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Despite the burgeoning popularity of virtual gifting in live streaming, research lacks an in-depth understanding of the drivers behind this behavior. Using para-social relationship (PSR), this study aims to capture viewers’ lively social feelings toward the streamer as the key factor leading to the purchase behavior of virtual gifts. It also aims to establish a theoretical link between PSR and viewers’ holistic experience in live streaming as captured by cognitive absorption and aims to investigates the role of technological features (i.e. viewer–streamer and viewer–viewer interactivity, streamer-level and viewer-level deep profiling and design aesthetics) in shaping viewers’ experience.

Based on 433 survey responses, this study employs a combination of structural equation modeling and neural networks to offer valuable insights into the relationships between the technological environment, viewer experience and viewer behavior.

Our results highlight the salience of PSR in promoting the purchase of virtual gifts through cognitive absorption and the importance of the technological environment in eliciting the viewer experience. This study sheds light on the development of PSR in a technological environment and its relationship with cognitive absorption.

By applying PSR to conceptualize viewers’ perceived connection with the streamer, this study extends the research on purchase behavior in the non-shopping context by providing an enlightened understanding of virtual gift purchase behavior in live streaming. Moreover, by theoretically linking PSR with cognitive absorption, virtual gift purchase and technological features of live streaming, it enriches the theory of PSR and bridges the gap between the design practice of supporting the IT infrastructure of live streaming and research.

While previous research underscored self-presentation desire as an important motivator of digital item purchase, user needs for digital items may become increasingly inner-focused with the maturation of virtual communities (VCs). The purpose of this paper is to posit that self-discrepancy and self-gratification are key to explaining user purchase of digital items.

A survey of 310 users of a social media-based VC well supports the hypotheses.

The tenet of this study is that individuals purchase digital items in VCs not only for self-presentation purpose per se, but more importantly for reasons of more inner-focused, such as due to their self-discrepancy that motivates them to purchase digital items to enhance self-esteem, and also for self-gratification. Furthermore, self-discrepancy arising from comparing ones’ current self against how they perceive others expect them to ideally be (i.e. self-other discrepancy) increases their self-presentation desire.

Overall the findings enrich the current view that individuals purchase digital items mainly to present themselves to others (Kim et al., 2012), thus affording a more complete understanding of this behavior that has both important research and practical implications.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate what may influence participation in mobile collaborative consumption (CC). In particular, the authors investigate the effects of individual sociability and psychological antecedents including enjoyment, social connection, altruistic motivation, reputation, trust and embarrassment on the participation intention in this emerging phenomenon, as well as their relationships.

Survey approach was employed to validate the research model.

Hedonic factor, i.e. enjoyment, and social-related factors including altruistic motivation, reputation and embarrassment emerge as important antecedents of participation in mobile CC. On top of these factors, individual sociability plays an important role, by acting as a direct antecedent of the dependent variable, while also influencing their perceived greater altruistic motivation and reputation from participating in the CC. Yet, sociability has no significant effect on perceived enjoyment and embarrassment associated with the activity, suggesting that addressing these factors may encourage individuals with low sociability to participate.

This study taps into mobile technology to support CC in daily consumption activities, and highlights the factors that influence people’s participation in such activities. More importantly, the findings suggest that while it is more likely for individuals with high sociability to participate in this emerging form of social activities, for consumers with low sociability, addressing the enjoyment aspect and embarrassment issue of the activities may nonetheless promote their participation.

The purpose of this article is to outline a conceptual framework on mobile applications that support social interactions among users to warrant commercial viability of such applications.

We build on the social network paradigm to propose an activity-based view on mobile application usage, and theoretically link the pertinent features of mobile social networking applications (MSNAs) to a set of measurement metrics concerning their commercial viability.

The conceptual framework formulated highlights how MSNAs can be systematically designed and deployed to ensure their commercial viability.

A pertinent set of features that support social networking among the users, and their plausible mechanisms in facilitating the commercial viability of MSNAs, are explicated. This facilitates future research endeavours in systematically investigating the emerging form of mobile applications. The limitation lies in a lack of empirical data to validate the formulated propositions, which is beyond the scope of this paper and is directed for future research.

A coherent set of measurement metrics are put forward for practitioners to measure the commercial viability of an MSNA. Also theoretically based insights are derived for how they can better derive commercial values from the emerging form of mobile applications.

Most relevant previous research has focused either on the MSNAs’ technical design aspects or user behavioural issues. This research ties up the themes on technical design, user behaviour and business consideration in formulating a research framework for assessing the commercial viability of MSNAs.

This study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of Chinese coffee consumers towards robot baristas, considering the proliferation of automated entities within China's coffee sector.

Employing the extended Technology Acceptance Model 2 as its theoretical framework, this research conducts in-depth interviews with 30 Chinese coffee consumers. The laddering technique is utilized, supplemented by video simulation. Thematic analysis is subsequently employed to scrutinize the data.

The findings delineate six pivotal themes encapsulating Chinese coffee consumers' perceptions of robot baristas – Perceived Introvert Friendliness, Perceived Novelty, Perceived Intellectual Discrepancies, Perceived Efficiency and Reliability, Perceived Emotional Disconnection, and Perceived Labour Market Disruption. Moreover, six motivational themes are identified - Social Status Boosting, Openness to Experience, Ease of Use, Tech-Driven Affordability, Reliable and Uncompromising Quality, and Resistance to Overbearing Service.

The study is limited by its focus on a specific cultural context. Future research could explore cross-cultural perspectives.

The findings of this study offer guidance on how to market and position robotic barista services to appeal to consumer preferences and drive adoption.

Understanding consumer perceptions of robotic baristas has broader social implications, particularly in terms of labour market disruption and the potential impact on traditional coffee professions. Businesses can navigate the social implications of automation more effectively and foster greater acceptance of technological innovations within society.

This study offers insights into the inclinations of Chinese coffee consumers, thereby facilitating informed decision-making and the formulation of effective strategies to expedite the adoption of robotic service.

Online knowledge sharing is a popular activity worldwide and can be leveraged by organisations to innovate, create and sustain competitive advantage. Although there have been a number of studies examining knowledge sharing to encourage employees to convey their skills and experiences to others in an organisation, few attempts have been made to investigate the key motivators of online knowledge sharing in an organisation. Based on the theory of planned behaviour and technological acceptance model, this study aims to review the literature to establish a conceptual framework examining motivators of online knowledge sharing in organisations.

Previous studies that investigated motivators of online knowledge sharing in organisations in the literature were reviewed to propose a conceptual framework.

Four-dimensional model, which includes four types of key motivators of online knowledge sharing, namely, individual, social, organisational and technological, was established.

The model serves as a roadmap for future researchers and managers considering their strategy to enhance online knowledge sharing in organisations.

Theory is needed for a discipline to mature. This research aims to provide a summary analysis of the theories being used in contemporary logistics and supply chain management (SCM) studies.

A comprehensive literature review of articles appearing in five top tier logistics and SCM journals is conducted in order to identify how often theory is used and to classify the specific theories used. An analysis of the theoretical categories is presented to explain the type and frequency of theory usage.

Over 180 specific theories were found within the sampled articles. Theories grouped under the competitive and microeconomics categories made up over 40 per cent of the theoretical incidences. This does not imply all articles utilize theory. The research found that theory was explicitly used in approximately 53 per cent of the sampled articles.

Two implications are central. First, in the minds of editors, reviewers and authors is approximately 53 per cent theory use enough? Literature suggests there continues to be a need for theory‐based research in the discipline. A first step may be to increase our theory use, and to clearly describe the theory being used. Second, the vast majority of theories used in recent logistics and SCM research originated in other disciplines. Growth in the discipline dictates the need for greater internal theory development.

Despite multiple calls for the use of theory in logistics and SCM, little formal research has been produced examining the actual theories being used. This research provides an in‐depth review and analysis of the use of theory in logistics and SCM research during the period 2004‐2009.