Issue #4 (Volume 20 2024)

Peer-to-peer recommender systems play a critical role in online shopping in Vietnam. This paper aims to identify the relationship between Recommendation Quality and Purchase Intention and the moderating effects of Attitude and Trust on this relationship. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was used as a research method. The sample consisted of 365 respondents who frequently use recommender system when shopping online. Data were collected using non-probability sampling method. The questionnaire is delivered to online customers who frequently rely on peer-to-peer recommender systems to make a purchase decision. The results show that Recommendation Transparency, Recommendation Accuracy, Recommendation Novelty, and Recommendation Diversity are positively related to Recommendation Quality. Consequently, Recommendation Quality has a positive impact on Attitude, Trust, and Purchase Intention. Besides, Attitude has a positive impact on online Purchase Intention. Trust also has a positive impact on online Purchase Intention. Practical implications are proposed to improve the impacts of peer-to-peer recommender systems on online shopping.

This study aims to analyze the factors influencing the purchase intentions of male and female Muslim Gen Z in Indonesia toward halal cosmetics. A total of 434 female and 302 male respondents participated in the survey, and the data were analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) technique. The results indicated that religiosity significantly influenced attitudes and subjective norms of female respondents (β = 0.170, p = 0.000; β = 0.184, p = 0.000), and affected attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control of males (β = 0.119, p = 0.014; β = 0.105, p = 0.092; β = 0.181, p = 0.002). Halal knowledge significantly affected attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and purchase intentions of females (β = 0.149, p = 0.004; β = 0.272, p = 0.000; β = 0.361, p = 0.000; β = 0.185, p = 0.001), whereas it affected attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control of males (β = 0.202, p = 0.009; β = 0.370, p = 0.000; β = 0.367, p = 0.000). Halal certification also significantly influenced attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control of females (β = 0.200, p = 0.000; β = 0.310, p = 0.000; β = 0.169, p = 0.009) and males (β = 0.124, p = 0.043; β = 0.305, p = 0.000; β = 0.189, p = 0.006). In conclusion, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are key determinants of the purchase intentions of both male and female Gen Z individuals regarding halal cosmetics.

The study explores the moderating role of peer conformity on the relationship between self-concept, economic literacy, and e-money adoption with the consumptive behavior of university students, specifically those receiving the KIP Kuliah scholarship in Indonesia. Data were collected through an online survey of 328 students and analyzed using Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA). The results indicated that the relationship between self-concept and consumptive behavior, as well as e-money adoption and consumptive behavior, was significantly strengthened by peer conformity. However, the effect of economic literacy on consumptive behavior was not moderated by peer conformity. These findings suggest that while self-concept and e-money adoption are influenced by peer conformity, economic literacy operates independently of peer conformity. The importance of fostering economic literacy and a critical self-concept among students to mitigate the effects of peer pressure on consumption was highlighted in this research. The findings reveal that peer conformity strengthens the effect of self-concept and e-money adoption on consumptive behavior, but does not moderate the impact of economic literacy. The research highlights the need for fostering economic literacy and critical self-concept to reduce the influence of peer conformity on student consumption decisions. Further research should expand the scope beyond KIP Kuliah students to include a broader student population.

Amid rapid technological advancements, the telecommunications sector in the United Arab Emirates increasingly adopts big data analytics to optimize customer relationship management. This study investigates the effects of big data on customer satisfaction, decision-making, operational efficiency, and ethical practices. Data from 296 stakeholders, including employees, management, and customers, were analyzed using structural equation modeling with the Analysis of Moment Structures.
The results demonstrate a strong positive correlation between big data integration and improved decision-making in customer relationship management (r = 0.75, p < 0.001), which significantly enhances customer satisfaction (r = 0.80, p < 0.001). Additionally, big data integration directly influences customer satisfaction (r = 0.42, p < 0.001), further validating its critical role. However, ethical data usage presents challenges, showing a negative correlation with customer satisfaction (r = –0.15, p < 0.05) and decision-making (r = –0.50, p < 0.001). Descriptive statistics indicate strong approval for big data integration (mean = 3.6) and decision-making (mean = 3.93), while ethical practices score lower (mean = 3.38), and the complexity of big data analytics remains high (mean = 4.43), revealing significant implementation barriers.

The primary aim of this research is to investigate the effects of Advertisement Presentation of Contents (APC) and Advertisement Visual Types (AVT) on the eWOM of Sharia hotels. A quantitative approach was utilized, analyzing 202 Instagram posts from five Indonesian Sharia hotels between June and November 2023. The methodology involved the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis using Smart PLS software. The results revealed that visual content types, such as photos, videos, and reels, significantly enhance consumer attraction, with a path coefficient of 0.372 and a p-value of 0.000, indicating a strong positive influence. In contrast, hashtags and links showed no significant effect, with a path coefficient of -0.838 and a p-value of 0.000. The R-squared adjusted value of 0.208 indicates that the independent variables explain 20% of the variance in the dependent variable. The AVT’s influence on eWOM is at a high level (f-squared = 0.042). These findings suggest that Sharia hotels should prioritize creating high-quality visual content to enhance their social media marketing strategies. The study concludes that effective visual content on Instagram can enhance eWOM and improve consumer perceptions of Sharia hotels, enabling them to compete with conventional hotels. These findings provide valuable insights for Sharia hotel marketers to optimize their social media strategies, emphasizing the importance of visual content over textual elements like hashtags and links.

Online travel agencies have profoundly influenced the travel industry by offering numerous essential advantages to both consumers and service providers. This paper aims to examine the factors that influence the intention to continue using online travel agencies in Vietnam, while also assessing the moderating effect of e-loyalty on the relationship between perceived usefulness and continuance intention. An integrated research framework was constructed using the Technology Acceptance Model as its foundational basis. The study utilized the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling approach to analyze the data. The survey data were obtained through an online survey administered to a valid sample of 301 Facebook users with prior experience using online travel agencies. Compared to conventional approaches such as telephone or mail surveys, utilizing Facebook for data collection offers a more cost-efficient alternative. This platform also enables researchers to reach a broad and diverse population of potential respondents, representing a wide range of demographics, geographic locations, and backgrounds. The results reveal that perceived compatibility, perceived ease of use, innovativeness, electronic word-of-mouth, and subjective norms all positively influenced perceived usefulness. Additionally, perceived usefulness is found to have a significant impact on the intention to continue using online travel agencies, while e-loyalty positively moderates the relationship between perceived usefulness and continuance intention to use online travel agencies. These findings extend the Technology Acceptance Model within the context of online travel agencies and provide practical insights for enhancing strategies among online travel agencies in Vietnam.

Acknowledgment
The author would like to thank the International University, Vietnam National University (VNU), HCMC, for providing research assistance.

In today’s fiercely competitive realm of higher education, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) have emerged as a crucial approach for institutions to effectively connect with prospective students. This study examines the influence of IMC strategies on students’ choices of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Bangalore, India. Using a descriptive research design, data were gathered via a structured questionnaire from a sample of 384 students. The findings reveal notable disparities in perceptions of IMC based on gender, academic discipline preference, and institution type. Interestingly, age does not yield significant differences in IMC perceptions. A positive correlation (0.632) between IMC perceptions and choice of HEIs underscores the importance of customized strategies in attracting and engaging students. IMC strategies such as digital marketing, social media engagement, content marketing, alumni engagement, and student ambassadors significantly influence the choice of HEIs with the variance of 0.315, 0.523, 0.394, 0.619, and 0.298, respectively. Further, IMC strategies such as digital marketing, social media engagement, alumni engagement, partnership with influencers, and student ambassadors significantly influence the selection of disciplines with the variance of 0.298, 0.642, 0.497, 0.421, and 0.234, respectively. In essence, this study emphasizes the pivotal role of effective IMC strategies in higher education choice decision-making and provides actionable insights for institutions seeking to refine their marketing approaches.

This article seeks to investigate how safety and security affect consumers’ tendency to use electronic wallets in Hanoi. The study was conducted based on data using Google Forms, with a total of 237 valid responses. For data analysis, this research employs quantitative techniques using SPSS 22 and AMOS 25 software. The results demonstrate that safety and security positively impact four factors in the following order: financial benefits (β = 0.853; p = 0.000), brand image (β = 0.830; p = 0.000), technology function (β = 0.708; p = 0.000), social influence (β = 0.589; p = 0.000). Particularly risk perception (β = –0.192; p = 0.013) is a factor that is inversely affected, whereby greater safety and security result in reduced perceived risk. The results also show that only social influence (β = 0.408; p = 0.000) and brand image (β = 0.172; p = 0.000) influence the willingness to adopt e-wallets. Therefore, the safety and security only indirectly influence the tendency to use e-wallets through two variables: social influence and brand image. The study provides recommendations for e-wallet service providers, identifies limitations, and suggests future research directions.

In the digital age, viral marketing has emerged as a key driver in shaping brand equity, particularly in the highly competitive Egyptian home appliances sector. Traditional marketing strategies have proven insufficient in reaching consumers with the same efficacy as viral campaigns, which leverage digital platforms and consumer networks. This study examines the influence of viral marketing on brand equity dimensions – brand awareness, perceived quality, brand loyalty, and brand association – through the lens of both customer perception and legal frameworks Using a quantitative research design, data were collected from 270 respondents across 389 companies, with a response rate of approximately 70% of the total population in Egypt’s home appliances sector, with simple linear regression analysis employed to assess the relationships. The results indicate a strong positive effect of viral marketing on brand equity. Specifically, viral marketing accounts for 27.2% of the variance in brand awareness (R² = 0.272, p < 0.001), 28.1% in perceived quality (R² = 0.281, p < 0.01), 13.6% in brand loyalty (R² = 0.136, p < 0.05), and 40.9% in brand association (R² = 0.409, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the study finds that regulatory compliance plays a moderating role, ensuring that viral marketing campaigns remain within ethical and legal bounds, thereby enhancing consumer trust and the long-term impact of marketing efforts.
These findings highlight the strategic value of integrating viral marketing with a firm understanding of legal frameworks to optimize brand equity in Egypt’s home appliances industry. This research provides actionable insights for brand managers and marketers looking to maximize the efficacy of their viral campaigns while maintaining brand integrity.

Acknowledgment
The authors are thankful to the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at University of Bisha for supporting this work through the Fast-Track Research Support Program.

In the context of a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the co-creation of value with customers has gained importance in both academic and business realms, particularly within the hospitality sector. This study aims to analyze the integration of value co-creation strategies to enhance the online reputation of hotels, with a focus on active customer involvement. Using a qualitative research strategy, the study involved semi-structured, in-person interviews with twenty hotel managers from various hotels in Fez, Morocco. Thematic analysis of the interview data, conducted using NVivo 14 software, highlighted the critical role of value co-creation, customer experience, and e-reputation in enhancing hotels’ online reputation. Key sub-themes identified under value co-creation include active collaboration, innovation based on customer needs, and taking into account online comments. Regular online surveys were also significant for gathering customer proposals. In terms of customer experience, themes such as engagement, satisfaction, and perception were prominent. E-reputation management emerged as crucial, with sub-themes including real-time monitoring and response, integrating feedback into improvement processes, adopting advanced tools, and adapting online reputation strategies based on continuous feedback. The results underscore the interconnectedness of customer engagement, experience, and e-reputation. Integrating strategies that consider online comments and adopt advanced tools significantly improves the online reputation of hotels. Conclusions advocate for a cohesive approach prioritizing customer experience and continuous improvement, through innovative technologies and strategic adjustments to meet evolving customer needs, fostering a positive and enduring hotel online presence.

This study aims to examine the impact of sales channels, either direct or indirect, on the profitability of software companies in Japan, and to further elucidate the differences in international competitive advantages by comparing Japanese firms with U.S. SaaS companies. This study analyzes the financial data of Japanese software manufacturers listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange over the three-year period from 2020 to 2022. Companies are classified into direct sales and indirect sales groups based on their revenue and operating profit margins. Additionally, Welch’s t-test was performed to compare the profitability of these companies, and comparisons were also made with U.S. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies. The analysis revealed that Japanese companies adopting indirect sales channels exhibited statistically significantly higher profitability than those using direct sales channels (t = 2.3828, p = 0.0263, mean difference = 0.1701). Moreover, Japanese companies with indirect sales channels also demonstrated significantly higher profitability when compared to U.S. SaaS companies (t = 4.7911, p = 0.00001, mean difference = 0.3874). These findings suggest that, particularly in the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market, the use of indirect sales channels effectively bridges the IT literacy gap and enhances profitability. This study concludes that indirect sales channels serve as a strategic factor that strengthens the competitive advantage of Japanese software companies and contributes to the improvement of profitability.

Despite extensive research and practice in the topic of customer relationship management (CRM), the hotel industry still lacks clarity on the effect of CRM on customer satisfaction performance. Thus, the study aims to investigate the effect of CRM through different dimensions (key customer focus, CRM organization, knowledge management, and CRM-based technology) on customer satisfaction performance in Jordanian hotels. A quantitative research approach through questionnaire adopted from relevant literature was used for data collection. The study participants were managers of Jordanian different star hotels. A total of 101 managers were involved in this study, and different key statistical analyses were applied to achieve its purpose using SPSS, regression and correlation analysis after validating the study measures and scale. The results showed that all dimensions of CRM have a positive and significant effect on Jordanian hotels’ customer performance and key customer focus has the greatest effect on customer satisfaction out of four CRM dimensions that were examined, followed by CRM organization and knowledge management. Although the technology of CRM considerably impacts customer satisfaction, this impact is very slight. Therefore, the results suggested that the hotel managers should pay attention to their internal resources such as top management support and employee involvement and assess the impact of CRM implementation of customer-orientation culture to improve their performance and consequently establish a competitive advantage.

This study aimed at analyzing the effect of sales promotion and advertising expenses on sales performance, considering firm size as a likely moderating variable.
This research conducted regression analyses on 474 Jordanian companies based on the firm’s advertising expenditure, gross margin, firm size, and sales performance. It tested two models: first, direct impact of advertising expenses on sales performance, and, second, firm size affecting the relationship between advertising expenses and sales performance.
The findings show that advertising and sales promotion expenses do not have a significant effect on sales performance. Besides, firm size did not moderate this relationship, as referred by a non-significant t-value of –1.459 and a p-value of 0.145. The models explained only 4.1% and 0.5% of the variance in sales performance, respectively, suggesting that other factors play a more significant role.
These results suggest that Jordanian firms have to reevaluate their advertising strategies and consider alternative approaches to enhance sales. The research contributes to more understanding of the limited role of advertising in sales performance within the Jordanian market.

Acknowledgement
This research was funded through the annual funding track by the Deanship of Scientific Research, from the vice presidency for graduate studies and scientific research, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia [Grant no. KFU242402].

Many people are hesitant or unwilling to take advantage of potentially life-saving vaccines; this is true even in a global pandemic and even when vaccines are readily available and/or free. Apart from general unwillingness to be vaccinated, fear of side effects is a frequently named reason for vaccine hesitation. This survey-based study, carried out online in Austria in March of 2021, examines the efficacy of two different approaches – framing and nudging – in promoting a fictional COVID-19 vaccine program. While nudging had no visible effects, either positive or negative, framing was associated with more positive feelings toward the campaign and a greater intention to be vaccinated, though only among those already pre-disposed to get the vaccine. Governments and healthcare organizations are eager to find low-cost measures to increase vaccination rates for COVID-19 and other diseases. This study’s results suggest that addressing and positively framing the high likelihood of problem-free vaccinations should form an integral part of public messages, but that this approach may be ineffective among those who are strongly hesitant or unwilling.

Acknowledgement
Supported by funds from the province of Tyrol.

The most recent developments in the sustainable fashion indicate the need to further study circular consumption. Ethical identity is linked to decision-making as morally correct or incorrect in relation to perceived brand value and demographics of today’s modern consumers. The study focuses on the role of ethical intensity, perceived social and emotional value and demographic characteristics in relation to consumer willingness to rent or purchase second-hand clothing online. The study employed an online survey to collect data in the United Kingdom and Lithuania. These two countries are relevant for this study because they both are situated in Europe. They both have options for consumers to shop second-hand or rent clothing online, which allows for meaningful data comparison. The study’s findings suggest that demographics, that is, gender acts as significant predictors for consumer willingness to purchase or rent second-hand clothing online in both countries, while age is only significant for Lithuania but not for the UK. Ethical intensity is an important driver of consumer willingness to rent or purchase second-hand clothing online in the UK but not in Lithuania. Perceived social and emotional value is the strongest significant predictor in the consumer willingness to rent or purchase second-hand clothing in both countries. By examining the abovementioned drivers, the study contributes to knowledge on how to better predict consumer decision-making. Specifically, the study introduces ethical intensity construct to the online second-hand and rental clothing context to aid the explanation of consumer willingness to purchase second-hand or rent clothing in the online context.

Acknowledgment
This project has received funding from the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), agreement No [S-MIP-22-27].

Tourist satisfaction shows the satisfaction that arises because visitors feel satisfied and happy after visiting a destination. This study aims to examine the role of tourist satisfaction in influencing destination image, emotional experience, and value perception towards destination loyalty of natural dye batik in Indonesia. The research uses a quantitative approach in an uncontrolled environment, with individuals as the unit of analysis. The population consisted of domestic and foreign tourist respondents aged 21 years and over who visited the natural dye batik village, Bayat, Klaten, Indonesia. Data collection was carried out using an online survey method, questionnaires were sent to selected respondents using online Google Forms. The data were collected comprehensively from 200 respondents for descriptive demographic profile analysis. The hypotheses were tested using partial least squares modelling analysis. The results of the study showed a positive influence of destination image, emotional experience, and perceived value on tourist satisfaction (Beta = .423, p < .000; Beta = .087, p < .045, Beta = .368, p < .000). Likewise, destination image, perceived value, and tourist satisfaction have a positive effect on destination loyalty (Beta = .306, p < .000; Beta = .198, p < .009, and Beta = .325, p = .000). This shows that the better the destination image and value perception, and the higher the emotional experience, the higher the tourist satisfaction, and with increasing tourist satisfaction, destination loyalty also increases.

Acknowledgment
We would like to thank the management of natural dyed batik “Kebon Indah”, Bayat Klaten (Mrs. Dalmini and staff) who permitted and facilitated this study, especially in obtaining respondents. We would like to thank our friends at the Udinus Faculty of Economics and Business who provided input to improve the results and reporting of this study and all respondents who directly or indirectly contributed to this research. Hopefully, this study will be useful for developing science and business practice.

This study analyzed by comparing the effect of e-WOM (electronic word-of-mouth) virtual shopping websites and e-WOM from respondents on social networks on users’ smartphone buying intentions. A research frame is established based on four e-WOM components: e-WOM source credibility, e-WOM source quality, e-WOM source attitude, and e-WOM source format toward the purchase intention of a smartphone. The effect of the independent variables was empirically tested using multiple regression analysis on the dependent variable of customer buying intention. The research was conducted in Uttar Pradesh, a province in India, with 362 respondents administering a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA (analysis of variance), and regression analysis were applied to interpret the source data. The results of regression factors had a strong statistical influence with a probability value of .000 and R2 of .358 according to the outcomes, suggesting that the framework described 35.8 proportion of the variance and that all the factors were major antecedents of buying intention. This study assists digital businesses in determining consumer buying trends through e-WOM on digital platforms. This study proposes a novel concept to understand how e-WOM affects customers’ buying intent from social networks and e-commerce portals.

Acknowledgment
This study is supported via funding from Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University project number PSAU/2024/R/1445.

This research aims to investigate the direct and formal effect of visual aesthetics on customers’ willingness to participate in an online marketing campaign, given that visual aesthetics is considered a salient design characteristic that customers tend to refer to when expressing their experience with the online retailer environment. This research study incorporates the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to propose and estimate this direct effect through structural aesthetics TAM model. In order to validate the proposed model, an online survey with interactive experience was constructed utilizing an open-source platform and was primarily sent to scholars specializing in HCI, informatics, user experience, and digital marketing research in the United Kingdom. The data were obtained from 360 participants, and Partial Least Squares (PLS) path modeling using SmartPLS 4 was employed to evaluate the proposed model. The empirical evaluation demonstrated and confirmed the authenticity and novelty of significant direct and formal effects of customers’ perceived visual aesthetics on their willingness to participate in an online marketing campaign (β = 0.462, t = 10.847, p < 0.001), and their usage attitude (β = 0.789, t = 39.622, p < 0.001). These findings highlight the importance of visual aesthetics in online marketing campaign design, suggesting that concise, well-organized, and visually appealing user interfaces is more likely to engage customers than a complex, cluttered one.

Studying customers’ value co-creation of using fintech Islamic banking services has been a trend of Islamic bank managements to obtain value, competitive advantages, growth, and sustainability. This work endeavors to explore the role of applying artificial intelligence and big data technologies on value co-creation of using fintech Islamic banking services from customers’ perspective in Jordan. This study used a quantitative methodology based on survey approach to conduct its goals and objectives. Using structural equation modelling approach, the results indicate that artificial intelligence has a significant role in customers’ trust (β = 0.316***) and satisfaction (β = 1.14***) of using fin-tech Islamic banking services in Jordan. The results indicate that big data capabilities have a significant role in customers’ trust (β = 0.658***) and satisfaction (β = –0.109*) of using fintech Islamic banking services in Jordan. The results show that customers’ satisfaction confirms a significant effect on customers’ trust (β = –0.132***) of using fintech Islamic banking services in Jordan. The results uncover that customers’ trust have a considerable impact on customers’ value co-creation (β = 0.232***) of using fintech Islamic banking services in Jordan. The results uncover that customers’ satisfaction have a considerable impact on customers’ value co-creation (β = 0.382***) of using fintech Islamic banking services in Jordan. This study provides novel contributions regarding financial services of Islamic banks in maximizing customers’ value co-creation in Jordan.