness and control and security, in addition to the main TAM elements, perceived ease of use (PEU) and perceived usefulness (PU), offering new insights into technology adoption in developing regions and addressing gaps in the literature.

This study has some limitations. First, it is limited because it looks at users’ intentions to use rather than their actual usage. The actual use of an m-wallet should be the topic of further research. Second, rather than focusing on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), this study examined users’ intentions to use m-wallets. Thus, SMEs’ use of m-wallets may be studied in future research. Third, because the study users were from Palestine, the results may not be generalizable. Therefore, additional populations and cultures should be studied in future research. Fourth, the study used a convenience sample of 282 users. As a result, it is not easy to generalize to a sizable population. Future studies should use larger sample sizes or random samples. Finally, this study examined the direct relationship between independent and dependent variables. Future research may consider personal innovativeness and artificial intelligence as potential moderators.

User knowledge sharing can be an important factor driving user intention to use m-wallet. Users can raise awareness of m-wallets by sharing their knowledge and experiences with others about their uses, features and advantages. This is particularly useful in a country like Palestine, where m-wallets are not widely accepted or used. Therefore, m-wallets service providers should improve their services to motivate the users to share their knowledge with others to increase user intention to use. For instance, m-wallet service providers can provide user support programs that assist users in resolving issues, responding to inquiries and offering feedback on the service. Additionally, m-wallet service providers can enhance the user experience of their m-wallet by providing user-friendly interfaces, quick and dependable service and robust security features. By improving the user experience and providing users with a supportive and responsive environment, service providers can encourage users to share their positive experiences with others and increase user intention to use the m-wallet. User knowledge sharing can be an important factor driving user intention to use m-wallet. Users can raise awareness of m-wallets by sharing their knowledge and experiences with others about their uses, features and advantages. This is particularly useful in a country like Palestine, where m-wallets are not widely accepted or used. Therefore, m-wallets service providers should improve their services to motivate the users to share their knowledge with others to increase user intention to use. For instance, m-wallet service providers can provide user support programs that assist users in resolving issues, responding to inquiries and offering feedback on the service. Additionally, m-wallet service providers can enhance the user experience of their m-wallet by providing user-friendly interfaces, quick and dependable service and robust security features.

The widespread adoption of m-wallets is an important area of research, as it has significant theoretical implications for technology adoption. M-wallets provide an easy and secure way to pay without cash or physical cards. Therefore, identifying the factors affecting users’ intention to use m-wallets can help Palestinian m-wallet service providers to develop their marketing strategies. Extending the TAM to include four important factors (knowledge sharing, perceived value, perceived privacy awareness and control and perceived security) has improved our understanding of technology adoption models. The study empirically examines the intentions of Palestinian users to use m-wallets and how this novel technology is used in this area of the Arab world. The results empirically support that these factors strongly affect users’ intentions to use m-wallets. Thus, this study fills the knowledge gap about the factors influencing the use of m-wallets in Palestine and adds to the literature on the user intentions to use new technologies. Finally, this study is one of the first to examine the relationship between knowledge sharing, perceived value, perceived privacy awareness and control, perceived security and technology acceptance models in general and the extended TAM with these factors in a specific m-wallet context.

The preliminary empirical study investigates the factors affecting the use of m-wallets in Palestine by extending TAM with knowledge sharing, perceived value, perceived privacy awareness and control and perceived security as external variables to the model. The findings of this study help to fill a gap in the existing literature by identifying key variables that affect Palestinians’ intentions to use m-wallet. This study also contributes to the increase in knowledge in the area. To date, no studies have explored privacy in terms of awareness, control and knowledge sharing as essential factors that affect users’ intention to use m-wallets in Palestine.

The metaverse is considered an evolution of the Internet, and it engages users with digital content more seamlessly due to its enhanced immersion and diverse applications. The current study examines factors affecting the intention to adopt the metaverse. Existing studies on metaverse were found insufficient in explaining users’ intention to adopt metaverse, for which the companies are investing vast amounts of money for its implementation. The study fills the research gaps in the literature and applies the UTAUT2 (Unified Theory Of Acceptance And Use of Technology) and PAD (Pleasure, Arousal, Dominance) theory in the SOR (Stimulus-Organism-Response) framework. The study proposes a conceptual model by including effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, social influence, security personalization as stimuli, arousal, dominance, pleasure, immersive experience and perceived value as organismic variables and intention to adopt metaverse as the response variable, with gender as a moderator.

The study used purposive non-probability sampling approach and total of 420 responses were collected to examine the model. The partial least squares (PLS) technique is used for data analysis using Smart PLS software.

The study’s findings suggest that social influence and immersive experience have the highest impact on perceived value which affects users’ intention to adopt metaverse. Results indicate that individuals perceive value on using metaverse when it provides enjoyment and fun as well as security. Hence, it is important to ensure not only that individuals feel hedonically motivated but also feel secured and exert less effort to use the metaverse.

The study contributes to the existing literature on metaverse and extends its association with immersive experience and the theories applied. The fundamental qualities of metaverse that contribute to its immersive and enjoyable nature can influence users' behavioral responses. Our research emphasizes the importance of executives acknowledging the development of organismic experience within metaverse.

The insights derived from this study will serve to expand the knowledge of metaverse application developers, offering valuable guidance in incorporating these factors into their development processes. By prominently displaying security measures, metaverse brands can demonstrate their commitment to mitigating risks associated with virtual interactions. This includes clearly communicating the security protocols in place to protect user data and privacy and providing detailed information about security features can build trust and alleviate concerns.

The study highlights how the metaverse features affect individuals toward its adoption intent. Specifically, the study reveals that social influence and security affect the metaverse, further affecting the adoption intent of the metaverse. This has implications for enhancing customer relationships and value cocreation with different stakeholders. The research also recognizes that security measures are necessary for metaverse technology. These reactions could include placing regulations and standards in place to deal with the social and economic effects, making sure that data is collected and used ethically, and giving privacy and security measures priority.

This paper contributes to the body of knowledge as it is the first of its kind to explore and link immersive experience, pleasure and perceived value from the metaverse’s point of view to explore the user’s adoption intention. The study also contributes to the SOR framework with UTAUT2 and PAD theories by applying it to the metaverse context, which is used in limits.

The Metaverse holds vast amounts of user data, making it essential to address threats to its confidentiality, integrity and availability. These threats are not purely technological, as user actions and perceptions, shaped by psychological factors, can influence cybersecurity challenges. Thus, a holistic approach incorporating technological and psychological dimensions is crucial for safeguarding data security and privacy. This research explores users’ cybersecurity behavior in the Metaverse by integrating the technology threat avoidance theory (TTAT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

The model was assessed using data collected from 746 Metaverse users. The empirical data were analyzed using a dual structural equation modeling-artificial neural network (SEM-ANN) approach.

The main PLS-SEM findings indicated that cybersecurity behavior is significantly affected by attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, perceived threat and avoidance motivation. The ANN results showed that perceived threat with a normalized importance of 100% is the most significant factor influencing cybersecurity behavior. The ANN results also showed that perceived severity with a normalized importance of 98.79% significantly impacts perceived threat.

The novelty of this research stems from developing a unified model grounded in TTAT and TPB to understand cybersecurity behaviors in the Metaverse. Unlike previous Metaverse studies that solely focused on measuring behavioral intentions or user behaviors, this study takes a step further by evaluating users’ cybersecurity behaviors. Alongside its theoretical insights, the study offers practical recommendations for software developers, decision-makers and service providers.

This work aims to develop a multi-step approach for the unified integration of 3D construction printing (3DCP) and building information modeling (BIM), allowing users to easily and automatically outline the instructions for 3D printing of buildings starting from BIM model and ensuring the wide spread of this new technology in Civil Engineering sector.

The proposed methodology exploits Revit for 3D modeling and BIM, using Dynamo as a programming interface for generating G-code.

The paper demonstrates how the proposed methodology can extract information from a BIM model to support building construction using digital fabrication techniques. This code guides the printer’s movements and operations, specifying the path, speed, layers and essential parameters to construct concrete structures layer by layer. It transforms digital designs into precise and efficient physical structures.

This work allows overcoming some of the current limitations associated with bridging BIM models to 3D construction printing. The proposed approach integrates BIM and 3DCP. If the model undergoes changes in the BIM model, the proposed system allows for automatic updates in the 3D printing files. Furthermore, the possibility offered by the proposed methodology to test the G-code on a scaled model allows for the correction of any errors before printing on a large-scale machine.

The novelty of the proposed approach is threefold: i) A new unified integration methodology for BIM and 3D construction printing is defined; ii) An example of a 3D printed building unit is modeled with BIM, incorporating various discipline models such as Architecture, Structure, and Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing (MEP) systems; iii) The proposed approach allows for testing the G-code at scale before printing with a full-scale machine.