Search results

Through the lens of the Social Exchange Theory, this study investigates the role of emotional and psychological well-being in explaining the relationship between academic stress and friendship quality.

Using a cross-sectional quantitative research design, the study gathered data from 298 tertiary students. Statistical analysis was conducted using Hayes Process Macro in SPSS.

Results from the study challenge conventional assumptions, indicating a positive and significant relationship between academic stress and friendship quality. In addition, the study revealed that psychological well-being partially mediates the relationship between academic stress and friendship quality, while emotional well-being fully mediates the relationship between academic stress and friendship quality.

This study is limited to the tertiary institutions in Ghana. Future studies may consider expanding the scope to other levels of education to gain a more comprehensive perspective of the variables of the study.

This study presents a novel approach by examining the proposed model within the Ghanaian setting. It offers valuable perspectives on the interplay between academic stress, well-being, and friendship quality.

Brand crises are widespread in the marketplace and how consumers perceive and respond to such crises is crucial for brand survival. This paper aims to elucidate the critical role of brand age in shaping consumers’ negative responses to competence-related versus ethics-related crises, with a particular focus on the Eastern cultural context. In addition, the roles of information diagnosticity and culture are investigated.

In a series of four studies conducted across China and the USA, the authors use a rigorous between-subject experimental design to delve into the dynamics of how the interplay between brand age and brand crisis impacts consumers’ negative responses, specifically negative word-of-mouth and boycott tendency, toward brands perceived as guilty.

Results show that brand age helps mitigate the negative responses of consumers in competence-related crises, yet exacerbates such reactions in ethics-related crises. In addition, information diagnosticity mediates the interactive effect of brand crisis and brand age on consumers’ negative responses. However, the results of the cross-cultural comparison study suggest that brand age exaggerates consumers’ negative responses to ethics-related brand crises only in Eastern cultures, but not in the Western contexts.

The research reveals the dual-edged impact of brand age during crises, enriches the literature that draws on information diagnosticity within the hierarchical restrictive schema theory. It also clarifies the boundary mechanisms related to cultural differences.

The findings of this research provide meaningful implications for brand managers by communicating the oldness of a brand may serve to buffer negative consumer responses to competence-related crises but can exacerbate the consequences of ethics-related crises.

This research offers a novel perspective on the nuanced influence of brand age on consumers’ adverse reactions to brand crises. It clarifies why emphasizing the oldness of brands in Eastern-culture markets is effective in mitigating competence-related crises but often counterproductive for ethics-related crises.

The emergence of social media platforms has revolutionized how brands develop partnerships with social media influencers (SMIs). However, users are seeking more meaningful engagement with SMIs, and little is known about how brands can shift their focus from transient engagements to continued engagement that builds long-term brand–consumer relationships. Extant research has provided inconsistent findings regarding consumer engagement behavior. To address this knowledge deficit, we contribute to the consumer engagement literature by developing and testing a conceptual model that explores and explains the relationships between the factors that influence continued engagement intention (CEI), a form of behavioral intention.

A literature review was conducted to identify gaps and develop a theoretically informed conceptual model and hypotheses. Survey data from 604 Instagram SMI followers were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 3.3.3 to assess the structural model relationships and conduct post hoc analysis.

The findings suggest that it is important to positively influence consumer responses to elicit CEI. Furthermore, homophily attitudes toward SMIs moderate the relationship between SMI experience and CEI.

Brands must work with SMIs to create positive SMI experiences and develop CEI. Furthermore, SMIs should focus on brands that fit their lifestyles to enhance homophily attitudes and forge CEI.

This study contributes to the literature by combining social exchange and flow theories to develop and test a holistic framework for examining CEIs regarding SMIs and brands. The findings show that creating positive SMI experiences benefits brands seeking CEI.

With the advent of metaverse, virtual influencers (VIs) are on the rise and so is their usage in advertisement of various products and services. This study aims to explore the domain of sustainable marketing and presents whether a VI can be more effective than their human counterparts (HIs) when it comes to environmental messaging. The study uses the concept of message frames to check which message frame and influencer type leads to more effective communication and ultimately sustainable purchase decisions.

A 2 × 2 experimental design was employed to check the effect of the type of influencer (HI vs VIs) on message effectiveness using positive and negative message frames which ultimately affect the purchase intentions of the followers. A combination of two-way ANOVA along with PLS-SEM was used to validate the hypothesized relationships.

The findings from the structural equation modelling revealed that HIs still continue to be better at communicating environmental messages than VIs. Further, in lines with the previous research this study highlighted the importance of negative message frames in enhancing the effectiveness of posts related to environmental causes. Additionally, the study revealed a positive association between message effectiveness, consequential awareness, environmental activism and sustainable purchase intentions.

Though there is an emergent interest in VIs, scant literature exists on how they encourage sustainable consumer behaviour. This study attempts to fill this gap by assessing the comparison between VIs and HIs in terms of promoting sustainable consumption. It is a novel effort in the crossover of sustainable marketing and influencer marketing.

Influencers in physical activity and sports have gained significant prominence in promoting health and well-being via digital social networks. This research investigates the impact of athlete influencers on sports perceptions, with a focus on korfball. Using korfball as a representative sport minimizes biases, allowing a nuanced exploration of athlete-generated content’s direct influence on viewer attitudes.

A questionnaire survey with 319 respondents explores variables like athlete attitude, attractive appearance, social media profile attitude, emotional engagement toward korfball, korfball perception, korfball interest and general sports attitude. Structural equation modeling analysis examines relationships among these variables.

The study delves into the complex interplay among athlete attitude, social media attitude and emotional engagement toward sports, emphasizing the pivotal role of authenticity in fostering deeper connections. Contrary to expectations, athlete attractiveness did not significantly influence viewer priorities, signaling a notable shift towards valuing authenticity and performance. Furthermore, the research explores how general sports attitudes moderate relationships between sports perceptions and interest, offering critical insights for sports sociology and marketing.

This study innovates by focusing on korfball, emphasizing authenticity over attractiveness and providing insights into the evolving dynamics of sports marketing and consumer behavior in the digital age. This research evidences the profound impact of the digital age on sports engagement, laying a foundation for future studies and practical applications in sports sociology, marketing and consumer behavior.