Issue #3 (Volume 22 2026)

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Artificial intelligence-based chatbots are increasingly used on e-commerce platforms to improve customer interactions and service efficiency, yet their effectiveness in influencing consumer purchase intentions in emerging markets remains insuffi-ciently understood. This study aims to examine how interaction, entertainment, perceived enjoyment, service quality, per-ceived ease of use, trendiness, communication competence, and credibility influence purchase intention, mediated by cus-tomer satisfaction, in the context of Tokopedia’s AI chatbot in Indonesia. The study employed a quantitative approach using a structured online survey of 240 Tokopedia users in Yogyakarta and Central Java conducted between March and July 2024, and the collected data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indi-cate that communication competence (β = 0.287, p < 0.001), credibility (β = 0.254, p < 0.001), and trendiness (β = 0.231, p < 0.01) are the strongest predictors of customer satisfaction and indirectly influence purchase intention. Service quality (β = 0.214, p < 0.001) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.198, p < 0.01) also significantly contribute to satisfaction, while entertainment (β = 0.176, p < 0.05) and perceived enjoyment (β = 0.169, p < 0.05) enhance the experiential aspect of chatbot interaction. Satisfaction demonstrates a strong positive effect on purchase intention (β = 0.412, p < 0.001), confirming its mediating role in translating chatbot service attributes into behavioral outcomes. These findings suggest that effective AI chatbot design should integrate functional service quality with relational and experiential communication capabilities to strengthen consumer engagement and purchasing behavior on e-commerce platforms.

Acknowledgment
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Tech-nology (KEMENDIKTISAINTEK) of the Republic of Indonesia through the regular fundamental research grant scheme (PFR). This research was funded under the contract number 126/C3/DT.05.00/PL/2025; 0498.02/LL5-INT/AL.04/2025; 012/DPPM.LLDIKTI/PFR/UST/LP2M/K/VI/2025. The findings and opinions expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding institution.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Smart wrist wearables (SWWs) represent the leading segment in the multi-billion-dollar global fitness tracker industry. Despite the robust and thriving global market, South Africa remains far behind in adoption, penetration rate and market value. As such, this study aims to predict SWW adoption intention among South African youth by examining the influence of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, information availability, social image, brand name, perceived performance risk, perceived cost, and attitude. The study surveyed 312 South African Parkrun attendees aged 18-34 using a self-administered questionnaire. The youth market was specifically targeted as they represent the primary users of wearable technology and because of their high digital engagement. SPSS and AMOS v. 27 were used for model validation and hypothesis testing through confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis, respectively. The results show that device ease of use boosts perceived usefulness (β = 0.82, p < 0.01), consequently influencing attitudes (β = 0.78, p < 0.01) and adoption intentions. Information availability (β = 0.20, p < 0.01) significantly influences adoption intentions, where perceived performance risk (β = 0.22, p < 0.01) echoes this finding for attitude. Social image (β = –0.11, p < 0.05) and perceived cost (β = –0.47, p < 0.01) had a significant, adverse effect on respondents’ attitude towards SWWs. Notably, brand name (β = –0.01, p > 0.01) plays no notable role in attitude formation and ultimate adoption intentions. These findings offer actionable insights for SWW brands seeking to develop targeted, competitive strategies.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Given the paramount importance of brand love (BL) in the contemporary marketplace, this study analyzes the influence of online convenience (OC) on brand love among apparel customers. It further investigates the mediating role of impulsive buying behavior (IBB) in the relationship between OC and BL by considering its contextual relevance. OC is conceptualized as multi-dimensional construct comprising seven distinct facets: access convenience (AC), search convenience (SC), evaluation convenience (EC), transaction convenience (TC), relationship convenience (RC), possession convenience (PC), and post-possession convenience (PPC). This framework positions OC as a critical factor influencing customers’ psychology. Primary data were collected through an online survey administered to 410 Nike apparel customers in Bangalore, India. The proposed research model was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS. The results reveal that evaluation, transaction, possession, and post-possession convenience have significant positive influences on BL. The study also demonstrates that IBB plays a statistically significant mediating role in the relationship between most dimensions of OC and BL, except for possession and post-possession convenience. The research highlights the necessity of offering better OC to customers to boost BL. Furthermore, this research emphasizes that firms can utilize the potential of the IBB concept as a competitive strategy to accelerate the evolution of BL.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
TikTok has become an influential social commerce platform where marketing communication, user interaction, and purchasing activities increasingly intersect. Despite growing attention to TikTok marketing, existing studies have predominantly examined individual communication tools, offering limited understanding of how different communication activities collectively shape consumer responses.
This study examines the relationships between TikTok-based marketing communication activities, brand trust, and purchase decision among Generation Z consumers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Data were collected from 290 TikTok users and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).
The results reveal that brand trust exerts a strong positive effect on purchase decision (β = 0.745, p < 0.001). Among the examined communication dimensions, public relations (β = 0.384, p < 0.001), event-related activities (β = 0.158, p = 0.016), and influencer communication (β = 0.145, p = 0.038) significantly enhance brand trust. In contrast, advertising, creative content, and livestreaming do not exhibit statistically significant direct effects on brand trust. Additional mediation analysis indicates that brand trust significantly mediates the effects of event marketing, influencer communication, and public relations on purchase decision.
The findings suggest that communication effectiveness on TikTok depends less on promotional exposure alone and more on consumers’ perceptions of credibility, interaction quality, and relational trust. The study contributes to a better understanding of consumer behavior in short-video social commerce environments and offers practical implications for firms targeting Generation Z consumers.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Gamified marketing has become an increasingly critical strategy in digital commerce, yet the full pathway from consumer attitude through engagement to purchase behavioral intention remains insufficiently examined, particularly across demographic cohorts in emerging markets. This study investigates how gamification elements shape consumer attitudes, engagement and purchase behavioral intention among digital consumers in the Delhi National Capital Region of India. This quantitative study employs a structured survey administered between July and November 2025, yielding a final usable sample of 643 (56.8% male, 43.2% female). The study integrates the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) within a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) framework. The results demonstrate that perceived agility (β = 0.307, p < 0.001), perceived ease of use (β = 0.278, p < 0.001), perceived usefulness (β = 0.259, p < 0.001), perceived enjoyment (β = 0.248, p < 0.001) and social influence (β = 0.188, p < 0.001) are significant drivers of consumer attitude. Consumer attitude strongly predicts consumer engagement (β = 0.550, p < 0.001) and purchase behavioral intention (β = 0.334, p < 0.001), with engagement partially mediating the attitude–purchase behavioral intention relationship (β = 0.196, p < 0.001). Measurement invariance testing followed by multi-group analysis reveals significant generational and gender-based differences in gamification drivers, underscoring the need for demographically tailored strategies. These findings advance theory by confirming the TAM-UTAUT integrated model in a gamified emerging-market context, and offer practitioners a roadmap for designing differentiated gamification campaigns that enhance engagement and drive purchase intention.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study examines socio-demographic and socio-economic differences in compulsive buying tendencies among adult consumers in Slovakia using a quantile regression approach. The analysis is based on a quota-based sample of 1,000 respondents aged 18 years and older. Data were collected in March 2025 through an online questionnaire survey administered by the professional research agency FOCUS. Compulsive buying was measured using a standardized 16-item Compulsive Buying Behavior scale evaluated on a seven-point Likert scale. The overall compulsive buying score was calculated as the arithmetic mean of all items, and the scale demonstrated high internal consistency. Quantile regression models were estimated at τ = 0.25, τ = 0.50, and τ = 0.75 to examine whether socio-demographic and socio-economic factors operate differently across lower, medium, and higher levels of compulsive buying tendencies. The results indicate that unemployment is the most consistent socio-economic predictor of higher compulsive buying tendencies across the analyzed quantiles. Education shows a predominantly negative but less stable association, with statistically significant effects observed mainly at the median quantile for selected educational categories. Age is negatively associated with compulsive buying, particularly at the median quantile, while gender and personal income do not show stable statistically significant effects. The overall explanatory power of the models is limited, suggesting that socio-demographic characteristics capture only part of the variability in compulsive buying behavior. The study contributes to consumer behavior research by showing that quantile regression can reveal heterogeneous associations that may be obscured in mean-based models. At the same time, the findings should be interpreted as evidence of partial socio-demographic differences rather than as a comprehensive explanation of compulsive buying behavior.

Acknowledgment
Funded by the EU NextGenerationEU through the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Slovakia under the project No. 09I03-03-V04-00737.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Growing concern over environmental degradation and increasing skepticism toward corporate sustainability claims has heightened interest in how consumers form sustainable consumption decisions in emerging markets. This study examines how internal sustainability orientations and firms’ green marketing practices jointly shape sustainable consumer behavior, and how perceived greenwashing moderates these relationships among Generation Y and adult Generation Z consumers in Vietnam.
Using survey data from 656 urban consumers, the study applies regression, sequential mediation, and moderation analyses. The results show that green consumer identity is the strongest driver of sustainable behavior, with environmental awareness and environmental protection attitude operating indirectly through identity formation. Green purchase willingness serves as a proximal mechanism linking identity to behavior. Green marketing practices have weaker but significant effects, indicating a complementary role alongside internal motivations.
Perceived greenwashing weakens the translation of both identity-based motivation and marketing signals into behavior, but does not affect willingness formation, suggesting a stage-specific credibility effect at the behavioral conversion stage.
The findings highlight an integrated mechanism in which identity-based motivation dominates, external signals complement, and perceived authenticity constrains sustainable consumption in emerging markets.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in digital banking is transforming how financial institutions manage customer relationships and encourage customer advocacy. However, empirical evidence explaining how artificial intelligence-driven electronic customer relationship management influences brand advocacy through different consumption values remains limited. This study aims to assess the effect of AI-driven electronic customer relationship management on brand advocacy and to examine the mediating roles of consumption values in Vietnam’s digital banking context. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 468 users of digital banking services who had interacted with artificial intelligence-enabled customer service functions, and the data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results show that AI-driven electronic customer relationship management has a positive and statistically significant direct effect on brand advocacy (β = 0.194, p < 0.001). Functional value (β = 0.092, p = 0.030), monetary value (β = 0.347, p < 0.001), epistemic value (β = 0.197, p < 0.001), and social value (β = 0.104, p = 0.010) also positively influence brand advocacy, whereas emotional value does not have a significant effect (β = 0.023, p = 0.703). Monetary value emerges as the strongest predictor of brand advocacy, and the model explains 63.4% of the variance in this construct. The findings indicate that artificial intelligence-enabled relationship management systems strengthen brand advocacy primarily when they deliver tangible economic, informational, and functional benefits to digital banking customers.

Acknowledgment
This research is partly funded by Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City and University of Finance – Marketing.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study investigates how social media marketing influences the engagement and purchase intentions of Generation Z (Gen Z) consumers in the beauty industry. As digital technologies and social commerce continue to reshape consumer behavior, understanding the mechanisms through which social media activities translate into purchasing decisions has become increasingly important. Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework, this study examines the effects of Value of Brand Page (VBP), Self-Brand Connection (SBC), and Social Media Marketing Efforts (SMME) on Viral Behavioral Intention (VBI) and, subsequently, Purchase Intention (PI). Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), data were collected from 341 Saudi female Generation Z consumers during the second half of 2025. The results indicate that VBP, SBC, and SMME each have a significant positive effect on VBI, while VBI, in turn, positively influences purchase intention. Among the examined predictors, social media marketing efforts exert the strongest influence on viral behavioral intention within the proposed structural model. The findings suggest that effective and engaging social media activities, together with consumers’ perceived value of brand pages and psychological connection with brands, encourage content sharing and enhance purchase intentions. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of the mechanisms linking social media marketing and consumer behavior in the Saudi beauty sector and offers practical implications for marketers seeking to strengthen brand engagement and stimulate purchasing through digital platforms.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Tourism decision-making increasingly relies on digital assistants, yet the mechanism through which conversational AI may support sustainable travel planning remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine whether ChatGPT adoption disposition is associated with sustainable travel planning intention and whether this association operates through ChatGPT relationship engagement and AI-assisted travel-planning experience. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted online between January and March 2025 among adults from Tunisia, France, Italy, Germany, and other countries who had previously used ChatGPT to search for environmentally responsible travel information. From 234 questionnaires initially received, 48 were excluded after screening and quality control, leaving 186 valid responses. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the measurement model, structural paths, mediation effects, and dummy-coded country controls, with France as the reference category. The results show that attitude (β = 0.421, p < 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.353, p < 0.001), and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.297, p < 0.001) are positively associated with ChatGPT adoption disposition. The direct path from ChatGPT adoption disposition to sustainable travel planning intention is not significant (β = 0.080, p = 0.734). However, two indirect effects are significant: through ChatGPT relationship engagement (β = 0.250, p < 0.001) and through AI-assisted travel-planning experience (β = 0.124, p < 0.001). Country controls are non-significant. The study concludes that ChatGPT is more relevant as an experiential and relational facilitator than as a direct driver of sustainable travel intention, within the limits of a pooled non-probability international sample.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Indonesia’s star-rated hotel industry has become increasingly competitive, placing pressure on hotels to adapt to rising guest expectations. This paper examines how perceived dynamic capability and perceived guest-centric strategic agility jointly enhance guest outcomes (satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy) in the hotel industry using remains underexplored. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using purposive non-probability sampling to Indonesian guests (Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z) who stayed in three-star to five-star hotels within the past twelve months in 2025. This segment was selected because upper-tier hotels tend to implement adaptive service practices that are perceivable to guests. A total of 324 valid responses were analyzed using PLS-SEM with SmartPLS 4. The results revealed that perceived dynamic capability positively and significantly influenced both perceived guest-centric strategic agility and guest outcome. There was also a significant mediating effect of perceived guest-centric strategic agility on the relationship between perceived dynamic capability and guest outcome, indicating partial mediation. Age and income showed no significant effects, confirming the main model’s robustness across demographic groups. The findings suggest that hotels can enhance guest satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy by developing guest-perceivable dynamic capabilities and translating them into agile service delivery to sustain competitive positioning in a dynamic hospitality environment.

Acknowledgment
Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to this study.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study examines the relationships between short-video creativity, influencer credibility, and impulsive buying intention through the sequential mediating roles of perceived cultural relevance and perceived content authenticity. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 155 active users of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts in Indonesia who had recently viewed fashion-related promotional content and considered purchasing after exposure, ensuring direct relevance to short-video commerce behavior. Data were collected online between September and October 2025 using purposive sampling and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that short-video creativity (β = 0.297; p = 0.004) and influencer credibility (β = 0.616; p < 0.001) are positively related to perceived cultural relevance, which is positively linked to perceived content authenticity (β = 0.762; p < 0.001). Perceived content authenticity was positively associated with impulsive buying intention (β = 0.559; p < 0.001), while the direct effects of short-video creativity and influencer credibility were not significant. Sequential mediation was supported for both pathways, supporting the proposed statistical mediation model in which impulsive buying intention is linked to short-video stimuli through perceived cultural relevance and perceived content authenticity. Because the study employed purposive sampling and the sample was predominantly female and concentrated on respondents from Java Island, the findings should be interpreted within the context of consumer groups similar to those represented in the sample rather than as representative of all Indonesian consumers. These findings extend the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework and provide managerial implications for designing culturally resonant and authentic digital marketing strategies.