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This study investigated how Generation Z adopted brand messages through trending topics and analysed the central and peripheral routes of information adoption. It explored the roles of informational and emotional supports in influencing information adoption through perceived information usefulness and considered the adoption of brand messages within trending topic discussions.

Drawing on the extension information adoption model, this study employed a quantitative approach by utilising covariance-based structural equation modelling to analyse 400 valid web-based questionnaire responses from Sina Microblog users among Generation Z in China.

Adopting brand messages via trending topics, with cues emphasising information quality as the central route and information credibility as the peripheral route, enhances perceived information usefulness. Notably, Generation Z can derive informational and emotional support from trending topic discussions, influencing their perceived information usefulness. This process operates independently of the dual routes of information adoption.

Marketers can leverage influencers and users’ comments to motivate Generation Z to adopt brand messages through trending topics, but this study was limited by the demographic diversity of its sample and the specific types of brands analysed. Incorporating cross-cultural comparisons, group analyses, potential moderating factors and control variables could improve the model’s generalisability.

Compared to information adoption models rooted in the organisational information exchange, the originality of this study lies in confirming that, within the context of trending topics, which blend social connections with an anonymous environment, informational and emotional supports can serve as additional cues influencing brand information adoption via perceived information usefulness.

Brand reputation (BR) is one of the most important factors that affect the consumer–brand relationship and give businesses a competitive advantage. Businesses with a strong BR can increase their market shares and product market prices, in addition to gaining a competitive advantage. In order for businesses to have these advantages, they need to know and analyze their consumers. This study aimed to develop an alternative analysis method by using classification algorithms and regression analysis to measure and evaluate the effect of consumers' BR perceptions on their willingness to pay premium prices (WPP).

The research data were collected from 483 participants by the online survey method due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were first analyzed with regression analysis, and the effect of BR on WPP was found to be significant. Then, using artificial intelligence (AI) methods that were not used in previous studies, consumers' perceptions of BR and WPP were clustered and classified.

The results revealed the highest and lowest customer groups with BR and WPP and empirically demonstrated that highly accurate practical classification models can be applied to determine strategies in line with these findings.

The model proposed in this study offers an integrated approach by using AI and regression analysis together and tries to fill the gap in the literature in this field. Therefore, the novelty of this study is to quantitatively reveal and evaluate the relationship between BR and WPP by using AI classification algorithms and regression analysis together.

This paper investigates the influence of CEO power on financial statement comparability using a multidimensional CEO power index and a comprehensive measure of financial statement comparability for ASX-listed companies.

This study applies ordinary least squares regression analyses to a sample of 3,562 firm-year observations spanning 2004–2015. A propensity score matching procedure, lagged regression models, instrumental variable two-stage least squares regressions and first difference models were performed for endogeneity correction and robustness purposes.

The results suggest that powerful CEOs are more likely to produce more comparable financial reports. We also analyse four dimensions of CEO power and find that the influence of CEO power on FS comparability mainly stems from ownership and expert power dimensions. Additionally, we report that the influence of CEO power on FS comparability is more pronounced for firms that operate under high market competition and industry-related shocks, but governance characteristics do not make a material impact on the uncovered relationship.

Given the pressure exerted by regulatory bodies on companies to reduce information asymmetry, the study’s empirical evidence offers valuable insights to policymakers, corporations and other stakeholders as it provides evidence on the importance of corporate leadership in improving FS comparability.

The extent to which CEO power is linked with the comparability of corporate disclosures is new to the literature. Investigating such a link is important because corporate disclosure is primarily a management practice that emanates from the board and generally affects the firm, its shareholders and other market participants.

The unethical use of natural resources is contributing to the increasing environmental degradation. The depleting environment poses a threat to the sustainability of present and future generations. This paper aims to investigate the impact of social media on the green purchase intention of consumers. The research adopts the theory of reciprocal determinism to integrate the variables of social media, green product knowledge, green consumption values and drive for environmental responsibility, assessing their collective impact on green purchase intention.

Data were gathered from a sample of 310 young consumers using a structured close-ended questionnaire. The proposed hypothesis was tested by employing PLS-SEM.

The study validates that social media (SM) has the ability to shape consumers' intention to choose more eco-friendly products. In addition to social media, green consumption values and the drive for environmental responsibility exert a significant influence on green purchase intention. However, green product knowledge did not have a significant impact on green purchase intention nor did mediate the relationship between social media and green purchase intention.

The existing scholarly literature indicates that researchers have employed a variety of theories as the basis for their studies aimed at predicting intentions and behaviors related to environmentally conscious purchases. To our knowledge, this is the first study to incorporate social media in the theory of reciprocal determinism. Notably, the paper represents the inaugural investigation in the context of an emerging economy to incorporate green product knowledge as a mediating variable.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how electronic word of mouth (eWOM) affects purchase intention and brand equity, and to further examine the mediating role of brand equity between eWOM and purchase intention among Indian consumers of branded apparel.

The data was collected from 303 consumers of branded apparel using an online questionnaire, and data were analyzed through structural equation modeling with the help of SPSS v24 and AMOS v23.

The findings of this study demonstrated that eWOM has a positive and significant influence on brand equity and purchase intention. Simultaneously, brand equity partially mediates between the eWOM and purchase intention of consumers of apparel brands.

The study's data set is limited in its generalizability as it is based on specific responses from Indian consumers of branded apparel via an online survey. The results of this study would help marketing practitioners and apparel manufacturers to augment their sales and design their promotional strategy in accordance with consumers' traits.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to propose an integrative model that studies relationships between eWOM, brand equity and purchase intention by incorporating the Elaboration Likelihood Model among Indian consumers of branded apparel. Furthermore, this novel piece of research explores the relationship between eWOM and purchase intention with brand equity as a mediator, particularly for branded apparel selected by Indian consumers.

There is a compelling need for developing constructs in management science rather than adapting the constructs that have been developed in other domains. Having emerged in the 1950s, quality of work-life (QWL) measures have proved to be ineffective due to the lack of conceptual clarity and theoretical support. The article analyses the QWL measures highlights their coherence and verifies them for being used in specific contexts.

The study includes three stages to develop a QWL Measurement Scale. Fourteen questions were developed based on QWL concepts. They were validated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) which split the dimensions into five factors. A survey was conducted on 375 medical residents. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergence and validity were tested along the five dimensions.

Results extend the QWL concept and provide theoretical support for the same. Five dimensions were developed to measure QWL namely: pay and benefits, supervision, intra-group relations, working conditions and training.

The study may offer an overview of evaluation strategies to researchers and organizations that aim to improve employee QWL while they enhance its effectiveness through reliable instruments.

The scale developed in this study contributes to the body of QWL literature in the healthcare arena. It may be beneficial to carry out further research in this domain.

AISI 4140 is a versatile, low alloy steel often used in various applications in mechanical systems and manufacturing processes. To mention a few in processes such as friction stir welding tooling and in engine components, temperatures above 700°C coupled with wear. Despite its versatility, it is still susceptible to wear and corrosion. A common method to address this shortcoming is physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating. This study aims to experimentally investigate the wear performance of AISI 4140 PVD coated with titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN) at room and elevated temperatures.

Two sets of three samples were prepared. Where one sample was uncoated AISI 4140, TiN and TiAlN PVD coated, one set was tested at room temperature and the other set at 780°C for comparison purposes. The average coating thicknesses were measured, and the adhesion properties were assessed using a scratch test. Their tribological wear scars were further characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and confocal microscopy, and the results were furnished in the paper.

With the scratch test, the first critical load (Lc) on the TiAlN coating was 15% higher than that of the TiN coating. At room temperature, TiN had the highest coefficient at 0.61, while TiAlN was 0.39. After 1,500 s, samples showed run-in and stability. At elevated temperatures, TiAlN started with the highest friction but stabilized later than TiN and uncoated samples, which stabilized after 200 s due to titanium oxide formation. This was due to the formation of an oxidation layer caused by the thermal environment. Hence, the opposite is observed at room temperature. The findings were supported by the Raman, XRD, SEM EDS and areal topography analysis.

The results presented in the study are valuable to design engineers and researchers anticipating wear in high temperature applications. Therefore, with these results, reasonable, informed decisions can be made about specific design requirements.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-09-2024-0354/

This paper aims to propose a framework to assess the readiness of Brazilian small and medium service companies to use Industry 4.0 technologies to improve the efficiency of processes, reinforcing the idea that evaluating and planning the implementation is as important as the use, without the need for big investments.

The paper presents two applications on the readiness level of small and medium enterprises, with support from researchers and stakeholders. The literature seems to focus more on the maturity level than on providing a sequence of operational steps or decision support. It would lead to better implementation of I4.0 technologies in assessing the company’s readiness level to adopt them.

The authors analyze the relevant case studies in Brazilian small and medium service enterprises based on the proposed framework to investigate the main challenges and hardships for Industry 4.0 readiness in the current scenario and outline directions to increase their readiness for adopting key Industry 4.0 technologies. Moreover, the case studies consolidate a fundamental advantage to small and medium enterprise service: a guided implementation provides more knowledge about products, processes and I4.0 technologies, even in unsuccessful case studies.

The need was identified when studying market trends with the digital transformation provided by Industry 4.0 technologies and, in parallel, the difficulties of small and medium service companies in adapting to this new scenario. Through the proposed framework, an action plan can be drawn up with well-defined objectives, goals and activities so that the service enterprises can increase their Industry 4.0 readiness level within three months.

A relevant aspect is that this study is based on feedback from stakeholders and managers, which makes the analyses and conclusions from empirical points of view without relevant theoretical knowledge of the relationship between I4.0 technologies. Therefore, the proposed framework made it possible to diagnose the organization’s external and internal environments, allowing the ideal condition and the current situation of the companies to be compared, as argued in the Industry 4.0 readiness literature review.