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Although virtual anchors have emerged as potent marketing tools, their acceptance by consumers is controversial. Specifically, the relative efficacy of selecting an all-human-like or animal-human-like virtual anchor is not well-defined. However, anthropomorphic visual cues are vital in enhancing live streaming. This study aims to analyze the disparate effects of an animal-human-like or all-human-like virtual anchor on purchase intention as well as evaluate the possible underlying influential mechanisms and boundary conditions.

In this research, three different studies were carried out to elucidate the impact of virtual anchors on purchase intention. Study 1 evaluated the core impact of an animal-human-like and all-human-like virtual anchor on purchase intention, as well as the mediating role of perceived warmth and competence. Studies 2 and 3 were then performed to investigate the moderating impacts of product type and certainty of consumer needs, respectively. Furthermore, research data for these studies was collected using the Credamo tool and analyzed via SPSS, using PROCESS for moderation and mediation analyses.

The research findings indicate that virtual anchors can trigger purchase intention, with perceived warmth and competence acting as mediating factors. Based on the utilitarian products and high certainty of consumer needs, the influence of perceived competence on purchase intention is augmented. Therefore, an all-human-like virtual anchor increases purchase intention. In contrast, the impact of perceived warmth on purchase intention is supplemented for hedonic products and low certainty of consumer needs. Thus, an animal-human-like virtual anchor increases purchase intention.

This research study evaluated consumer reactions to all-human-like and animal-human-like virtual anchors for different product types and the certainty of consumer needs to optimize the comprehension of a virtual anchor. Furthermore, the assessment of the mediating roles of perceived warmth and competence provided valuable insights into the influential mechanisms by which virtual anchors affect purchase intention. Moreover, this study provided managerial implications to guide retailers and brands on the strategic adoption of virtual anchors to enhance purchase intention based on the product type and the certainty of consumer needs.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the consequences of retaliations and our evidence indicates that retaliations are beneficial for firms with supranormal earnings by making their higher earnings more persistent, but harmful for firms with subnormal earnings by slowing the recovery of their earnings.

This paper use annual Compustat files based on Fama-French 48 industry. The time-varying competitive reactions (CRs) for each firm are captured using quarterly rolling-window estimation across 41 windows with five years (i.e. 20 observations) in each window. This paper measure earnings persistence as the slope coefficient (ß1) from regressing future earnings on current earnings. The result remains qualitatively similar to the main findings when alternative measures of earnings persistence.

Abnormal earnings are expected to dissipate in the long run owing to competitive forces, but this paper show that more retaliatory CRs increase earnings persistence. This is good news for supranormal firms as they can sustain high profitability. However, it will be harder to revert subnormal earnings to the industry mean if such firms conduct more retaliatory CRs. This paper also show that these associations are stronger for less competitive industries.

First, high earnings persistence per se would not be a major consideration in the firm’s strategic decisions but a natural by-product of such decisions spanning an extended period of operations. Second, though this paper focus on the period of 2004–2018 that includes the rebound after financial crisis in 2008, an extension of the observation period over a longer economic cycle would verify our results.

CRs are regarded as an evolving portfolio of dynamic marketing decisions and tools for strategic decisions in our study. It helps how firms manage competition over time to lengthen the superior performance. Also it helps the low-profitability firms attempting to improve profitability by showing nonretaliation may be a more appropriate strategy than retaliation.

Firms in financial distress suffer from illiquidity, survival of firms is contingent on meeting their financial obligations, thus need for turnaround decisions. However, retaliations under financial distress can mitigate the effect of such turnaround decisions and thereby aggravate the situation.

Greater persistence extends the benefits of superior earnings, thus increasing the opportunities for value exploitation, but it may also restrict earnings recovery. This paper finds that the way that firms react within the competition explain the differences in earnings persistence. Although a large body of research has examined the static drivers (e.g. firm size and diversification) of the differential persistence of earnings, there has been little research on dynamic drivers that explicitly recognize the erosion process for earnings.

The study aims to investigate how artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual streamers can supercharge brands in live-streaming virtual commerce (v-commerce). Built upon social identity theory (SIT) and experiential value theory, we developed a framework to investigate the impact of AI-powered virtual streamers’ personalization and human-like personalities and live-streaming v-commerce’s system quality and content quality on brand image, mediated by parasocial interaction and experiential value.

A survey was designed and distributed to the target respondents via social media channels. SmartPLS version 4.0.9.4 was used to analyze a total of 354 responses after the data were obtained via purposive sampling.

The results show that personalization, human-like personality, system quality and content quality are positively associated with parasocial interaction and experiential value, which subsequently impact brand image.

This study addresses the gap of relatively sparse academic literature on the implications of AI-powered virtual streamers in live-streaming v-commerce on brand image.

Digitally driven virtual streamers are increasingly utilized in live-streaming commerce, possessing distinct advantages compared to human streamers. However, the applicable scenarios of virtual streamers are still unclear. Focusing on product attribute variances, this paper compares the livestreaming effects of virtual and human streamers to clarify the applicable scenarios for each and assist companies in strategically choosing suitable streamers.

We conducted four experiments utilizing both images and video as stimulus materials, and each experiment employed different products. To test the proposed model, a total of 1,068 valid participants were recruited, encompassing a diverse group of individuals, including undergraduates and employed workers.

The results indicate no significant difference between virtual and human streamers in increasing consumers’ purchase intention for utilitarian products. In contrast, human streamers are more effective in enhancing consumer purchase intention for hedonic products, with a mediating role of mental imagery quality. Consumers’ implicit personality variances also influence their willingness to accept virtual streamers.

This paper is the first to compare the effects of virtual and human streamers in promoting different products to enhance our comprehension of virtual streamers. Given the potential risks associated with human streamers, a comprehensive understanding of the role of virtual streamers is imperative for brands when deploying live-streaming commerce activities.

Asynchronous Video Interviews (AVIs) incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted assessment has become popular as a pre-employment screening method. The extent to which applicants engage in deceptive impression management (IM) behaviors during these interviews remains uncertain. Furthermore, the accuracy of human detection in identifying such deceptive IM behaviors is limited. This study seeks to explore differences in deceptive IM behaviors by applicants across video interview modes (AVIs vs Synchronous Video Interviews (SVIs)) and the use of AI-assisted assessment (AI vs non-AI). The study also investigates if video interview modes affect human interviewers' ability to detect deceptive IM behaviors.

The authors conducted a field study with four conditions based on two critical factors: the synchrony of video interviews (AVI vs SVI) and the presence of AI-assisted assessment (AI vs Non-AI): Non-AI-assisted AVIs, AI-assisted AVIs, Non-AI-assisted SVIs and AI-assisted SVIs. The study involved 144 pairs of interviewees and interviewers/assessors. To assess applicants' deceptive IM behaviors, the authors employed a combination of interviewee self-reports and interviewer perceptions.

The results indicate that AVIs elicited fewer instances of deceptive IM behaviors across all dimensions when compared to SVIs. Furthermore, using AI-assisted assessment in both video interview modes resulted in less extensive image creation than non-AI settings. However, the study revealed that human interviewers had difficulties detecting deceptive IM behaviors regardless of the mode used, except for extensive faking in AVIs.

The study is the first to address the call for research on the impact of video interview modes and AI on interviewee faking and interviewer accuracy. This research enhances the authors’ understanding of the practical implications associated with the use of different video interview modes and AI algorithms in the pre-employment screening process. The study contributes to the existing literature by refining the theoretical model of faking likelihood in employment interviews according to media richness theory and the model of volitional rating behavior based on expectancy theory in the context of AVIs and AI-assisted assessment.

This study aims to elucidate a framework to attain sustainable employment driven by contextual and dispositional determinants mediated by job crafting. The factors under investigation encompass high-quality leader-member exchange (LMX), job characteristics in alignment with the job characteristics model (JCM) and individuals’ approach temperament.

This study identified a sample of 222 corporate professionals residing in the Delhi/NCR region. This study used SmartPLS 4 to conduct structural equation modeling to examine and interpret the obtained data.

Collectively, LMX, job characteristics and approach temperament exert a beneficial influence on employees who actively engage in job crafting, subsequently enhancing sustainable employment. The findings confirm that the relationship between approach temperament and sustainable employment is fully mediated by job crafting. Furthermore, job crafting partially mediates the relationship between (1) LMX and sustainable employment and (2) job characteristics and sustainable employment.

Through our study, organizations can gain valuable insights into enhancing employees’ sustainable employability by fostering job crafting. Achieving this objective involves incorporating contextual and dispositional elements like LMX and job characteristics and training individuals on approach temperament.

This unique study aims to establish a framework to achieve sustainable employment initiated by contextual and dispositional factors. It also contributes to the literature by presenting the mediation effect of job crafting between contextual and dispositional factors and sustainable employment.

This study aims to analyze the temperature difference between aluminum-based brake disc (ABD) and cast steel brake disc (CSBD) for rail vehicles in the braking process, which is related to the popularization and use of ABD.

Two friction pairs composed of ABD, CSBD and copper-based powder metallurgy brake pad were studied in this paper. The temperature characteristics of the two friction pairs were compared by 1:1 braking test and simulation calculation.

When the speed is 160–250 km/h and the braking pressure is 18 and 29 kN, the calculated maximum temperature of CSBD is 574°C and 681°C, respectively, which is higher than that of ABD 49°C–148°C and 73°C–217°C. Under the test conditions, the maximum temperature of CSBD is 487°C and 624°C respectively, which is higher than that of ABD 63°C–95°C and 63°C–188°C. The temperature difference between ABD and CSBD increases with the increase of braking pressure and speed. The surface temperature distribution of CSBD is “three-peak,” whereas that of ABD is “single-peak.”

This paper reveals the temperature difference between ABD and CSBD and provides data support for promoting the use of ABD.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-08-2024-70320/

This research addresses the challenges encountered when securing bone plates in the human body to treat tibial plateau fractures, specifically focusing on preventing posterolateral fractures. The goal is to develop a 3D buttress plate that offers better stability, facilitating anatomical reduction and rigid fixation. The newly fabricated T-buttress plate enables early knee motion and reduces postoperative complications, marking a significant advancement over existing internal fixation plates.

A new buttress plate model was designed using modeling software, featuring an asymmetric curved design with three fragments. Finite element analysis was used to simulate the biomechanical performance of this new model, comparing it with symmetric flat and symmetric curved plates. Accurately predicting the biomechanical behavior of the implant posed challenges, especially during extensive simulations. Optimal parameters for the asymmetric curved plate were identified from the simulation results, and the 3D buttress plate was then fabricated using the metal fused filament fabrication (MFFF) process. This process presents challenges due to the novel nature of the asymmetric design.

The results indicate that the newly developed buttress plate exhibits superior strength and performance compared to current internal fixation plates. Biomechanical simulations show that the asymmetric curved design provides better stability and support. Moreover, the yield and ultimate tensile strengths were found to be 685 MPa and 855 MPa, respectively.

The study’s finite element analysis model has limitations due to its reliance on assumptions about material properties, boundary conditions and loading scenarios. It also excludes biological factors, patient variability and the bone’s heterogeneous nature, which may affect the accuracy and applicability of the results in real-life situations.

The development of an asymmetric curved buttress plate using MFFF is a novel innovation aimed at improving biomechanical performance and patient outcomes in orthopedic surgery, offering significant potential impact in the medical field.

Unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) harms organizations’ long-term development; hence, all sectors of society view it as highly concerning. Optimizing leadership and curbing this behavior is a key managerial challenge. This study takes the relationship between temporal leadership and UPB as its object and examines the direct and indirect paths of temporal leadership’s influence on UPB based on the conservation of resources theory. It further dissects the mediating mechanism of emotional exhaustion and the regulating mechanism of job complexity and constructs the mechanism through which temporal leadership affects UPB.

Data gathered from a sample of 380 employees in 24 provinces and cities were employed for empirical testing using validated factor analysis, hierarchical regression analysis, and a bootstrap method.

The results show that temporal leadership inhibits UPB, while emotional exhaustion partially mediates the relationship between temporal leadership and UPB. That is, temporal leadership inhibits pro-organizational unethical behavior by alleviating emotional exhaustion. In addition, job complexity negatively moderates the relationship between emotional exhaustion and UPB and positively moderates the mediating role of emotional exhaustion between temporal leadership and UPB.

First, although the data used in the study were collected at two different times, they were obtained through self-assessment; therefore, the subjective component and the potential problem of common method bias is evident. Second, the study’s sample size and types of respondents are limited.

1. This study found that temporal leadership can inhibit UPB by reducing employee emotional exhaustion. Therefore, organizations should place greater emphasis on the time factor. 2. In terms of emotional factors, organizations should actively focus on the impact of emotional exhaustion on employees' UPBs. 3. In management practice, managers should adjust their leadership modeling behaviors according to the different degrees of job complexity to replace UPBs with conscious and rational behaviors.

The study reveals how temporal leadership affects UPB and provides a theoretical basis for organizations to mitigate employees' UPB by optimizing their leadership style.

Current research on temporal leadership primarily focuses on the positive predictive effects on individual behaviors and attitudes (Zhang and Ling, 2016), but neglects its effects on negative behaviors. This study’s results complement research on the relationship between temporal leadership and employees' negative behaviors and responds to the call by Zhang and Ling (2015) to conduct research related to temporal leadership in China. On the other hand, current research on employees’ UPB largely focuses on its causative factors, while less research has been conducted on the disincentives for UPB, which to some extent limits systematic and sound research on UPB.

This study examined the impact of environmental factors on consumers’ intention to use buy online in-store returns (BORS) services. Specifically, it investigates how integrating environmental knowledge and consequence awareness into the theory of planned behavior (TPB) influences consumers’ intention to adopt BORS services.

Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using statistical methods to explore the relationships between attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, environmental factors and intention to use BORS services.

The findings indicate that attitude, subjective norm and environmental knowledge significantly increase consumers’ intention to use BORS services. Additionally, the interaction of attitude and environmental knowledge further enhances consumers’ intention to use BORS services.

This study contributes to the limited literature on the drivers of consumers’ adoption of BORS services by integrating environmental factors with TPB. It provides new insights into how targeted environmental education and promotion activities can influence consumers’ behavior toward sustainable practices, providing valuable strategies for retailers to support sustainable development goals.