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This study investigates customer‐value based marketing activities in emerging or new fast‐growth ventures. A contextual analysis of interview data identified seven customer‐value based marketing activities actively pursued synergistically by fast growth firms: employee branding, target marketing, marketing planning marketing/market research, product differentiation via quality, relationship marketing, and guerrilla marketing. These elements form a complex web in which each marketing activity complements the other. There are three main implications: all marketing activities are intertwined, in line with marketing theory and practice associated with large firms; most marketing activities undertaken are low cost; and establishing a winning reputation is an important objective. CEOs associate reputation with brand building via employees.

This paper aims to synthesize the existing literature on virtual reality (VR) in the luxury fashion industry, discuss the current practical applications of VR technologies and review previous research undertaken in the luxury fashion field.

This paper conducts a systematic review and thematic analysis of existing literature to evaluate current research concerning VR and the luxury fashion industry. This search initially returned a total of 1,131 sources. After establishing and applying criteria of exclusion and inclusion, a total of 46 articles were selected for the thematic analysis.

Five major themes were identified, including virtual luxury fashion consumption, VR in marketing communication, virtual try-on, VR retail (including virtual fashion retail spaces) and virtual worlds (including customers’ virtual representation as avatars). The importance of these themes for the study of VR in luxury fashion is supported by relevant studies in the literature.

Whilst research into VR use within luxury fashion has increased recently, it remains fragmented. Given the absence of a comprehensive review addressing this topic within the literature, this paper will help scholars and fashion brands better understand the effects of VR on the luxury fashion industry. By integrating current practice and existing research, this paper contributes to a better understanding of how and where VR is used in luxury fashion contexts.

This study aims to determine Chinese consumers’ motivations for purchasing virtual luxury fashion in virtual worlds (i.e. luxury skins in video games), building on a theory of consumption values, luxury fashion and virtual consumption studies.

The researchers conducted qualitative research that utilised semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis using NVivo. About 21 Chinese participant responses were collected and analysed to identify and classify themes.

Consumers purchase virtual luxury products for nine reasons. These include social value, driven by conspicuous consumption needs and self-expression; emotional value, involving perceived enjoyment and emotional connection derived from game characters; functional value, reflected in visual aesthetics; epistemic value, rooted in novelty and conditional value, linked to continual usage intention. These findings offer crucial insights into how consumers perceive the value of virtual luxury. The findings also reveal that brand awareness and perceived exclusivity shape consumers’ perceptions of the social value of virtual luxury fashion, which, in turn, influences their purchasing decisions.

This study is timely for both luxury brands and creators of virtual worlds, given the increasing collaboration between these two industries. By building upon a theory of consumption values, this study contributes to the rapidly growing research field of virtual luxury fashion consumption. Furthermore, the findings of this study, which reveal the key drivers behind consumers’ purchasing decisions, can be applied to real-life brand collaborations with creators of virtual worlds. A comprehensive understanding of consumer purchase motivations can offer strategic guidance for virtual product development and the enhancement of customer experiences in these environments.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate drivers of learning orientation (LO) in 253 Australian fast-growth small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) through an examination of the interrelationships between transformational leadership (TL), human resource (HR) practices, and organizational climate.

CEOs/managers of fast growth SMEs completed either an online or mailout survey. Statistical analyses involved tests for confounding and mediational effects, the use of exploratory factor analytic techniques and structural equation modelling.

Findings reveal that TL is a significant antecedent of supportive and open organizational climates, and reward and job-related HR practices. Job-related HR practices and organizational climate fully mediate relationships between TL and LO. However, providing monetary incentives linked to performance does not motivate staff to learn. Instead, leaders need to act as role models, stimulate employees intellectually, provide a road map for staff, and focus on creating a supportive, open, and friendly environment.

Sample size is modest, reducing statistical power. The use of a cross-sectional, non-experimental design limits causal inferences. This study relied on the views of only entrepreneurs.

These findings have important implications for management practice in terms of leadership, HR practices, and organizational learning in entrepreneurial ventures. Businesses who provide benefits and bonuses linked to performance do not necessarily engage employees to commit to learning, subscribe to a shared vision, or think innovatively. LO is enhanced only when employees are motivated, empowered, and treated as valuable resources. The establishment of personal relationships and open communication between owner-managers and employees, fosters firm LO.

The present research contributes to the theoretical debate on the central role of leadership in fostering HRM practices, organizational climate and LO in fast-growth entrepreneurial companies. This study is the first to empirically test drivers of LO in FGSMEs. A simple linear model is insufficient to explain the influence of TL on LO.