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The banking industry in Bangladesh is now conducting business under the growing pressure to conform to every aspect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the welfare of their clients and society. The value of CSR practices is attributed to the relationship between corporate image, brand awareness, brand equity (BE), competitive advantage and financial result. The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of CSR on BE and to establish the moderating impact of corporate image and brand awareness.

Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses using a sample of 200 public and private bank customers in Bangladesh.

The results of this study demonstrated that CSR has a significant direct effect on the corporate image, brand awareness and BE. The results also confirm that corporate image and brand awareness partially mediate the relationship between CSR and BE.

The findings indicate that successfully CSR practices will enhance a bank’s image in the mind of customers. Customers will feel that they are contributing to social causes because they are receiving services from socially responsible organizations. CSR practices also create customer awareness regarding the financial services provided by a bank. Consequently, good reputation and brand awareness contribute to building strong BE for banks.

This research shows the mediating role of brand awareness and corporate image with CSR and BE in the context of the banking industry in Bangladesh which is rarely studied. Therefore, the findings of this study will add value to the existing literature.

This research aims to explore the impact of social media marketing (SMM) activities on brand equity (BE) in the banking sector in Bangladesh. Moreover, brand love and brand trust are examined as a mediator of SMM activities and BE.

Data were collected from a total of 289 banking customers in Bangladesh through a structured questionnaire and the hypotheses were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM).

The results validated that SMM activities have no significant influence on BE directly. Furthermore, brand love fully mediates the linkage between SMM activities and BE. Likewise, brand trust was found to have a partial mediation effect on SMM activities and BE.

This study was based on a specific sector in a particular geographic area. Hence, cross-cultural studies on different sectors need to be conducted to generalize the findings of the current research.

The study offers useful insights for bank marketers to successfully manage SMM activities that can generate consumer interest toward a bank's brand and prevent switching behavior. Furthermore, the proliferation of authentic brand-related information over a firms' social media pages can build strong brand trust, which in turn contributes to BE for the banks.

The study further extended the current knowledge by showing that how SMM activities influence BE in the banking sector in Bangladesh. Also, this study empirically corroborates the mediation influence of brand love and brand trust on SMM activities and BE in the banking sector in Bangladesh, which was rarely tested in prior studies. Hence, the findings will add value to the nascent literature of BE from an SMM perspective.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of consumption values (functional, social, epistemic, and emotional value) on mobile banking (m-banking) usage intention and intention to recommend m-banking services in the context of the Bangladeshi banking sector. Furthermore, this study examines how perceived security moderates the effects of consumption values on m-banking usage intention and recommendation intention.

A self-structured questionnaire had been used to obtain survey data from a sample of 237 m-banking users in Bangladesh using a convenience sampling method. Data were analyzed by structural equation modeling based on AMOS 23.0.

The findings show that all the dimensions of consumption values (functional, epistemic, and emotional value) except social value have a significant impact on mobile banking usage intention. In turn, mobile banking usage intention has a substantial direct effect on users' recommendation intention. Furthermore, the results also demonstrate that perceived security moderates the effects of functional values on m-banking usage intention as well as m-banking usage intention on recommendation intention.

These research findings offer insightful guidelines to bank marketers to increase m-banking usage intention and recommendation intention by emphasizing the functional, epistemic, and emotional value of m-banking services as well as safeguarding consumers' perceived security in m-banking transactions.

This study contributes to the body of knowledge by measuring the effects of consumption values dimensions on the m-banking usage intention and recommendation intention which were hardly investigated particularly in the m-banking context. To date, this study is the first attempt to examine how perceived security moderates the effects of consumption values dimensions on the m-banking usage intention as well as m-banking usage intention on recommendation intention. The findings contribute to a theoretical understanding of the importance of consumption values in consumer decision-making, particularly in the rarely studied domain of mobile banking.

This study aims to investigate the importance of lifelong learning in cultivating competent human capital, fostering long-term career sustainability and promoting gender equality in Bangladesh.

This study has used a qualitative research methodology with inductive reasoning. The researchers used purposive sampling to conduct semi-structured interviews with 34 male and female students at the graduate and undergraduate levels, in addition to six stakeholders. This research is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of human capital development theory and gender and development theory.

The results suggest that there exists a positive correlation between lifelong learning, sustainable career development and gender equality in the context of Bangladesh. Successfully executing strategies might also play a significant role in attaining Bangladesh’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Educational curriculum reform within institutions is urgently needed, necessitating the active involvement and influential contributions of actors and stakeholders. Implementing lifelong learning must also align with gender equality and SDGs.

This study addresses a significant gap in the existing literature by offering insights into the relationship between lifelong learning, career sustainability and gender equality within the specific context of Bangladesh. This study provides valuable contributions to scholars, stakeholders and policymakers while establishing a foundation for future research endeavors.

Purpose – The paper explains how internal reporting systems, as embedded practices informing organizational actions and “know-how”, contributed to the inertia in implementing a corporate form of governance in a transitional public organization in a developing country – Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper synthesizes an institutional theory framework in order to capture the case study mixed results. Drawing on DiMaggio and Powell's (1983) notions of isomorphic mechanisms, Ocasio (1999) and Burns and Scapens’ (2000) notions of organizations’ memory, history, cumulative actions and routines, Brunsson's (1994) notion of organizational institutional confusion as well as Carruthers's (1995) notion of “symbolic window-dressing” adoption of new practices, the paper explores the dynamic of a public hospital corporatization processes. Data collection methods include semi-structured interviews, documentary evidence and direct observation.

Findings – The case study evidence shows that the interplay between the new form of “corporate” governance and the intra-organizational power, routines and “know-how” created internal organizational confusion and changed organizational members’ narrative of risk and uncertainties.

Research limitations/implications – The paper does not reveal the role of reformers involved in the public sector “governance” reform in developing countries. Exploring such a role goes beyond the scope of this paper and represents an area of future research.

Originality/value – The paper provides a comprehensive account of public sector “governance” reform in a developing nation, while exploring the role of management accounting and costing systems in facilitating or otherwise that reform processes.

This study explores some central questions related to the connections between social media marketing efforts (SMMEs) and brand loyalty by seeking to understand the mediating role of social media customer brand engagement (CBE) in the airline context.

The research model was examined empirically by targeting 360 consumers who follow Royal Jordanian Airlines on Facebook pages. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data collected.

Using the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) theory and customer engagement model as the theoretical foundations, this study confirms that SMMEs are a strong predictor and play a vital role in developing and building social media customer engagement and brand loyalty. This study also found that the cognitive aspect of CBE is a key driver in enhancing brand loyalty. Furthermore, cognitive social media CBE positively mediated the relationship between SMMEs and brand loyalty. Contrary to expectations, emotional CBE had no mediating effect on the relationship between SMMEs and brand loyalty.

This study contributes to CBE literature by adding SMMEs as antecedents. In addition, the findings of this study add the mediation effect of the cognitive component of customer engagement, through which SMMEs influence brand loyalty.

Purpose. Based on the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), theory of consumer brand engagement (CBE), and empirical findings, we examine the impact of social media marketing (SMM) on brand awareness (BA), consumer brand engagement (CBE), and purchase intention in emerging economies.

Data were collected in North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Romania, and Ukraine from 1808 social media users, through a self-administered online survey. Partial least square structural equation modeling was used to assess the theoretical model, and a multi-group analysis to explore the differences between countries.

Social media marketing has a positive impact on brand awareness, brand engagement, and purchase intention, while country moderates the relationship between brand engagement and purchase intention. We reveal differences among countries regarding SMM's impact on brand engagement and purchase intention.

The study promotes SM's impact on brand communications, providing consumer insights that help companies design effective SMM strategies, using similarities and differences in emerging economies. The different levels of CBE and their different influences on purchase intention require a focus on the motivations for brand engagement in social media and the type of content preferred by consumers in each country. The originality of our research lies in our examination of the impact of social media marketing on consumer behavior in five emerging countries. Additionally, we are investigating how the country of origin influences the relationship between social media marketing, brand awareness, consumer behavior, and purchase intention in different countries.

The originality of our research lies in our examination of the impact of social media marketing on consumer behavior in five emerging countries. Additionally, we are investigating how the country of origin influences the relationship between social media marketing, brand awareness, consumer behavior, and purchase intention in different countries.

Gamification unlocks unprecedented opportunities in healthcare, wellness and lifestyle context. In this scenario, by leveraging on such an approach, information technologies now enabled gamification-based mobile applications primarily employed in health and wellness contexts, focusing on areas such as disease prevention, self-management, medication adherence and telehealth programs. The synergistic integration of gamification-based methodologies in conjunction with the utilization of digital tools, (e.g. as for Internet of Things, mobile applications) for the realm of digital therapeutics (DTx), thus unveiled powerful approaches and paradigms, yielding innovative applications that, through the harnessing of sensors and software-based systems, transform healthcare maintenance, wellness and lifestyle into an engaging pursuit, as a game. This paper explores the factors influencing individuals' intention to autonomously utilize mobile gamification-based apps for self-care and wellness maintenance.

Through explorative research designs an experiment has been conducted among a sample of 376 participants regarding the use of a fictitious gamification-based DTx solution, consisting in a mobile app namely “Health'n’Fit”.

Findings from an experiment conducted with a sample of 460 participants shed light on the possible antecedents and consequents of gamification. Results of the SEM model indicate that customization (CU), trust (TR), mobility (MO) and social value (SV) are the main determinants, although at a different extent of the playful experience; Moreover, gamification positively impacts attitudes and, in turn, perceived usefulness, intention to use and behavioral intentions.

This paper offers a dual-pronged approach that holds practical significance in the realm of healthcare innovation. First, the authors delve into the antecedents shaping individuals' intention to engage with gamification-based DTx, unraveling the factors that influence user adoption. Beyond this, the authors extend their focus to the realm of healthcare service design. By harnessing the potential of gamification and technology, the authors illuminate pathways to conceptualize and create novel healthcare services. This work not only identifies the building blocks of user engagement but also serves as a guide to innovatively craft healthcare solutions that leverage this amalgamation of technology and gamification, contributing to the evolution of modern healthcare paradigms.

In a social context, the paper introduces pioneering technological synergies that merge gamification and DTx to enhance individuals' health and wellness maintenance. By proposing innovative combinations, the authors present novel avenues for promoting healthier lifestyles and behavior change. This not only underscores the potential of technology to positively impact individuals but also highlights the significance of aligning technological advancements with societal well-being. As the research advocates for these innovative solutions, it reinforces the importance of collaborative technological and marketing endeavors, ultimately contributing to the betterment of society as a whole.

This is the first paper exploring the combined effect of gamification and DTx, by shedding light on the peculiarities of both the antecedents of individuals' intention to use such combined technologies.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a research model that investigates work engagement as a mediator of the effect of family support on proclivity to leave work early, in-role performance (IRP), service recovery performance (SRP) and extra-role performance (ERP). The research model also examines work engagement as a mediator of the impact of self-efficacy on the aforesaid outcomes. In addition to these relationships, the study assesses self-efficacy as an underlying mechanism linking family support to work engagement.

The authors employed a time-lagged design. Specifically, data were obtained from frontline bank employees (FBEs) in Russia in three waves, within one week time intervals. FBEs’ performance outcomes were rated by their managers.

As hypothesized, self-efficacy and family support foster FBEs’ work engagement, which in turn reduces proclivity to leave work early and activates IRP, SRP and ERP. In line with the study predictions, the findings highlight the impact of self-efficacy in the intermediate linkage between family support and work engagement.

Management should organize workshops where FBEs’ family members are invited to participate. In such workshops, they can understand the nature of frontline service jobs in the competitive banking environment and are expected to provide support to FBEs. This is significant because family support influences work engagement directly and indirectly through self-efficacy and affects the above-mentioned performance outcomes only via work engagement. Training programs should not only focus on the development of knowledge, skills and abilities for service delivery and complaint handling but also center on the costs arising from nonattendance behaviors/intentions. As a result, these programs should make FBEs minimize such intentions.

Work engagement is still a timely topic and there have been calls for the identification of factors influencing work engagement and its consequences among frontline employees. Therefore, our study uses family support and self-efficacy as the two crucial resources that can influence employees’ positive psychological states and their work performance. Further, using solid theoretical underpinnings such as conservation of resources, social information processing, and job demands-resources theories, our study is the first to link family support and self-efficacy to multiple performance outcomes and nonattendance intentions via work engagement among FBEs.

In this chapter, I apply theories of conflict and social control derived from the work of Donald Black to explain when suicide attacks will occur and who will carry them out.

Drawing on the published literature on suicide, suicide terrorism, and social control, I present a structural analysis of suicide attacks that specifies which configurations of social space and social time are most likely to produce them.

I propose that suicide attacks can be explained by structural patterns such as social distance, status inferiority, organization, and large movements of social time. Furthermore, sacrifice is greater among those who are socially marginal individuals whose locations are otherwise conducive to both partisanship and self-destruction.

I highlight structural similarities between suicide attacks and other forms of violence, social control, and suicide, thus contributing to the systemization of structural theories of human behavior and suggesting avenues for further study.