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The second Earth Summit renewed attention to sustainable development and environmental concerns worldwide; in our university, however, attention has been minimal. In response, several campus organizations collaborated to raise awareness on campus and in the local community by hosting a year‐long, nine‐event series of speakers and panels, each related to a chapter of Agenda 21. In addition to raising awareness among our constituency, we sought to increase our initiative's sustainability. Towards these ends, we developed 11 objectives, monitoring our success at achieving these objectives throughout the year by using surveys of participants, panelists, and collaborators. Here we reflect on the series’ impact based on evaluation analyses, and an assessment of how well we reached our goals. We close this paper with a discussion of our case study as a means to evolve sustainability interests at institutions of higher education into functional sustainability networks, initiatives and educational programs.

This study aims to examine brand personality and its application to political branding. This study focuses on the brand personality of a political leader from the BJP Party brand (Bharatiya Janta Party). The development of a strong political brand personality is crucial for success at the polls. Little research has been dedicated to this phenomenon particularly beyond Western political and post-election contexts.

The scope and development of the study required a qualitative approach. The theoretical frameworks of the study acted as the deductive base of the study. The insights of the respondents were the inductive base of the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with external stakeholders [voters]. In addition, semi-structured interviews were also adopted to capture the branding activities used by internal stakeholders [BJP].

The brand personality dimensions such as sincerity; agreeableness, competence, energy, openness, conscientiousness and emotional stability were clearly associated with a political leader. Negative qualities such as dictatorial attitudes and arrogance affected the political leader’s brand personality. Religious partisanship was another strong negative trait affecting the brand personality of the political leader.

The study has an actionable framework for political brand personality in the post-election context. It offers negative qualities to be avoided in the development of the political brand personality of the leader. It offers insights about the political brand personality of the leader in terms of young digitally savvy voters.

Este trabajo examina la aplicación de la personalidad de marca al ámbito del marketing político y de la marca personal política. Concretamente se centra en la personalidad de marca de un líder político del partido Bharantiya Janta Party (BJP). El desarrollo de una fuerte marca personal política es crucial para el éxito en las elecciones. Pocos trabajos se han centrado hasta el momento en este fenómeno más allá del contexto político occidental.

El alcance y desarrollo del estudio requirió la adopción de un enfoque cualitativo. El marco teórico sirvió de base deductiva al tiempo que las entrevistas realizadas sirvieron de base inductiva. Estas entrevistas fueron semi-estructuradas y dirigidas a grupos de interés externos del BJP (los votantes). Además, se realizaron entrevistas también semi-estructuradas para capturar las actividades de marca desarrolladas por los grupos de interés internos (candidatos, políticos, trabajadores y gerentes del partido).

Las dimensiones de personalidad de marca sinceridad, competencia, energía, estabilidad emocional, franqueza y escrupulosidad están claramente asociadas con un líder político. Por el contrario, rasgos negativos como las actitudes arrogantes y dictatoriales dañan la personalidad de marca de dicho líder, pero sobretodo el partidismo religioso.

El trabajo proporciona un marco de acción para la marca personal política en un contexto post-electoral. Proporciona indicaciones de los rasgos y cualidades negativas que deben de evitarse en el desarrollo de una marca personal para un líder político. Ofrece también evidencias sobre la personalidad de marca que tiene que desarrollar un líder de cara a los votantes más dinámicos y digitales.

This study aims to understand holistic consumer perceptions of quality and their effect on re-purchase intentions by measuring the latent characteristics of online Amazon reviews.

Data was collected from entries in the Amazon customer review data set, which explicitly mentions quality, economic evaluation and future purchase intention. The analyses included natural language processing, structural topic modeling and econometric analysis. The study used real-time customer reviews to determine the overall perceived quality, the impact of perceived quality on re-purchase intention and the mediating roles of price consciousness and customer satisfaction.

Consumers’ perception of overall quality includes product- and service-related dimensions. Perceived quality influences re-purchase intentions through the mediating role of customer satisfaction. While price consciousness impacts the link between perceived quality and customer satisfaction, it does not affect re-purchase intention.

The managerial implications emphasize multiple dimensions of quality in the online environment and the role of customer satisfaction in consumers’ online re-purchase intentions. The results also illustrate that price effects are insignificant in influencing re-purchase intentions. Thus, while price cuts may encourage initial purchases, quality and customer satisfaction are vital to stimulate re-purchase.

The e-commerce literature lacks a comprehensive and rigorous understanding of the components of consumers’ perceived quality. This research develops a thorough understanding of what impacts overall e-commerce quality based on real-time customer reviews, avoiding the biases arising from traditional methods, including surveys.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically validate a model of luxury fashion consumption that integrates the antecedents and consequences of luxury buying in a developing nation context.

The hypotheses developed in the conceptual model are tested using survey data collected through mall intercept survey of real consumers (with sample sizes 382 and 544). Factor analysis and structural equation modeling are used to analyze the data.

Major results suggest a significant impact of consumer’s local/global orientation on the motivations and associations behind the luxury buying. Motivations and associations are found to influence luxury consumption, which in turn is found to have a positive effect on post-purchase thoughts/feelings. Social influence is found to have a moderating impact on the effects of motivations and associations on luxury consumption, respectively.

The study is restricted to a developing nation context. However, this is one of the novel attempts to validate a comprehensive model of luxury consumption that could be replicated in other contexts.

The findings provide guidelines for a luxury marketer on the factors to consider and monitor while marketing a luxury fashion brand.

The present study adds a new perspective to the literature on luxury buying behavior with its empirically validated comprehensive model.

Proponents of micro-credentials envision them as vehicles for upskilling or re-skilling individuals. The study examines how integrating micro-credentials in the higher education ecosystem enhances employability. It aims to offer insights from the perspective of stakeholders who may benefit from these credentials at an institutional or individual level.

Online in-depth interviews are conducted with 65 participants from India, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom to explore how micro-credentials can be a valuable addition to the higher education ecosystem. A multi-stakeholder approach is adopted to collect data.

The analysis highlights two possible methods of integrating micro-credentials into the higher education ecosystem. First, micro-credentials-driven courses can be offered using a blended approach that provides a flexible learning path. Second, there is also the possibility of wide-scale integration of micro-credentials as an outcome of standalone online programs. However, the effectiveness of such programs is driven by enablers like student profiles, standardization and the dynamics of the labor market. Finally, the study stipulates that micro-credentials can enhance employability.

The study's findings suggest that, for successful integration of micro-credentials, an operational understanding of micro-credentials, their enablers and strategic deliberation are critical in higher education. Institutions must identify the determinants, address technological limitations and select a suitable delivery mode to accelerate integration. However, micro-credentials can augment employability, considering the increasing emphasis on lifelong learning. An overview of the findings is presented through a comprehensive framework.

Metaverse is one of the decade’s most exciting and transformative technological innovations. While the metaverse holds immense promise, it has potential risks and dark sides. This research aims to investigate and identify the crucial dark dimensions associated with the metaverse platforms.

Employing a qualitative phenomenological methodology, the authors interviewed 45 metaverse users to unravel dark dimensions related to the metaverse. Analyzing the themes extracted from the participants' insights revealed an alignment with the underpinnings of the Technology Threat Avoidance (TTA) theory.

The findings of this study revealed seven major dark dimensions: addiction and dependency, isolation and loneliness, mental health issues, privacy and security, cyberbullying and harassment, digital identity theft and financial exploitation.

The study helps organizations and metaverse platforms understand the crucial dark dimensions of the metaverse. This study concludes by synthesizing prevalent themes and proposing propositions, offering insights for practical application and policy considerations.

This study provides a deeper understanding of the dark side of the metaverse environment from a user perspective using the underpinnings of TTA theory.

The purpose of this study is to provide a holistic understanding of the factors that either promote or hinder the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in supply chain management (SCM) and operations management (OM). By segmenting the AI lifecycle and examining the interactions between critical success factors and critical failure factors, this study aims to offer predictive insights that can help in proactively managing these factors, ultimately reducing the risk of failure, and facilitating a smoother transition into AI-enabled SCM and OM.

This study develops a knowledge graph model of the AI lifecycle, divided into pre-development, deployment and post-development stages. The methodology combines a comprehensive literature review for ontology extraction and expert surveys to establish relationships among ontologies. Using exploratory factor analysis, composite reliability and average variance extracted ensures the validity of constructed dimensions. Pearson correlation analysis is applied to quantify the strength and significance of relationships between entities, providing metrics for labeling the edges in the resource description framework.

This study identifies 11 dimensions critical for AI integration in SCM and OM: (1) setting clear goals and standards; (2) ensuring accountable AI with leadership-driven strategies; (3) activating leadership to bridge expertise gaps; (4) gaining a competitive edge through expert partnerships and advanced IT infrastructure; (5) improving data quality through customer demand; (6) overcoming AI resistance via awareness of benefits; (7) linking domain knowledge to infrastructure robustness; (8) enhancing stakeholder engagement through effective communication; (9) strengthening AI robustness and change management via training and governance; (10) using key performance indicators-driven reviews for AI performance management; (11) ensuring AI accountability and copyright integrity through governance.

This study enhances decision-making by developing a knowledge graph model that segments the AI lifecycle into pre-development, deployment and post-development stages, introducing a novel approach in SCM and OM research. By incorporating a predictive element that uses knowledge graphs to anticipate outcomes from interactions between ontologies. These insights assist practitioners in making informed decisions about AI use, improving the overall quality of decisions in managing AI integration and ensuring a smoother transition into AI-enabled SCM and OM.

The study aims to draw on existing knowledge and investigates how luxury is perceived in a developing nation with economic and cultural diversity. The present study aims to develop a conceptual framework to understand luxury buying behavior in a developing nation context.

The study utilizes qualitative research (focus group discussions) with 72 luxury consumers (and partly with practitioners) of apparel and accessories in two major metro cities and two major non-metro cities of India.

A framework of luxury buying behavior was constructed with cultural background, antecedents, buying process and post-purchase consequences of luxury buying behavior as its sub-constructs. Gender was identified as a moderating variable between antecedents of purchase and purchase behavior.

The most important contribution of the present study is the creation of a comprehensive framework of luxury buying behavior within a developing nation context and a set of testable propositions to further validate using quantitative research.

Provides the manager with a workable model of luxury buying behavior that he/she could use to generate the right consumer responses.

The present study is the first of its kind which integrates cultural backdrop, antecedents and consequences of luxury consumption in the context of a developing nation.

This research is the first to use bibliometric analysis to provide insight into the landscape and forecast the future of customer experience research in the banking sector.

We used bibliographic coupling and co-word analysis to delineate the existing knowledge structure after reviewing 338 articles from the Web of Science database.

The bibliographic coupling analysis revealed five key clusters: customer engagement and experience in digital banking; customer experience and service management; customer experience and market resilience; digital transformation and customer experience; and digital technology and customer experience—each representing a significant strand of current research. In addition, the co-word analysis revealed four emerging themes: customer experience through AI and blockchain, digital evolution in banking, experience-driven ecosystems for customer satisfaction, and trust-based holistic banking experience.

These findings not only sketch an overview of the current research domain but also hint at emerging areas ideal for scholarly investigation. While highlighting the industry’s rapid adaptation to technological advances, this study calls for more integrative research to unravel the complexities of customer experience in the evolving digital banking ecosystem.

This review presents a novel state-of-the-art analysis of customer banking experience research by employing a science mapping via bibliometric analysis to unveil the knowledge and temporal structure.

With increasing use of explicit comparative advertisement to get share of consumers’ mind and influence their purchase decision in western context, the same is now used extensively in emerging markets like India. However, there has not been sufficient research to understand the effectiveness of explicit comparative advertisement in low and high-involvement product categories. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to attempt to understand the effectiveness of explicit comparative advertising on consumers’ attitude and purchase intention (PI) towards high and low-involvement products.

The study carried out experimental treatments with 2 × 2 factorial design among 200 Indian young consumers who were in the age group 18-25. The independent variables were product categories and type of advertising (comparative and non-comparative) and dependent variables were consumer attitude and PIs.

It was found that the comparative form of advertisement developed favourable response towards the advertisement, rather than towards the brand or PI.

The study found that comparative advertising is effective for high as well as low-involvement product category in changing the consumer’s attitude towards the advertisement. The research has used print media for conducting the experiment.

It can be inferred that comparisons should be supplemented with additional information in the form of the unique features and associated emotions and feeling of the product in order to develop favourable attitude towards the brand and PI.

Comparative advertising is a growing domain and there has been very little contribution by the researchers specially on high and low-involvement product categories.