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This paper aims to investigate whether consumers’ identification with a brand community makes them more likely to engage in compulsive buying behavior. Specifically, this research shows that consumers are more likely to experience obsessive passion for brands they identify with if they are also part of brand communities, which, in turn, makes them more likely to engage in compulsive buying behavior.

An online survey (n = 533) among members of the Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth (ARMY) Bangtan Boys (BTS) brand community was conducted. A partial least squares approach was employed to test the validity and reliability of the measurement model as well as to assess the structural equation model.

Results show that brand identification affects harmonious and obsessive passion and that both relationships are moderated by brand community identification. Harmonious passion, in turn, has a positive effect on impulsive buying, whereas obsessive passion has a positive effect on both impulsive and obsessive-compulsive buying. Furthermore, consumer hedonic motivations moderate the relationship between (i) harmonious passion and impulsive buying and (ii) obsessive passion and obsessive-compulsive buying.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to examine the potential negative impacts brand community identification has on compulsive buying behavior. Besides contributing to research on the negative aspects of brand community identification, by employing a model that distinguishes between two types of passion and compulsive buying, the study provides clarification on relationships suggested by prior studies.

The purpose of this study is to examine the mechanisms of absorptive capacity (ACAP) in the specific context of digital product development teams. More precisely, it explores the process of internalizing and utilizing external knowledge from sources outside the team to promote the development of innovative ambidexterity.

The study employs the ACAP framework and directs specific attention to the concept of knowledge assimilation, encompassing comprehension, documentation and dissemination. Seventy-five employees of one of Indonesia’s largest commercial banks were surveyed about two initiatives they participated in. To this end, 12 research hypotheses are formulated, tested and analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Knowledge comprehension, documentation and dissemination are found to mediate between knowledge acquisition and knowledge exploitation. At the same time, the relationship between knowledge acquisition and knowledge transformation is mediated by knowledge comprehension and dissemination, but not documentation. The authors also found that knowledge transformation positively mediates between knowledge comprehension and dissemination on the one hand and ambidexterity on the other hand. Importantly, knowledge exploitation negatively mediates between knowledge comprehension and documentation on the one hand and ambidexterity on the other hand.

This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by offering nuanced insights into the interplay of knowledge assimilation processes within ACAP, particularly in the context of digital product development. The identification of mediating factors and their impacts on ambidexterity provides valuable implications for both theory and practice in this domain.

This study uses self-determination theory (SDT) to investigate the impact of limited-time deals and credit card usage on online impulse buying behavior, with a focus on hedonic motivation as a mediating variable.

A survey was conducted with 290 participants from northern India, specifically Punjab, Haryana, Delhi NCR and Chandigarh. The current analysis validates the conceptual framework using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) methodology.

The results indicate that limited-time deals and credit card usage have a favorable impact on both hedonic motivation and online impulse buying behavior. Additionally, hedonic motivation mediates the relationship between limited-time deals, credit card usage and online impulse buying behavior.

The study’s originality stems from its novel application of the SDT to investigate the effects of limited-time deals and credit card usage on online impulse buying. By exploring the mediating role of hedonic motivation, it sheds new light on the psychological dynamics of online consumer behavior.

This study aims to examine the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in forming a brand image and word of mouth (WOM) in the hotel industry in India. This study proposed a framework for examining the influence of CSR activities on self-congruence and the brand attitudes and indirect effects on consumer brand image and WOM in the hospitality industry in India.

A self-administered questionnaire is used to collect the data from the hotel guests staying in four five-star hotels in the Delhi NCR. The structural equation modelling was used for the empirical data analysis using AMOS 23.0.

The findings suggest that CSR, directly and indirectly, influences the brand image and WOM. The present study confirms CSR’s indirect effects on brand image and WOM.

The findings from this study will help companies design customer-driven, socially responsible activities. In the context of hotels, a mechanism based on social exchange suggests that CSR activities signal to consumers that the hotel supports society’s well-being; thus, the customers feel obliged to reciprocate the action by having a positive WOM and brand image. Therefore, hotel firms benefit from their socially responsible activities by having a positive attitude, self-congruence and WOM.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of brand hate, personality traits (jealousy and sadism) and corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) on schadenfreude and the effects of brand hate, CSI and schadenfreude on purchase intention for counterfeit luxury brands (CLBs).

The statistical population of this study is consumers of luxury and CLB. Simple random sampling method was used, and data from 200 questionnaires were analyzed through structural equation modeling and SPSS 20 and AMOS 20 software.

The results indicated that brand hate, personality traits (jealousy and sadism) and CSI have a direct positive effect on schadenfreude. In addition, brand hate, CSI and schadenfreude have a direct positive effect on purchase intention for CLB.

TO the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is among the first to evaluate the impact of brand hate, personality traits and CSI on schadenfreude and purchase intention.

To investigate the impact of cognition, emotion and other factors on positive customer engagement behaviors and to identify the differential formation processes and dynamic changes in these behaviors.

We used cognitive appraisals and coping theory as well as justice theory, to analyze comment data from the Xiaomi Community with natural language processing and binary logistic regression.

Our results indicate that cognition and emotion are unnecessary for positive customer engagement. Users expressing different cognitions and emotions exhibit varied positive engagement behaviors. The behavioral dimension was the most frequently combined, followed by the affective and cognitive dimensions. Managers should adopt material or spiritual incentives to encourage users with positive emotions and cognition to become loyal. Additionally, addressing comments with distributive justice cognition can promote positive customer engagement.

This study clarifies the complex interplay between cognition, emotion and customer engagement behaviors, providing actionable insights for brand managers to foster customer loyalty and positive customer engagement.

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.

Fashion brands are one of the strongest means of expressing consumers identity. This study explores and empirically validates the concepts of brand love and hate for masstige fashion brands from the purview of emerging markets. This study deciphers three components of masstige fashion brand promise through the lens of hedonic identity, uniqueness and expected social gains for the affluent middle-class consumers. The model is complemented by the impact of environmental and society’s well-being.

Empirical evidence was obtained through an online survey in India. Total of 222 complete responses were used to test hypotheses by fitting a model with the partial least squares algorithm.

Fashion brand love is triggered by consumers’ hedonic identity and expected social gains. Brand hate is fuelled by environmental and societal well-being concerns, expected social gains and uniqueness. Theoretical contribution is threefold: First, the relevance of social and environmental consequences reflecting consumers’ accepted responsibility for their masstige consumption is introduced. Second, the study deciphers the emotions related to masstige brand love and brand hate for emerging market’s affluent middle-class. Third, empirical results contribute to the ongoing discussion on whether brand hate and love are two distinct concepts or collapse to be two extremes of one and the same continuum.

Middle-class consumers in India are strict in their avoidance and rejection of the lower classes’ preferred fashion brands. Targeting must consider the social classes hierarchy. Marketing-mix design, particularly prices and distribution networks, need to enable a distinction between the social classes.

Masstige fashion brand love and hate turn out to be two distinct constructs that co-exist rather than being two extremes of one and the same dimension.

Indian middle-class consumers satisfy their need of environmental and social caretaking by avoidance and brand hate but continue to choose masstige brands to demonstrate social status and are not modernizing their traditional accumulative materialism.

This study examines the roles of retail experience quality dimensions, customers’ in-shop emotion valence and in-shop involvement valence in shaping the holistic retail customer experience.

We conducted a total of 25 interviews with customers who have used services at non-fuel retail stores in Malaysia, commonly known as tuckshops, which are located adjacent to fuel stations. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which led to the identification of key themes and categories that informed the development of our conceptual framework.

This study identifies three dimensions of retail experience quality: physical surroundings experience quality, interaction experience quality and service innovation experience quality. These dimensions, which were previously unexamined, are shown to influence customer evaluations based on their interactions with the retail environment, employees and digital applications. Additionally, the study finds that these dimensions impact customers’ emotions and involvement valence, suggesting that even with negative experiences, high involvement and overall positive perceptions can still occur.

This study contributes to the literature in several ways. First, it identifies key retail antecedents that shape how customers interact with, interpret and evaluate the quality of their retail experiences. Second, it examines the complex nature of customers’ in-store emotions and involvement valence, highlighting the coexistence of positive and negative emotions in certain retail contexts. Third, the study offers practical insights for retail firms, urging them to adopt a holistic approach in addressing customer emotions and involvement across diverse retail service channels.

The study introduces new dimensions of retail experience quality and develops a framework linking these dimensions to customer emotions and involvement valence. Unlike previous research that has focused on either positive or negative aspects in isolation, this study offers a comprehensive view of how mixed emotions and involvement can impact the overall retail experience. It provides both theoretical insights and practical guidance for creating more balanced and engaging retail experiences.

Triggered by the extensive use of social media brand communities (SMBCs) in interactive marketing, this article aims to explore how brand connectedness (BC) affects consumer engagement behavior (CEB) in SMBCs.

The research model was verified with the partial least squares structural equation modeling applied to the actual data collected from the web crawling largest microblogging platform in China (Sina Weibo).

Results indicate that BC may positively influence consumer emotions (CEs), eventually leading to engagement behavior in SMBCs. In addition, gender and duration of membership act as vital moderators in the model. One of the most interesting findings is the differences between posting and commenting, although both are CEBs. BC has a more significant effect on commenting than posting, and the mediating effect of CEs between BC and posting behavior is not significant.

This research contributes to the literature on interactive marketing by examining BC in the context of SMBCs, which is under-researched in the literature but is highly pertinent to social media contexts. Moreover, we measure BC through social network analysis for the first time, which not only supports the empirical work but also expands the social network theory and social capital theory. This research also extends the body of knowledge on consumer engagement by investigating the differences between posting and commenting behaviors.