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Sustainable development goal 2 (SDG2) is about creating a world free of hunger by 2030. Southern Africa faces a myriad of challenges affecting food and nutrition security, from population expansion, old and emerging pandemics, increased frequency of climate-induced natural disasters, ageing infrastructure, and challenging service delivery. The increased shocks and hazards and inadequate social safety nets have changed the dimensions of food and nutrition insecurity, giving rise to new roles for higher and tertiary education. Higher education (HE) institutions are expected to play a more active role in capacity building and producing goods and services that can contribute to the achievement of SDG2. This chapter assesses the role of HE towards the attainment of SDG2 which seeks to eliminate hunger and all forms of malnutrition. The chapter will highlight an insect-based value chain project as an example of HE contribution to reducing food insecurity. Through the case study, the chapter will explore the role of HE in community engagement, human capital development, and conducting research that informs policy and programming decisions. Furthermore, the chapter explores the role of North–South Collaborative research, interdisciplinary collaborations, and innovation hubs in developing innovations that can transform food systems and help build resilience in the face of the increasing climate and health shocks. Within these spaces, the contribution of HE to the achievement of food and nutrition security in Africa can be realised, and this approach replicated in other African institutions seeking to engage in such work.

This study aims to analyze the push and pull factors and its relationship with the theory of planned behavior about non-vegetarians’ intentions to buy plant-based meat products. Previous studies seldom explored the intention of non-vegetarians’ intention to buy plant-based meat products.

An online survey was conducted among 447 non-vegetarians to investigate these relationships. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to scrutinize the data.

Among the push factors product safety and flavor positively influence consumers’ attitude, whereas environmental protection and flavor positively influence subjective norms. Animal welfare, environmental protection and flavor positively influence perceived behavioral control. Among the pull factors, curiosity, product nutrition and price positively influence consumer attitudes toward plant-based meat products. Curiosity and price also positively influence subjective norms, but only product nutrition positively influences perceived behavioral control. On the other hand, the results also confirm that non-vegetarian customers' intentions to buy plant-based meat products is primarily influenced by attitude and perceived behavioral control, whereas subjective norms do not influence the intention to buy plant-based meat products. This study also reveals that there exists a moderating influence from perceived behavioral control between attitude and intention to buy plant-based meat products, whereas the moderating effect of perceived behavioral control on subjective norms and intention is insignificant.

The findings of this study offer practical recommendations for persuasive marketing strategies associated with plant-based meat substitutes.

Regardless of the diverse research on big data analytics (BDA) across different supply chains, little attention has been paid to exploit this information across service supply chains. The healthcare supply chains, where supply chain operations consume the second highest expenditures, have not completely attained the potential gains from data analytics. So, this paper explores the challenges of BDA at various levels of healthcare supply chains.

Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV), this research explores the various challenges of big data at organizational and operational level of different nodes in healthcare supply chains. To demonstrate the links among supply chain nodes, the authors have used a supplier-input-process-output-customer (SIPOC) chart to list healthcare suppliers, inputs (such as employees) supplied and used by the main healthcare processes, outputs (products and services) of these processes, and customers (patients and community).

Using thematic analysis, the authors were able to identify numerous challenges and commonalities among these challenges for the case of healthcare supply chains across United Arab Emirates (UAE). An applicable exploration on organizational (Socio-technical) and operational challenges to BDA can enable healthcare managers to acclimate efficient and effective strategies.

The identified common socio-technical and operational challenges could be verified, and their impacts on the sustainable performance of various supply chains should be explored using formal research methods.

This research advances the body of literature on BDA in healthcare supply chains in that (1) it presents a structured approach for exploring the challenges from various stakeholders of healthcare chain; (2) it presents the most common challenges of big data across the chain and finally (3) it uses the context of UAE where government is focusing on medical tourism in the coming years.

Originality of this work stems from the fact that most of the previous academic research in this area has focused on technology perspectives, a clear understanding of the managerial and strategic implications and challenges of big data is still missing in the literature.

Revenge travel has become a prominent touristic behaviour on a global scale. The study delves into the phenomenon of ‘revenge tourism’ and its far-reaching implications, emphasising the boomerang effects it triggers. This study proposes conceptual framework that examines the boomerang effects of revenge tourism (economic, environmental and social) and explores their relationship with the SDG8 (Decent work and economic growth), SDG12 (Responsible consumption and production) and SDG14 (Life below water). The study finds that the boomerang effects of revenge tourism positively impact all three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It establishes a positive relationship between ‘tourism demand’ (RT1) and its ‘economic impact’ (BE1), along with a positive connection between ‘travel behaviour’ (RT3) and both its ‘environmental impact’ (BE2) and ‘social impact’ (BE3). Additionally, a positive effect of ‘destination image’ (RT2) on ‘travel behaviours’ (RT3) is observed. This underscores the tourism industry's inherent capacity to navigate and mitigate economic repercussions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The study concludes by emphasising that while COVID-19 is temporary, sustainability implies permanence through optimal resource utilization and maximising benefits for conservation and local communities. Practical implications are discussed as final thoughts, providing actionable insights for the tourism industry.

The study aims to delve into the interactive relationships among brand authenticity, brand attachment, brand trust and brand loyalty using the ERC authenticity framework, exploring the potential mechanisms and different configurations affecting brand loyalty through brand authenticity.

About 446 valid samples were collected through an online survey of Chinese consumers of international sports brands. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were employed to test the research hypotheses.

SEM results indicate significant positive correlations among brand true-to-ideal authenticity, true-to-fact authenticity and true-to-self authenticity. All dimensions of brand authenticity exert notable positive impacts on brand attachment, brand trust and brand loyalty. Brand true-to-ideal authenticity, true-to-fact authenticity and true-to-self authenticity not only directly influence consumer brand loyalty but also indirectly affect it through brand attachment and brand trust; fsQCA results reveal five heterogeneous configurations to predict brand loyalty.

This study not only uses SEM to validate the structural relationships among the three dimensions of brand authenticity and their linear relationships with brand attachment, brand trust and brand loyalty but also uses fsQCA to identify nonlinear relationships between concepts. It extends complexity theory to the research field of brand authenticity–brand loyalty. Furthermore, based on the research results, this study provides management suggestions for brand managers and marketers.

This study aims to analyse research trends, with particular emphasis on the most influential countries, institutions and top journals, as well as the most frequently cited articles, productive authors and co-authorship networks. In addition, this study identifies and analyses the primary research themes in halal and Islamic tourism and potential future research.

This research used Scopus from 2004 to 2023, focusing on articles referencing halal and Islamic tourism in the article title. The data were analysed using various software programmes, including the Bibliometrix R Package, VOSviewer, Harzing-PoP and Excel, used to conduct bibliometric and content analyses.

This study reveals a noteworthy increase in the number of publications related to halal tourism since 2016. The findings demonstrate the existence of four clusters of research in Halal and Islamic tourism literature. These clusters include marketing in halal and Islamic tourism, tourist satisfaction in halal tourism, halal tourism development and halal tourism from the perspective of Muslim tourists.

This study’s bibliometric analysis was based solely on English-language articles in the Scopus database. Therefore, the findings may not be representative of all the research on halal and Islamic tourism.

This study provides valuable insights into the trends and patterns of research on halal and Islamic tourism, which can be used as a foundation for future research and provide a more comprehensive understanding of halal tourism research.

Customer engagement has key practical implications for hospitality management. However, little is known about how perceived coolness and wow affect customer engagement. The purpose of this research was to investigate the associations among perceived coolness, perceived wow and customer engagement and examine the mediator of self-image congruity (SIC).

Survey data were collected from 406 restaurant customers in Taiwan, and structural equation modeling was adopted to examine the hypotheses. Furthermore, a replica model was produced for another sample of 412 hotel customers.

The results indicate that perceived coolness positively affects customer engagement and SIC and that perceived wow positively affects SIC. SIC positively affects customer engagement. Moreover, SIC mediates the associations of perceived coolness and wow with customer engagement. The relationships between the variables did not significantly differ between restaurant customers and hotel customers.

Hospitality businesses can create environments in which customers interact with service providers through innovative technology, thereby encouraging engagement. Coolness and the wow factor must be prioritized in servicescapes, meal and room design, the service process and creative marketing.

The findings contribute knowledge on hospitality, factors affecting customer engagement and the mediating mechanism of SIC. Hospitality managers can use the results to formulate strategies for servicescape design, brand management and customer experience.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate cutting-edge coagulant materials and procedures for the removal of harmful microplastics from the water.

Traditional methods of removing microplastics from water bodies, like filtration, face limitations due to the small sizes involved. Hence, coagulation and flocculation emerge as essential strategies to enhance filtration efficacy. This paper summarizes recent research on coagulant materials, including novel hybrids, for water purification. It also looks at the most recent improvements in coagulation and flocculation processes, as well as the factors that influence their efficiency.

This paper highlights recent research on coagulant materials, including novel hybrids, used in water purification. It also examines the most recent advancements in coagulation and flocculation procedures, as well as the elements influencing their effectiveness.

The environmental threat posed by plastics, especially in their non-naturally degradable forms, such as microplastics, has reached alarming proportions. These minute particles pervade our air, soil and water bodies, driven by various factors and sources. Their diminutive size, whether in micro or nano form, renders them ingestible by marine and freshwater organisms, as well as humans, posing significant health risks. Traditional methods of water cleaning are not effective in dealing with very small-sized plastics and hence this paper summarizes recent research on coagulant materials, including various novel hybrids, for water purification from tiny microplastics in detail.

Financial literacy, capability and behavior are crucial factors in personal financial management, which in turn plays a significant role in individual and societal financial well-being. The objective of this investigation is to explain critical factors and dimensions of personal financial management systems by employing a hybrid approach that encompasses a bibliometric analysis and a systematic review of the literature.

The research team carefully evaluated a selection of 606 scholarly articles from the Scopus database and studied the evolution of personal financial management behavior over 38 years (1986–2023). This research adopted several graphical representations and network structures to comprehend publishing tendencies, high-impact papers, theoretical frameworks, intellectual constructs as well as the current state of research collaboration.

Four major clusters were identified in the field of personal financial management behavior: the relationship between financial literacy and financial capability, factors influencing financial behavior, the impact of financial behavior on financial well-being and the financial behavior of different demographic groups. In addition, by performing content analysis on papers published within the last five years, new themes in personal financial management behavior were identified.

This investigation serves to equip financial advisors, policy architects and scholarly investigators with a deeper insight into the intricacies of personal financial management behavior and aids in pinpointing prospective domains for forthcoming research.

This study seeks to address a significant vacuum in the current body of research by providing a thorough bibliometric analysis that specifically examines financial literacy, ability and conduct. To the best of our knowledge, no previous research has conducted such a comprehensive investigation in this field. This research aims to identify important researchers and influential works in the subject by using a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including content analysis. The purpose of doing this is to provide exclusive insights and expertise that can be highly valuable to scholars, practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders who are interested in furthering the comprehension and encouragement of financial literacy and responsible financial behavior.

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) can disrupt how consumers search for information on retail products/services online by reducing information overload. However, the risk associated with GAI is high, and its widespread adoption for product/service information search purposes is uncertain. This study examined psychological drivers that impact consumer adoption of GAI platforms for retail information search.

We conducted 31 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with the lead GAI users regarding product/service information search. The data were analysed using a grounded theory paradigm and thematic analysis.

Results show that consumers experience uncertainty about GAI’s functioning. Their trust in GAI impacts the adoption and usage of this technology for information search. GAI provides unique settings to investigate potential additional factors, leveraging UTAUT as a theoretical basis. This study identified three overarching themes – technology characteristics, technology readiness and information characteristics – as possible drivers of adoption.

Consumers seek exhaustive and reliable information for purchase decisions. Due to the abundance of online information, they experience information overload. GAI platforms reduce information overload by providing synthesized and customized product/service search results. However, its reliability, trustworthiness and accuracy have been questioned. The functioning of GAI is opaque; the popular technology adoption model such as UTAUT is general and is unlikely to explain in totality the adoption and usage of GAI. Hence, this research provides the adoption drivers for this unique technology context. It identifies the determinants/antecedents of relevant UTAUT variables and develops an integrated conceptual model explaining GAI adoption for retail information search.