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Traditional teaching strategies are making way for a more collaborative learning style, where students play active roles in their learning process. This work focuses on the discussant role activity in the market research subject in a business administration bachelor's degree as a way of empowering students' role. The discussant activity fosters critical thinking and debate between classmates while also encouraging communication and relational skills.

Drawing on expectation-disconfirmation theory, this study analysed students' expectations and perceptions before and after the discussant activity. Data were collected through two surveys carried out in class at the beginning and at the end of the course.

The empirical findings show that interactions in the classroom during the activity contribute to students' final evaluation of the activity and positively affect cross-curricular and subjective learning performance.

Activities that recreate real-life experiences help students in the acquisition of certain key competencies related to their future inclusion in the labour market.

Social commerce websites entail a completely new scenario for sharing experiences and opinions due to its richness in terms of social interactions. Nowadays, users can interact with the company and with other users; hence, it seems important to study how social stimuli affect users. Drawing on the stimulus-organism-response framework and flow theory, the purpose of this paper is to propose that the social stimulus (named social passion (sPassion)) has a positive effect on the organism (state of flow), which leads to a users’ positive response (via social word of mouth (sWOM)).

The data were collected through an online survey in 2015. The sample consists of 771 users of social commerce websites, of which 51 percent are male and 49 percent female, aged between 16 and 80 years old. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data with the statistical software SPSS version 22 and EQS 6.

The empirical results confirm that passionate users are prone to experience a state of flow and, as a consequence, share positive sWOM.

This study contributes to the literature on customers’ online participation, and the findings are hoped to help companies in developing social commerce websites that boost users’ exchange of information.

Drawing on the three flow-channel model and the stimulus–organism–response model, this research aims to understand how the influence of interactivity on purchase intention is mediated by the state of flow.

This research entails a neurophysiological experiment combined with a survey-based study. This study analyzes, first, participants' heart rate variability through the parasympathetic and sympathetic indexes during five different activities, and, second, the mediating effect of flow through a structural equation model.

This study contributes to research on the role of flow in interactive marketing. The findings reveal that flow state is associated with less stressful activities, such as navigating highly interactive websites and playing online games. This research confirms the mediating effect of flow between interactivity and purchase intention.

This paper contributes to interactive marketing and flow theory by combining traditional methods with a peripheral physiological technique that draws on neuroscience. In addition, it confirms the positive but indirect effect of interactivity on purchase intention in online contexts.

The proliferation of social commerce websites has allowed consumers to share and exchange information, experiences, advice and opinions. Recently, information provided by users has been considered more trustworthy than the information shared by companies. However, the way in which users interact with technology can vary with age, and generational cohorts show different shopping behaviors, interests and attitudes. Hence, the way users process information (user-generated vs company-generated) can affect trust differently. Drawing on the trust transfer theory and the generational cohort theory, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects on user- and company-generated information in boosting trust of three different cohorts (Generation X, Y and Z).

The data were collected through an online survey. The sample comprised 715 users of social commerce websites, aged between 16 and 55 years old. The study was analyzed using partial least squares with the statistical software Smart PLS 3.

The empirical results show that generational cohorts show different patterns. Generation X transfers trust to social commerce websites mainly from trust in information generated by companies, while Generation Z transfers trust mainly from information generated by users. Finally, Generation Y, in contrast to previous findings about millennials, develops trust based on company-generated information to an even greater extent than does Generation X.

The originality of this study lies in its analysis of generational differences when it comes to trusting one type of information over another. This study contributes to the idea that users cannot be considered as a whole but must be segmented into generational cohorts.

Social commerce websites entail a completely new scenario for retaining e-customers due to the richness of their social interactions. Nowadays, users can interact with companies and with other users; hence, it is considered important to study how social stimuli affect users. Drawing on the Stimulus Organism Response framework and Flow Theory, this paper aims to propose that the social stimulus (sPassion) has a positive effect on the organism (state of flow) causing positive responses from users (flow consciousness, trust and eLoyalty).

The data were collected through an online survey. The sample consists of 771 users of social commerce websites, of which 51 per cent are male and 49 per cent female, aged between 16 and 80 years. The structural equation model statistical software EQS 6 was used to test the model.

The empirical results confirm that passionate users are prone to experience state of flow, and, as a consequence, they are conscious of this optimal experience, resulting in an increase in trust.

The originality of this research stems from analysing how users’ passion on social commerce creates an optimal experience that boost customers’ retention.

Las páginas web de social commerce ofrecen un escenario completamente diferente al estudiado hasta la fecha, favoreciendo la retención de clientes en Internet gracias a la riqueza de las interacciones sociales del medio. En la actualidad los usuarios pueden interactuar tanto con la compañía como con otros usuarios, de ahí que se considere importante estudiar cómo los estímulos sociales afectan a los usuarios. Enmarcado en el modelo SOR (del inglés stimulus, organism, response) y la Teoría del Flujo, este estudio propone que el estímulo social (la pasión en el social commerce) tiene un efecto positivo sobre el organismo (estado de flujo), causando respuestas positivas en los usuarios (consciencia de flujo, confianza y lealtad online).

Los datos fueron recogidos a través de una encuesta online. La muestra está compuesta por 771 respuestas de usuarios de páginas de social commerce, de los cuales el 51 per cent son hombres y el 49 per cent mujeres, con edades comprendidas entre los 16 y los 80 años. Para testar el modelo se utilizó el software estadístico EQS 6 para modelos de ecuaciones estructurales.

Los resultados empíricos confirman que los usuarios más apasionados son más propensos a experimentar el estado de flujo y, como consecuencia, son conscientes más de alcanzar ese estado de experiencia óptima, lo que tiene como resultado un incremento de su confianza en la página web de social commerce.

La originalidad de esta investigación radica en analizar cómo la pasión de los usuarios en entornos de social commerce crea una experiencia óptima que ayuda a retener clientes.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of emotions in developing customer engagement and brand image during virtual service interactions. The authors explore the concept of engagement platforms (EPs) and how their extrinsic characteristics or cues (i.e. C2C interactions–and personalization-related cues) originate both non-transactional (i.e. customer engagement and brand image) and transactional (i.e. purchase intentions) responses. Specifically, the authors propose that customer emotions (i.e. pleasure, arousal and dominance) mediate the influence of EP cues on customer responses. The authors also analyze how the engagement developed during interactions in EPs contributes to brand image perceptions and the effect of these two concepts on purchase intentions.

Building on servicescapes and stimulus-organism-response theories, the present paper carries out two studies. Study 1 adopts an experimental approach to explore C2C interactions–and personalization-related cues. Study 2 focusses on the importance of customer emotions to foster engagement and brand image, and also analyzes their effect on purchase intentions. It employs structural equations modeling techniques. Both studies analyze the effect of customer engagement on brand image.

Findings corroborate that, during interactions in the platform, customer engagement with the firm influences brand image. Moreover, the pleasure and arousal experienced by customers influence their engagement while dominance modifies brand image. Finally, customer engagement and brand image have a positive effect on purchase behavior.

This paper contributes to research demonstrating the key role of emotions in interactions with EPs. The authors demonstrate the importance of fostering pleasant and arousing experiences to enhance the level of customer engagement with the firm in first interactions. Dominance constitutes a key dimension to improve brand image in EPs. Finally, the research demonstrates that engagement develops customers’ transactional behaviors and not only non-transactional ones, as seen in previous literature.

In digital worlds, EPs emerge as touch points beyond purchase that allow individuals to integrate resources and co-create value between them and with the firm. Despite the interest of BCPs, few works have analyzed how interactions with these platforms and the elicited emotions contribute to developing customer engagement and brand image, key factors for understanding customer participation and behavior in interactive media.

Studies the process of implementing industrial robots in Spanish industry. Most of the firms surveyed already had experience of automation and used the first robot to gain experience of this new technology. The training and integration of staff in the project, the firm′s technology level and support from top management were found to be the factors which have the most influence on producing positive results when robots are introduced.

The objective of this study is to analyse the influence exerted by technological compatibility upon the intensity of use of the new online management programs made by information technology (IT) sector (new technology companies).

The concept of perceived compatibility, first defined by Rogers, has been adapted to the specific characteristics of the company as the user of technology, subsequently testing its dimensionality through confirmatory analyses. Additionally, a causal study was made in order to determine the importance of technological compatibility in the intensity of use of online business management. The statistical techniques employed are based on structural equation methodology.

The results demonstrate that the concept of technological compatibility is composed of several dimensions, which these differentiate the technologies previously applied by the company on the basis of their level of complexity; the overall concept achieves an explanatory power of 56 per cent with regard to subsequent technological development.

Knowledge derived from technological compatibility permits the correct evaluation of whether to accept a new IT application, providing the company with a series of positive synergies which increase the advantages of its online business management.

The originality of this study stems from its innovative treatment of the company as the IT user, adapting to this end the concept of compatibility hitherto exclusively applied to the analysis of the individual. Similarly, in distinction to the unidimensional approach of other research, this study has taken into account the need to establish different constructs for the measurement of technological compatibility and has demonstrated its importance in company technological development.

The main objective of this paper is to analyse how important the previous experience of firms with different information technologies is for their acceptance of web procurement.

To analyse the different types of experience a study was conducted using structural equation modelling techniques. A multi‐sample analysis was also carried out to test whether there are significant differences in behaviour according to the sector of activity to which the organisation belongs.

The findings show that using various precursor information technologies, such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or the internet generates knowledge that both facilitates and encourages subsequent web procurement. Once a firm has acquired this knowledge its impact is the same in all sectors.

The work examines the importance of making a continuous investment in IT and shows that previous experience of earlier information systems determines the future technological development of a firm. Thus, firms should be aware that this type of knowledge would help them to obtain competitive advantages and improve their profitability.

The main contribution of the study is its analysis of experience from a multiple perspective. First, the use of different applications: EDI, internet, commercial management software and web procurement. Second, to proxy for experience, the paper considers aspects other than intensity of use: perceived ease of use and usefulness. Finally, the relevance of technological experience for any economic activity is empirically tested.

The main objective of the current work is to analyse the importance of the moderating effect of industry type on technological firms' behaviour and on the acceptance of online business management applications.

The conceptual model, based on a technology acceptance model (TAM), has been tested across structural equation modelling techniques. Thus, a multi‐sample analysis has been developed to study the significance of the effect on industry. Data were collected using e‐mail and post‐mail survey.

The findings show that there are several factors influencing the acceptance process, such as ease of use and usefulness, but their effect depends on the industry in which the organisation operates. Likewise, greater experience in technology – which is the case for some sectors – facilitates the acceptance of IT.

Managers should be aware that the synergies gained through their economic activity must be applied to adopt more new online business management applications, as this will help them to improve their competitiveness.

In contrast to other studies which analyse employee behaviour, this paper describes the technology acceptance process establishing the perceptions of the manager decision maker in the company, a perspective which increases the explanatory power of the models, and permits some of its weaknesses to be resolved. Moreover, the moderating effect of the industry has been empirically tested for a group of firms and variables which have rarely been analysed previously.