Teck Ming Tan, Jari Salo, Jouni Juntunen and Ashish Kumar
The study aims to investigate the psychological mechanism that motivates consumers to pay more for a preferred brand that reflects their actual or ideal self-concept, by examining…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to investigate the psychological mechanism that motivates consumers to pay more for a preferred brand that reflects their actual or ideal self-concept, by examining the shift in attention between consumer’s present, future, and past moments.
Design/methodology/approach
First, in a survey setting, the study identifies the relationship between temporal focus and self-congruence. Subsequently, we conduct three experiments to capture the effects of temporal focus on brand preference and willingness to pay (WTP). In these experiments, we manipulate consumers’ self-congruence and temporal focus.
Findings
The findings show that consumers with a present focus (distant future and distant past foci) tend to evaluate a brand more preferably when the brand serves to reflect their actual (ideal) selves. However, in the absence of present focus consumers’ WTP is more for a brand that reflects their ideal selves.
Research limitations/implications
The study does not have an actual measure on consumers’ WTP; instead we use single-item measure.
Practical implications
This study sheds new light on branding strategy. The results suggest that authentic and aspirational branding strategies are relevant to publicly consumed products. Brand managers could incorporate consumers’ temporal focus into branding strategy that could significantly influence consumer preference and WTP for their brands.
Originality/value
This study expands our understanding of brand usage imagery congruity by showing that temporal focus is an important determinant of self-congruence. In this regard, this study empirically investigates the relationship of temporal focus, self-congruence, brand preference, and WTP. It further reveals that mere brand preference does not necessarily lead consumers to pay more for symbolic brands.
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Garry Wei-Han Tan, Eugene Cheng-Xi Aw, Tat-Huei Cham, Keng-Boon Ooi, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Ali Abdallah Alalwan, Janarthanan Balakrishnan, Hing Kai Chan, Jun-Jie Hew, Laurie Hughes, Varsha Jain, Voon Hsien Lee, Binshan Lin, Nripendra P. Rana and Teck Ming Tan
Ever since its emergence, the metaverse has presented opportunities and disruptions to every stakeholder, including individual users and organizations. This article aims to offer…
Abstract
Purpose
Ever since its emergence, the metaverse has presented opportunities and disruptions to every stakeholder, including individual users and organizations. This article aims to offer valuable perspectives on six identified critical areas that the metaverse could significantly impact: marketing ethics, marketing communication, relationship marketing, retail marketing, supply chain management and transportation management.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a multi-perspective approach, this paper gathers valuable perspectives from various invited contributors to each of the six identified key areas that the metaverse could significantly impact.
Findings
For each key area identified, the invited contributors first share their valuable perspectives by discussing the roles of the metaverse. Subsequently, the invited contributors discuss their views on vital opportunities, challenges and research agenda concerning the metaverse.
Originality/value
With the widespread metaverse, it is expected that each key area identified is likely to undergo significant levels of disruption. Against this backdrop, this paper contributes to the academic literature and industry by gathering different perspectives from invited contributors on the relevance of the metaverse in marketing and logistics domains.
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Eugene Cheng-Xi Aw, Lai-Ying Leong, Jun-Jie Hew, Nripendra P. Rana, Teck Ming Tan and Teck-Weng Jee
Under the pressure of dynamic business environments, firms in the banking and finance industry are gradually embracing Fintech, such as robo-advisors, as part of their digital…
Abstract
Purpose
Under the pressure of dynamic business environments, firms in the banking and finance industry are gradually embracing Fintech, such as robo-advisors, as part of their digital transformation process. While robo-advisory services are expected to witness lucrative growth, challenges persist in the current landscape where most consumers are unready to adopt and even resist the new service. The study aims to investigate resistance to robo-advisors through the privacy and justice perspective. The human-like attributes are modeled as the antecedents to perceived justice, followed by the subsequent outcomes of privacy concerns, perceived intrusiveness and resistance.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was conducted to gather consumer responses about their perceptions of robo-advisors. Two hundred valid questionnaires were collected and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
The results revealed that (1) perceived anthropomorphism and perceived autonomy are the positive determinants of perceived justice, (2) perceived justice negatively impacts privacy concerns and perceived intrusiveness and (3) privacy concerns and perceived intrusiveness positively influence resistance to robo-advisors.
Originality/value
The present study contributes to robo-advisory service research by applying a privacy and justice perspective to explain consumer resistance to robo-advisors, thereby complementing past studies that focused on the technology acceptance paradigm. The study also offers practical implications for mitigating resistance to robo-advisors.
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Jari Salo, Teck Ming Tan and Hannu Makkonen
The purpose of this paper is to cast light on the nature of the digitalization process that occurs when digital technologies are adopted in buyer–seller relationships.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to cast light on the nature of the digitalization process that occurs when digital technologies are adopted in buyer–seller relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
The study features a case study from the steel processing industry.
Findings
The present research builds on and extends the interaction approach to the context of buyer–seller relationship digitalization process. The study explicates the interrelated elements of digital infrastructure, digital communication and degree of digitalization of the buyer–seller relationship.
Research limitations/implications
The study aims at theoretical generalization and thus produces conceptual understanding that is to some extent applicable to various contexts. The generalization of the empirical insights to other process-focused industries is to some extent possible. However, further research in versatile empirical contexts is needed to validate the results.
Practical implications
For managers, the study presents a success case of digital technologies use for improving a buyer–seller relationship.
Originality/value
The originality of the present research is in the way it depicts how a buyer–seller relationship is gradually digitalized in successive digital technology adoptions, that is, a virtuous cycle of digitalization, that creates and alters the digital infrastructure and digital communication processes between the buyer and the seller resulting in different outcomes (degrees of digitalization in the buyer–seller relationship).
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Tze Wei Liew, Su-Mae Tan, Teck Ming Tan and Si Na Kew
This study aims to examine the effects of voice enthusiasm (enthusiastic voice vs calm voice) on social ratings of the speaker, cognitive load and transfer performance in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effects of voice enthusiasm (enthusiastic voice vs calm voice) on social ratings of the speaker, cognitive load and transfer performance in multimedia learning.
Design/methodology/approach
Two laboratory experiments were conducted in which learners learned from a multimedia presentation about computer algorithm that was narrated by either an enthusiastic human voice or a calm human voice.
Findings
Results from Experiment 1 revealed that the enthusiastic voice narration led to higher social ratings of the speaker and transfer performance when compared to the calm voice narration. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the enthusiastic voice led to higher affective social ratings (human-like and engaging) and transfer performance as compared to the calm voice. Moreover, it was shown that a calm voice prompted a higher germane load than an enthusiastic voice, which conforms to the argument that prosodic cues in voice can influence processing in multimedia learning among non-native speakers.
Originality/value
This study extends from prior studies that examined voice effects related to mechanization, accent, dialect, and slang in multimedia learning to examining the effects of voice enthusiasm in multimedia learning.
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Subhalakshmi Bezbaruah, Amandeep Dhir, Shalini Talwar, Teck Ming Tan and Puneet Kaur
Fake news represents a real risk for brands, particularly for firms selling essential products, such as food items. Despite this anecdotal acknowledgement, the dynamics of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Fake news represents a real risk for brands, particularly for firms selling essential products, such as food items. Despite this anecdotal acknowledgement, the dynamics of the relationship between fake news and brand reputation remain under-explored. The present study addresses this gap by examining the association of consumer values (universalism and openness to change), brand trust, fake news risk and system trust in the context of natural food products.
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilised a cross-sectional survey design and the mall-intercept method to collect data from 498 consumers of natural food residing in India. To test the hypotheses, which were grounded in the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework, the collected data were analysed using covariance-based structural equation modelling in SPSS AMOS. The conceptual model proposed universalism and openness to change as stimuli, brand trust as an internal state or organism and fake news risk – captured through the tendency of consumers to believe and act on fake news – as a response.
Findings
The findings support a positive association of universalism with brand trust and a negative association with fake news risk. In comparison, openness to change has no association with either brand trust or fake news risk. Brand trust, meanwhile, is negatively related to fake news, and this association is moderated by system trust. Furthermore, brand trust partially mediates the relationship between universalism value and fake news risk.
Originality/value
Notably, the present study is one of the first attempts to understand the fake news risk associated with natural food brands by utilising the SOR framework in an emerging market setting. The study provides interesting insights for policymakers, brands and consumers.
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Poornima Jirli and Anuja Shukla
The Metaverse, an emergent Web 3.0 platform, offers users immersive virtual reality experiences. This study employs a case study approach to explore the concept of sustainability…
Abstract
The Metaverse, an emergent Web 3.0 platform, offers users immersive virtual reality experiences. This study employs a case study approach to explore the concept of sustainability within the Metaverse. It examines the environmental, social, and economic implications of virtual interactions and the role of sustainable technologies in shaping user behavior and virtual economies. Through selected case studies, the research provides insights into the potential and challenges of integrating sustainable practices in the Metaverse, with implications for stakeholders ranging from policymakers to end-users.
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Chih-Ming Chen, Tek-Soon Ling, Chung Chang, Chih-Fan Hsu and Chia-Pei Lim
Digital humanities research platform for biographies of Malaysia personalities (DHRP-BMP) was collaboratively developed by the Research Center for Chinese Cultural Subjectivity in…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital humanities research platform for biographies of Malaysia personalities (DHRP-BMP) was collaboratively developed by the Research Center for Chinese Cultural Subjectivity in Taiwan, the Federation of Heng Ann Association Malaysia, and the Malaysian Chinese Research Center of Universiti Malaya in this study. Using The Biographies of Malaysia Henghua Personalities as the main archival sources, DHRP-BMP adopted the Omeka S, which is a next-generation Web publishing platform for institutions interested in connecting digital cultural heritage collections with other resources online, as the basic development system of the platform, to develop the functions of close reading and distant reading both combined together as the foundation of its digital humanities tools.
Design/methodology/approach
The results of the first-stage development are introduced in this study, and a case study of qualitative analysis is provided to describe the research process by a humanist scholar who used DHRP-BMP to discover the character relationships and contexts hidden in The Biographies of Malaysia Henghua Personalities.
Findings
Close reading provided by DHRP-BMP was able to support humanities scholars on comprehending full text contents through a user-friendly reading interface while distant reading developed in DHRP-BMP could assist humanities scholars on interpreting texts from a rather macro perspective through text analysis, with the functions such as keyword search, geographic information and social networks analysis for humanities scholars to master on the character relationships and geographic distribution from personality biographies, thus accelerating their text interpretation efficiency and uncovering the hidden context.
Originality/value
At present, a digital humanities research platform with real-time characters’ relationships analysis tool that can automatically generate visualized character relationship graphs based on Chinese named entity recognition (CNER) and character relationship identification technologies to effectively assist humanities scholars in interpreting characters’ relationships for digital humanities research is still lacking so far. This study thus presents the DHRP-BMP that offers the key features that can automatically identify characters’ names and characters’ relationships from personality biographies and provide a user-friendly visualization interface of characters’ relationships for supporting digital humanities research, so that humanities scholars could more efficiently and accurately explore characters’ relationships from the analyzed texts to explore complicated characters’ relationships and find out useful research findings.
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Xiu-Ming Loh, Voon-Hsien Lee, Teck-Soon Hew and Binshan Lin
This study examines the antecedents of continuance intention to use mobile payment in the midst of a pandemic. In general, the cognitive-affective-conative (CAC) framework was…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the antecedents of continuance intention to use mobile payment in the midst of a pandemic. In general, the cognitive-affective-conative (CAC) framework was used as the theoretical base. More specifically, the dynamic interrelationships between the cognitive and affective constructs were derived from a penta-dimensional perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey yielded 307 responses from youths who were utilizing mobile payment through an online survey which were then analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN).
Findings
Both positive and negative affective constructs significantly influence continuance intention and can also serve as mediators to the cognitive variables. Interestingly, price savings and referent network size were revealed to be sources of technostress. In addition, despite not having a significant direct influence, price savings should not be overlooked given its indirect significance on continuance intention.
Originality/value
Based on the CAC framework, the constructs were conceptualized according to the respective dimensions to develop this study's research model. It was then used to examine their influences on the continuance intention to use mobile payment in the midst of a pandemic. Moreover, a few novel hypotheses were proposed, and the findings serve to increase the understanding of this subject matter.
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Cheng Ling Tan and Sook Fern Yeo
In recent years, the traditional pastries industry has gained popularity among tourists due to the advantage of the pastries location at UNESCO Heritage city, Penang. However, the…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years, the traditional pastries industry has gained popularity among tourists due to the advantage of the pastries location at UNESCO Heritage city, Penang. However, the little research focussed on this particular industry, and there is lack of evidence of the tourists' experience with the traditional pastries and how these attributes affect their revisit decision.
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilizes a qualitative research design to gain in-depth understanding on tourists' thought and their repurchase decision. Secondary data were collected via TripAdvisor with 68 tourists who visited the most popular three pastries shops namely, Him Heang, Ghee Hiang and Min Xiang Tai, which are later analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Findings
The findings revealed that tourists generally concerned about the service quality, value, brand image and atmospherics that could affect their repurchasing decision. Particularly, the staff service quality has been viewed as the upmost important attribute to influence the tourists' decision. Therefore, the pastries shops shall ensure that the staff who serve the tourists shall be well trained to satisfy the tourists' enquiry.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation concerning the interpretation of the secondary data based on the feedbacks and comments of the tourists may derive the bias possibility. Future research might consider the large-scale primary data to extend the findings.
Originality/value
Limited research exists on the tourists' experience which affects the repurchasing decision in pastries industry. This study provides valuable information for pastries shops and researchers interested in this area.